Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-07-02
" TORNADO TOMMY"
The Waif Who was Blown Into a Home and
Then Blown Out to Sea.

Then Blown out to Sea.
I live in Harris county, the home of
the cyclone" said Georgian TO an Allan
ia Constitution reporter. About three
years ago, one afternoon in May, was
down at the spring, when suddenly I
heard a sound like the rumbling of a
freight tram. Looking up. saw a fun
mel shaped cloud coming over the top of
the hill on the other side of my house and
heading IN my direction. As black as
midnight, with electric sparks emanating
from 1t In showers, it was fearful look
ing thing, and my hair stood on end as l
looked at it. The spring was in little
hollow under huge rock, and as the place
was the only shelter within reach, | threw
myself down, hugging the ground like a
good fellow. | heard an awful roar. The
ground shook under me. Lurid streaks
zlgzagged in every direction, and then
came the pattering of pelting rain.
Il rose to my feet and looked about me.
L hardly knew the scene. Absolutely
nothing was left of my cottage except
tho floor and underpinning. Even the
chlmneys were gone. I thought 1 heard
feeble cry in the shrubbery near where
my front gate had stood. The shrubbery
had been beaten down and lay perfectly
Hat IN tangled mass. Approaching the
spot l was almost paralyzed to see half
hidden in the bushes a little child, appar-
emily not more than two year sold.
Bringing up my friends with a shout,
We picked up the little fellow. To our
surprise, he was alive and without
scratch He laughed merrily, but spoke
indistinctly, We asked his name repeat
eddy, and his reply always sounded come
thing like Tommy OF course, we sup
posed that he was the child of some
neighbor. After putting him to bed at a
nelghbor's house my friends wife came to
me and said that the boy could not posi-
bly, be one of our Harrison county folks
His little frock was made of a peculiar
material not used in those parts. There
were no marks on his clothing. His dark
face and bright black eyes had a foreign
look, and his baby jargOn was not Eng
lish.
well, sir, l sent out runners, and then
advertised, and everybody came to see the
boy. 1t was useless. We never got the
slightest clue to him.
The following summer | went to Miss
issippi. l took Tornado Tommy along
for company. Our destination was a lit
tie village of the Gulf. After our arrival
l was very busy, and allowed the boy to
run about on the beach as much as he
pleased. Late one afternoon tornado
came along, just barely missing the vii
lage. 1t twisted up big trees and carried
them out of sight. Its course was straight
to the Gulf, and the last seen of it was as
it whirled away over the waters. As it
had missed us, l was happy, but thinking
the child might be frightened, 1 hurried
to the house where we were stopping. He
was not there, and l was told that he had
gone alone to the beach a couple of hours
before. Then | was alarmed. | rushed
down to the water and searched and
shouted like a mailman. The poor little
fellow was gone. The villagers joined me,
but were soon forced to give up all hope.
There was no doubt about it. The lorna
do had caught up the boy like a feather
and carried him off to sea-"