Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-03
AN UNSHACKLED FURY.
VIVID DESCRIPTION OF A WIND STORM
ON THE PRAiRIES.

Hurricane Rushing Over the Plains
in Search of victims-Men sufocating
for Air-AnimaIs K!iIed-The Climax
Reached.
We were camped on the open prairie,
seventy miles from the nearest range of hills,
with not a tree or bush in sight A. far as the
eve could range. A few rods TO the east was
a dry ravine, perhaps six feet deep. IL was
one of those queer freaks Of the prairie,
beginning nowhere, ending nowhere, and not
to be seen until one rode into IT, II crooked
and turned like the trail of a serpent, but one
looking across the prairie saw nothing hut a
lead level.
Night shut down as soft as a whisper, and
the stars came out and looked cheerily down
on the faces OF the mon who rested after a
hard days work There was not wind
enough to turn feather. There was no sign
in the heavens that danger menaced. At mid
night the wakeful sentinel felt gentle puff Of
wind lifting his long hair, and from distant
point the bark of a coyote was waited TO his
ears. Ten minutes later the grass about him
was bending TO breeze, and the unsecured
flaps of the tent began to whip. One of the
sleepers was aroused to make things secure,
and he was none too soon. Away Off in the
west was heard mighty rushing as the grass
swished in the wind, and dozens of dark forms
skurried past the tent in the ravine. The ami
NAL life of the prairie had become aroused
THE WIND FROM THE WEST.
Not in puffs but with front like wall,
the wind came out of the west increasing in
strength every moment An hour after mid
night the sentinel could no longer stand
against il, and the sleepcrs had been aroused
TO hold the tent in place by main strength. A
quarter of an hear later it was picked up as
tho human breath blows feather away
Men shouted ard screamed at each other, but
the wind took the words from their lips
and whirled them away Gnhsard Blown
along like so many puppets the band fell into
the ravine for shelter, followed two minutes
later by all the horses The alarmed animals
crowded up close to their human friends, and
they all lay down for further security. The
wagons were heard rushing away to tumble
into the ravine further down, and now and
then saddle or blanket or cooking utensil flew
over the ravine or fell among the fugitives
Afar up the mighty mountains a vial Of
wrath had been uncorked. Through the
gloomy canyons-down the awful precipices
over the pine-clad slopes rushed a hurri
cane in search Of victims. 1t leaped down
from mountain to foot hills with the roar Of
an angry sea, and it left the foot hills for the
level prairie bent on terrible destruction.
Across the seventy miles of level it.dashed at
us with its fury, and at O'Clock no living
thing could have faced il. At 3 the storm
swept prairie kept up continuous trembling,
as if volcano was about to break forth near
us At 4, when daylight broke, the air was
choked with grass torn up by the roots, and
the roar was appalling. Men chung TO each
other and to the grass, and now and then, as
the roaring died out for a few seconds, the
frightened horses neighed their terror When
the wind blows sixty miles an hour it is
hurricane. 1t was blowing harder than that
to te r up the strong prairie grass out Of the
soil When the wind blows seventy miles an
hour great trees are uprooted and barns are
blown down. 1t was blowing harder than
that to swoop up and carry off our heavy
picks and axes More than seventy-more
than eighty-more than ninety-aye, that
mighty wrath was dnshing over the prairie
at the rate of 100 miles an hour.