The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-03-12
ABOUT CYCLONES.
Interesting Freaks of Frisky Wind Storms
In Kansas


While crossing Kansas somebody intro
duced the subject of cyclones. Don't you
live in perpetual dread of those devasta-
ting wind storms-those terrible NANTES
tatlons of the angry elements, commonly
called cyclones9" asked the Massachusetts,
parson.
"Well, not to any great extent" an
swered the passenger from Sedgwick coun'
ty. you see, we all have cyclone hole
in the back yard, and when the elements
look little too manifesting for comfort
we take to kiver till the shows over. You
don't mind cyclones a great deal after
you've lived right among 'em for while;
and, besides, back east you only hear half
the story. Cyclones, especially Kansas
cyclones, have their good freaks as well as
bad. They amt always bent on devilment,
but often do man II big favor when he's
in tight place. Why, last summer, when
Bill Simkins, whose ranch jines mine. was
short of help at harvest time. cyclone
came prancing along just as he finished
cutting his five hundred acres of wheat,
gathered every sheaf up clean and stacked
it round his thrashing machine. Purtiest
stacks that were ever seen in Sedgwick
county, too; people came thirty miles to
SEE 'em."
"That reminds me Of favor n cyclone
did me back in the spring of u.s." said the
passenger from Sumner county. 81 was
then living up on the Smoky Hill river, on
rented land. The outlook wasn't very
glittering, and so made up my mind one
morning to move down to Sumner county
and take up a quarter section. | talked it
over with my wife, and before long we had
our traps together, ready to start. Well,
that night frolcsome but gentle and
obliging cyclone picked up the house and
entire outfit and set 'em down safe and
sound almost before you could say 'scat'
on the best unoccuped hundred and sixty
acres in Sumner. Swept up the old ranch
clean; didn't leave behind u thing that was
worth bring ng away, and didn't shake q
brick off the chimney. Found my AK and
wood pile right by the back door, too, as
usual"
Ibid it move the well2" asked the con-
sumptive passenger.
"Well, no." answered the passenger from
Sumner county; "you see, the we'll be-
longed to the man who owned the ground"
81 remember that cyclone" said the ed.
itor Of the Wakarusa Bird of Freedom.
"But have in mind another cyclone whose
work was far more miraculous, and which
saved many valuable lives, including my
own.
81 was returning from Dodge City, where
had been attending as a delegate n state
temperance convention. Just little bit
west of Florence the engineer spied wild
freight coming round a curve toward us,
with the throttle open.
"Some of the passengers, who were look
ing out of the windows, saw it almost at
the same moment with the engineer, and
their cheeks blanched, you may believe.
We braced ourselves for the expected
crash, and though probably it was not
more than five seconds, it seemed to be a
year before could draw another breath.
Then somebody looked out of the rear
door, swung his hat and gave three cheers.
The freight train, which moment before
had seemed to be coming down on us like
the wolf on the fold, was now speeding
away behind us toward the setting sun.
"A bob-tailed cyclone, which had beer
lowering in our rear for half an hour or so
| had saved us.
"At the very moment our destruction
had seemed inevitable the cyclone ha
caught up with us, our train had bee
lifted from the track, while the wild
freight had passed under us, and we hat
been set down again on the rails so softl
that not even my pocket flask was broken
Then the cyclone had gone on its way re
joicing.
"Of course the engineer stuck to hi
post, and we pulled into Florence on time
Conductor Brady growled little, because
as he said the 'thunderoolt' was entitled
to the right IF way; and, according to rail
road regulations, the cyclone should hav,
lifted the freight and allowed our train tt
pass under; but, you may believe, we wer
all mighty glad the thing turned out a
well as it did, and none of us carried homt
| any hard fenlinrs arainst the bobtaileS