Thomas County cat., 1889-08-22
CAUGHT BY A CYCLONE.
Experience of q Government
Teamster in Nebraska
The Mysterious Twisters Were as Terrible
Thirty Years Ago as NOw-The Gath
ering Storm-A Sublime Spec
tacle The Stampede.

eripe Storm-A Sublime Spec
tacle The Stampede.
Apropos of the recent cyclonic devas
tation in Southeastern and Centra
Kansas, the appropriate question
arises: "Was it ever thus?" An ex
perience of some thirty years upon the
great central plains and an intimate
knowledge of the country from the
Yellowstone to the Staked Plains
north and south, and from the Mis-.
souri, to the Bear River. valley of Utah,
entities the writer to advance an opin.
ion in the premises. Close observa.
tiou of elementary or natural cOndi-
tions and an intimate association with
them naturally leads one to a certain
amount of inquiry and investigation,
especially when this association i'm
periled life and Oftener pecuniary in.
terest 1t has been asserted by many
writer's and some savants that cyclonic
storms are but of recent birth or crea-
ton, and were comparatively un.
known on the Western borders up to a
period of late years-say within a
quarter of century. Personal ex-
perience and observation induces a
contrary assertion and the statement
that such storms were more or less
frequent in the great valley of the
Platte as early as 1910.
On the 18th day of August, 1858,
near the mouth of Pole creek, Neb..
the writer was with a Government
supply train going to Fort Bridger and
loaded with corn. We had corraled
for our incoming" and some one hum
dred and eighty head of train cattle
and mules were quietly grazing wLile
our men were taking their lunch OF
boiled bacon and hard-tack. The fore
noon had been unusually hot and op-
pressive even for that season, and both
cattle and train men felt tired and ex-
hausted. The cattle had ceased to
Craze and by two p. m. lay down,
while most of the men lay beneath
the shadow of the great wagons pant
ing for breath and engaged in listless
interchange of opinion upon a subject
interesting to plainsmen alone.
Suddenly there was a noticeable DIFF
ference in the temperature, and the
sweltering heat gave place to puffs of
cool wind coming from the northeast
The sky at this time was cloudless and
the sun shining as an August sun
alone can shine-brilliant as the flame
Of fiery furnace-yet strange to
say during the prevalence OF the
gusts of wind it's rays of heat
were scarcely perceptible. I was
standing without the circle of cor
raled wagons conversing with Har-
mon, the train master, who called my
attention to the fact and saying at the
same time: "Bruce. the cattle must
be close herded at once. for if l am
not mistaken we are going to have
blow and l think a 'peeler.' Now.
mark you, he did not say storm"
such as we had all frequently en-
countered on our long journey, and as
l noticed the anxious look upon his
features the difference in the ex-
pressions struck me. Why should
gale of wind or "blow" so evidently
disturb him? We had been together
in many such. and as he turned away
and with rapid steps entered the line
of wagons somehow l felt as though
something more than common was
feared by him. Harmon was an old
plainsman. had traversed the great
trails of the Santa Fe, the Republican
and the Platte times without number.
cautious man From an encounter
with Indians to an encounter with the
elements he was generally to be found
on the safe side.
had stood possibly few moments
in reflection when l was aroused by an
evident commotion among the cattle
of the herd. Many of them had risen
and were moving restlessly about,
their heads elevated, snufing the air.
and uttering low Understanding
like the moaning of distant storm
Others stood paving the soil in q
belligerent way. but all were on their
feet and in motion. Then knew dam
ger was in the air, and sudden thick
ening of the atmosphere-not haze,
but singular moisture, sweltering
and hot-warne6 re that should be
making preparations to meet the inn
pending storm. let it come in whatever
shape it might. vas about to hasten
to the point where my bronco stood
tethered by his lariat when I heard
Harmon calling me from the corral /
at once fastened to him and found the
men busily engaged. under his direc-
ton. in anchoring down the heavily
loaded freight wagons by such means
as lay in their power. I knew that
Harmon foresaw something more than
an ordinary storm in the now hurry
ing. fleeing clouds that were driving