Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-17
TRAIN II A TORNADO.
Experience of the Chicago Express on the
Fort Wayne Road.


By Telegraph
PITTsBURG. May 15th.-The Chicago ex-
press on the Fort Wayne Railroad had
rough experience passing through the tor
nado which struck Eastern Ohio last night.
The lightning flashed continuously ffom
the time the train left Fort WAYNE at P.
NJ, and the rain descended almost solidly
until Lima, Ohio, was passed Such
storm the passengers had never seen before,
and the ladies, of whom there were quite
number on the train, were greatly fright
ened, and the gentlemen were too scared
themselves to be of much'service in allav-
ing their fears. The wind steadily in
creased in fury. The train passed Forest,
2O9 miles west Of Pittshurg, about 1890
The engineer was then sending the lOcomo-
tive along at about thirty miles an hour
The engine put on more steam. and when
about three miles from Kirby the storm
was at its height. Suddenly there was
dull roar in the distance, and then a cy-
clone tore across the level plain on the
south side of the track, and, catching big
tree, tore it up by the roots and flung it
across the cars. One limb struck the loco
motive and cut the cowcatcher in two. An
other limb fell on the platform and steps
OF the first car and demolished it. Other
branches smashed in the windows along
three ordinary cars and two Pullman
Sleepers. The telegraph poles came DASH
ing down at the same time. Rocks and
bushes were blown through the air in a
riotous scurry. The car windows were
smashed TO pieces, cracked and spIintered
and the glass flew in every direction.
The train, however, kept on the rails,
and the engineer, by applying the air
brake, brought it to astaDdstill within 200
yards Every passenger was i'll parOXysm
of fear. The Sleepers we're transformed
into throng of Wildly-excited men and
women. The railroad mef kept fairly cool
and as soon as they could assisted in the
restoration of confidence. The storm contin-
ued. The air was filed with flying branches
aud stones while the glare of electricity
liberated from the clouds, intensified the
horror of the scene. Though every window
in the sleepers was fractured, and almost
every pane in the other coaches smashed,
il is remarkable that very few passengers
were hurt. c. C. Bow merchant of Can
ton, Ohio, was in his berth in the sleeper
Salamis when the tree shivered the glass
above him and drove one piece under his
right eye with such force that the eve was
literally cut A lady in the same car who
refused to give her name. was also cut,
though not seriously, about the face A
few others had their hands cut.
The storm did not abate much. except
that the tornado passed away. An idea of
its force may be conceived from the fact
that rocks were blown into the cars on the
south side, and had sufficient impetus to
pierce the western windows as clean as if
they had been bullets from a gatiing gun
None of the roofs of the cars were much
damaged, bat the locomotive boiler was
dented in several places, and the smoke
stack was knocked ont of n STRAIGHT line
After about an hours delay the train start
ed again and i'll due time reached Crestine
without further accident. There another
locomotive was procured, and tie battered
cars came on to Pittsburg, reaching the
Union depot one hour and half late,
good deal of lost time being made up on the
run. When the train arrived here it looked
as if it had been ridded by sharpshooters
and battery of heavy artillery