DeSoto times., 1890-04-17
MARVELLOUS ESCAPE.
fifteen Minutes with a Cyclone-A
True Story.

speaking of cyclones" remarked Mr..
Eilson to the company about the library
be- one cold November evening, 81
bink can equal any story you have
bd with my own experience in gen.
inc 'twister.'" n
As we had already heard some sur
FSing stories, a general exclamation
Om young and old demanded the story,
hd, after little urging, Mr.. Wilson
egan:
I'VE were living then, my wife and
be eight children (of whom the young
was but four months old), in Nal
Pn, pretty little village about five
FILES from the city of Grinnell, la.
THE farm was as attractive as it could
lell be--acre after acre of rolling prai-
E land, fine garden, and a young and
Priving orchard. My cousin had lived
b the place for several years, but when
+ business made it necessary for him
\ 60 farther West, he had persuaded
e TO come out and take the farm.
Rd hoped to go West for several years,
hd | thought this an excellent opportu-
Ply, so we moved out, and had been
|vlng there about four years when this
fg blow came.
ut was in 1882, on the 9th of June;
Pu will see why have no trouble in
fmembering the date.
1t had been an exceedingly hot day,
n cloud to be seen, with the sun
fating fercely down, and not breath
air stirring We sat out on the porch
9fer supper, trying to find cool place.
|ne clouds were beginning to gather,
pa 1t looked as if there might be a
power The three little ones went
Prly to bed, and in spite of the op-
Fesslve heat were soon fast asleep.
1T couldn't have been far from eight
CLOCK when | heard a sound which at
FSt thought was thunder. The others
Puced 1t, too, and, as it grew louder,
Prnble rushing sound came with it, and
Y looked at one another in silence for
minute, and then ran to where we
puld look out westward.
MY heart stopped beating, when l
Nv coming toward us with terrific speed
Olack, funnel-shaped cloud, the rush
~ roar accompanying it growing louder
very minute.
hun for the cellar!' / cried. NV
iie ran and seized the baby, and /
'usht up the two other children from
y t,t bed There was no time to lose.
Inc one who first reached the ce liar
pof-lt was one of the older children
AZ JUST time to seize the knob, nothing
'Cre, when-crash! such terrific
Oise' felt myself lifted in the air, and
ought my time had come. The next
ing knew, | felt the splash of cold
a'er In my face. l must have lost
'nSclousness, but the water revived
. anu In moment knew where
as. .t
~, 1 @od come doapn head first into the
Inc water was some ten feet deep. I
~ 10 thoroughly at home in the water,
'Iugh ~ wasn't used to diving in that
suion' ,d and | managed to right myself
~ come up head first
. ne well was not more than three
~ y, across, and the pump had been
oAeh y Short off and carried away, leav-
= two-inch iron pipe standing
talght up in the middle.
was very nearly out Of breath when
same TO the top of the water. My
u mus Us touched something floating on
!. ~ surface. i thought it was the cat;
,as,he - q my surprise when / found it
q ~ nInarlle, our five-year-old boy!
ne was terribly frightened, and as
la1eu ~ as was, to find himself alone
.s sne well. The wonder was that we
or ,' - NOT both of us impaled on that
a n pipe; how we escaped it l can not
laerstand. ~
,.ia iae cyclone had passed on, and a
MIA % steady wind was blowing. II
''u :, near it roar above our heads; and
d IAe ~, nashes Of lightning ! could SEQ
NJ NJ ram fell in torrents. We were
m ,tna - wet we didn't mind the little
4 a =. water that splasheds down on us,
nv 20 soon as possible l raised Charlie
lJ shoulders, and bv Aid of the nine