Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1885-11-05
A CYCLONE VICTIM.
Colonel Kinks Story of His Thrill
ing Experience.

OOlOnel Kinks story OF Ills Thrlll-
ing Experience.
For several days following the awful
cyclone at Washington c. H, Ohio. it
was the all-absorblbg topic of converse
ton in our town.
Great crowds of excursionists went
down to view the wrecked city, and re-
turning told of the terrible effects of the
devastating storm.
These accounts were listened to with
great attention, but as most of them
were inclined to spread it on a little, it
was pretty hard to separate truth from
fiction. So when Colonel Tom Kirk,
whom we knew was citizen of Wash
ington G. H., strolled into our Office, we
felt certain that we were about to hear
true account Of the great blow.
The boys all gathered around him,
gave him the seat of honor on the rail
ing, presented him with cigar, and
settled themselves down to listen.
well, boys" said the Colonel, after
a few preliminary puffs, you want to
hear about the cyclone, Isuppose, eh?"
We told him that, entertaining rs we
did firm belief in his unimpeachable
veracity, such was our unanimous de-
sire.
"Wcll," confined the Colonel, "let
me tel you first that have come up
here to stay. I've got enough of Wash
ington G. H. You know when l went
down there to live, people here all told
me it was situated in an open country
and liable to heavy storms; but never
listened to their talk. wish had
now. never knew such town for
storms, and they were mighty queer
-~-enes, too. I've seen all sorts of storms,
from typhoons and tornados to, ahem!
domestic storms, but l never saw any
act like those. fe,.s
why, if we would happen to leave
our clothes out on the line after dark,
along would come miniature cyclone
and sweep my best shirts off, leaving
some WORKOUT things l should have
been glad to get rid Of And strange to
say we wouldn't hear any noise, either
1t would slide around and do its work
so quietly that when would ask my
neighbor about the storm next morn
ing, he'd declare there hadn't been a
cloud in the sky the entire night
Then, again some morning / would
wake up to find that my melon patch
had been visited by cyclone, and the
rinds were strewn all over my neigh
boris yard. Iwould call his attention
to the fact and he would clasp his hands
and say Wonderfully onderfulr that he
wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't
seen it with his own eyes; but that
cyclones were queer storms, and that
he had heard of Just such occurrences.
"Then my wood-pile commenced to
disappear AS many as ten sticks
would blow away some nights. One
day | tried the experiment Of Weighing
some down with about pound Of
gunpowder inserted in knot-hole, but
that night they disappeared just the
same.
1.-The next morning ! got up early
just in time to see cyclone strike my
neighbours kitchen. Honestly, cyclones
are the most curious storms in creation
1t never harmed the roof of the
kitchen, but swooped down through
the door and boosted the heavy cook
stove right through the window in sec
tions.
II never saw such a wonderful
thing in my life! Then, after wreck
ing the stove, the cyclone quietly
moved on and disappeared without in
fiicting further damage. You may no
believe this, but it is the truth never
theless
"Well. I could have stood these
baby cyclones, and in time, perhaps
have got used to them. but when tn,
old parent cyclone came monkeyins
around the other night concluded i
was about time to pull up stakes anG
Iesye.
That night l was sitting upon thu
steps in front of my house enjoying my
evenings smoke. | saw the storm
gathering. The somber-hued cloud,
had massed themselves in awful majesty
above the horizon, and come rolling
along like horrible monsters hungry TO
their helpless prey, while mingled witt
the lightning's binding glare came tn,
mighty roar of Jove's artillery, causing
the stoutest heart among us to trembl'
and to cower!''
Right here. the boys got up ant
famed the Colonel vigorously, bring
ing him back from his soaring fiigh
of cloquence to cold, cruel earth again
In short time he recovered and con
tinued:
.Well, you fellows may think j
wasn't q storm, but it was. Why tn,
sky was As black as the record of th,
opposing candidate.
II remained outside until cook-stove
and such things began 10 fly arount
kind Of lively like, and then concluded
it was about time to go in and take m,
wife and children down cellar.
"But before l could get inside tn,
door, along came the heaviest part o
that cyclone. lifted me upon its bosom
and ere could say word in remon
STRANGE. l was gliding along over tn,
housetops like meteor. Below me
could see the houses being destroyed
the people flying for their lives, and
about gave myself up for lost l ha,
been struck by the center OF the cy
clone, and was being borne out into tn,
country at lightning-expreSs train speed
but being on the top of it experience,
no more Inconvenience that woul,
have felt in Pullman sleeper. Blu
after awhile / begin to think wha
would happen when | stopped. I con