The Springdale news., 1889-09-13

tie for your at the same time indi- eating what he meant by pointing southward. One look, and my atten-
 tion was riveted upon the most singular sight 1 had ever before
 witnessed in my experience on
 the great plains. The. great surg
 ing body of clouds had been rent in
 twain midway, and while one body re-
 taincd the deep. blue black hue the
 other had assumed deep orange tint at the center with light saffron-hued spots constantly changing position, while the entire western line of the mass
 was illumined by rapid and vivid
 flashes of lightning. Midway the ad-
 vancing. threatening clouds the sky lay a clear cXpanse Of azure while
 mounting rapidly like beetling crags ! the blue-bla masses were o'erlapping the slower moving, luminous clouds
 The whole was taken in by me in a moment, and in the same moment the wind from the northeast had died away and dead calm ensued A mo- mcnt later, and ere we had reached the now restive cattle, a sound like distant thunder and steady gale of hot wind from the southwest caused me to again note the approaching storm. l can compare what 1 beheld to nothing save the bubbling masses of a rapidly boiling caldron of soap so intermingled and sudden were the eyolutlons of the light;sh- tinted with darker hued tossing vapors. Almost as quick as thought the panorama of battling elements changed. What had hitherto formed the base or heavier masses of the clouds suddenly shot upward leaving a long pendant train, the center of the body black as night-the outer rim filled with electric nashes-the whole gyrating, whirling, bounding upward,
 and then as the wind began to blow a gale, approaching us with tho speed of a race-horse and a sound represent ing distant cannonading. Ten min utcs did not clapse from the moment of its assuming it's funnel shape ere we were enveloped in clouds of hail.
 mist dust flying pebbles and thick
 sulphurous yapor. Riding like mad
 our shouting, whipping, screaming and all were vain attempts to hold the thoroughly frightened cattle, and the best we could do was to let them 1pi 1,l h,O h
 ing storm, keep pace with them The famous ride of John Gilpin was in no way equal to ours that ,'ay. and by five o'clock we succeeded ill stop ping the stampede and found ourselves eighteen miles distant from our start ing point-sore and bruised, hungry and drenched to the skin--minus one oF our number who had ridden to death, he having been caught by the frightened cattle, unhorsed and trampled into a shapeless mass of flesh and bones. Poor Christover! A more faithful lad never bestrodc a bronco. The return to camp next morning exposed situation by no means encouraging. Five Of the huge Government wagons, freightcd with from 6,500 to 1000 pounds, were com pletely wrecked and their valuable freight scattered for miles over the prairie. Harmon had had his left shoulder dislocated, two drivers were seriously injured by contusions, and four valuable mules killed outright. Still, savants contend cyclones to be of recent origin, and some people re- ligiousy believe them to be confined to Kansas, Poor Kansas, like the girl with many tribulations, finds the least of her to be the greatest in other folks eyes. Chicago Times.