The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-05-19

y
PIrTSruRG. May 1.-The thIcago eI-
press on the Fort Wayne railroad hal 4
rough experience passing through the
tornado which struck eastern ph 81 last
night. The lightning flashed cuntiuI-
ousl, when the train left tort Wayne, II
: p. H., and the rain descended almost
solilly until Lima. o.. was passed. such
a storm the passenger, had never seen
before. AMI the ladies', of whom quite Il
number were on lh' train. Were grtatlv
frightened. and tn grntIrmrn wtrt too
scared Themselves tu hr ut much S"rS irr
ia allaying their fears.
The ind suddenly increased in fury,
and the breaking ot the poles AMI the
rushing sbllation ot the telegraph Nir' )
made a concert of wild sounds.
The storm passed twenty-five miles
west of PttsmIrg about 1888. The en-
sineer was then sending the locomotive
along about thirty miles an hour. The
engineer put on more steam, and when
about three miles from Kirby there wa
"A dull roar IN the distance. and then q
rvclune tore arru-+ the level plain on the
south side Of the track. ami, catching 4
biz Tree, tore It mp bv the roots and
flung itacro,s the ears. bne limb struck
the locomotiye AMI cut the cow.catrhcI
in two, ami another fell ON the platform
and steps of the ltret car and demolI-htd
it. Other hianchcs smlshed in the Win
lowS along the three ordinary cars and
the two pHllmln sl,ciHrs, Telegraph
poles came dancing down at the sanc
time. and rocks and bushes flew through
the air in tiotouS scurry.
The car windows were smashed tC
pieces. cracked and splIntcrca and th,
glass flew in every direction.
The train kept on III" rails, md ia" en-
gnccr, APPLYING the air brakes. brought
it to n standstlll within two hAudry'
yards. Every passenger wa n a latov
ism Of fear. The sleeptrs were trans
| formed into drns Of wildly excited met
and wOmel The railway mon Kept
fairly cool. and, as far ~ they could. a.
sisted in the restoration of confidence.
The storm continued. the air WAS sttl
filled with flying branches and stones
| while the glare If electricity liberated
| from the clouds intensified tll" hptroT
Of the scene.
| Thouvl, every window of the sleep
era. Baden and Salamis, were fractured
and most every pare in the other coached
smashed. it is remarkable that very few
passengers were hurt.
Mr.. e. e.. Bow, merchant Of Canton
O., was in his berth at the Salamis, whct
a tree shycred tie Elasa orer him an,
drove one piece under hja night eye wlti
such force that il was literally ct! out
| 4 lady in the same ear, who refused tt
| give her name. wa, also cut. though less
seriously, about the face. lie" 1tHrr'
had their hands cut.
The storm dill not ahlta much "NrerI
that the tornado passed away.
IN idea of its force may be nblaine'
| from the fact that rocks wer" blown mt
the ear, on the south side with such iorc'
as to pierce the windows on the other a
THOUGH thnv were bullets from a gun
! None uf the roofs Of the ear were lam
| a.c,. hut the locomotive bplirr was
iented in several places, ana the enIh"
Stack was knocked ont Of a straight line
! After about an hours delay the train
started a.ain. and in due time reached
Crestlinc without further arcidehi
| There a locomotive VIZ procured. an'
the battered ears camc un ta lttt.uirg
reaching the Union depot one hour an'
a half late. q good deal of the tim" b"
ing made up on the run, Wh"n tn
train arrived here II looked rs i It ia'
been riddled by sharp,looter3 AMI a bat
tpry of heavy artillery.