Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1890-05-02
A MARVELLOUS ESCAPE.
Fifteen Minutes with a Cyclone--A
True Story.

speaking of cyclones" remarked Mr..
Wilson to the company about the library
fire, one cold November evening, 81
think | can equal any story you have
told with my own experience in gen.
vine 'twister.'"
AS we had already heard some sur
prising stories, general exclamation
from young and old demanded the story,
md, after little urging, Mr.. Wilson
began:
"We were living then, my wife and
the eight children (of whom the young
est was but four months old), in NAL
com, pretty little village about five
miles from tho city of Grinnell, Ia
"The farm was as attractive as it could
well be-acre after acre of rolling prai-
RE land, fine garden, and a young and
thriving orchard. My cousin had lived
on the place for several years, but when
his business made it necessary for him
TO go farther West he had persuaded
mo to come out and take the farm. !
had hoped to go West for several years,
and thought this an excellent opportu
nifty, so we moved out, and had been
living there about four years when this
big blow came.
st was in 1882, on the 27th of June;
you will see why | have no trouble in
remembering the date.
SIT had been an exceedingly hot day,
not cloud to be seen, with the sun
beating fiercely down, and not breath
of air stirring We sat out on the porch
after supper, trying to find cool place.
The clouds were beginning to gather,
and it looked as if there might be
shower, The three little ones went
early to bed, and in spite of the OPP
pressive heat were soon fast asleep.
ut couldn't have been far from eight
o'clock when heard sound which | at
first thought was thunder. The others
noticed it, too, and as it grew louder, a
terrible rushing sound came with it, and
we looked at one another in silence for
minute, and then ran to where we
could look out westward.
"My heart stopped beating, when
saw coming toward us with terrific spec d
black, funnel-shaped cloud, the rush
and roar accompanying it growing louder
every minute.
"'Run for the cellarr | cried. My
wife ran and seized the baby, and
caught up the two other children from
the bed. There was no time to lose.
''The one who first reached the cellar
door-it was one Of the older children
had just time to seize the knob nothing
more, when-crash! such terrific
noise! felt myself lifted in the air, and
thought my time had come The next
thing knew, | felt the splash of cold
water in my face. | must have lost
consciousness, but the water revived
me, and in moment knew where l
was
81 had come dorm head first into TIE
TeH!
"The water was some ten feet deep.
was thoroughly at home in the water,
though wasn't used to diving in that
fashion, and managed to right myself
and come up head first
1.-THE well was not more than three
1ttb dCIoSS, anu but pump UGH
broken short off and carried away, leav
ing two-inch iron pipe standing
straight up in the middle.
~ was very nearly out of breath wheT
] came to the top of the water My
hands touched something floating or
the surface. l thought it was the cat
imagine my surprise when | found i
was Charlie, our iive-year-old boy!
'IIe was terribly frightened, and a.
amazed as was, to find himself alon,
in the well. The wonder was that W,
were not both of us impaled on tina
iron pipe; how we escaped it can no
Aanderstand.
fsShe cyclone had passed on, and
49, My wind was blowing.
cviilo hesxi IL roar above our heads; ant
by the flashes OF lightning | could SCI
that rain fell in torrents. We wer
both so wet we didn't mind the littl
extra water that FLASHED down on us
and as soon as possible ! raised Charli
TO my shoulders, and by aid of the pip
managed to work my way to the top Q
the well. This took some little time
and the wind and rain had nearly cease
when set my feet on solid earth again
and found we were unhurt
"But such scene as looked upon
hope never to see again! And dreade
to look about me for fear of wors
things. Evidently the house had bee
lifted bodily from It's foundations an
dashed down, and every thing that ha
not been carried away by the wind la
about the yard; many of the great tin
bers were found rods away driven int
the earth, as if they had been but ten
pegs.
''Soon heard my wife's voice calling