The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-06-23

and invention
enable him to carry to completion some
pet enterprise is rewarded by seeing
the result of his labor serve useful
and heroic purpose; but such "situa-
tion,", as the novelists would say,
found a most graphic and ideal illustra-
ton in the history of the CLOUD burst, ;"
or "waterspout," which made the six
teenth day of May, 1885, day to be re-
membered with grief and terror by the
jewellers along the bottom lands OF Big
Cana creek, which rises in southeast
ern Kansas and flows south into Indian
territory.
On leaving the academy at Vinita,
Frank Munford had remarked to his
mates that by the middle of May he
would complete, with his own hands,
the best boat on the creek. "Rufe"
his own neighborhood greeted this dec
laration with jibes of sarcasm.
During the vacation Frank worked
day and night upon his boat. whenever
he could be honorably spared from the
farm work, and at last, in spite Of the
taunts of his boy friends, the increduli-
ty of his brothers and mother, and
after many long and disheartening de-
lays, he had completed his little craft
on the evening of the fifteenth of May,
the last moment of grace. Tomorrow
he would launch the Peerless.
He was greatly disappointed to find
the morning cloudy and the air filed
with slight mist. But tho matter OF
waiting for pleasanter day on
which to try his boat was out OF
the.auestion When his mother found
thaNshe could not induce him to defer,
she insisted upon his putting on a pair
of high rubber wading boots, almost as
long as his legs, and an oilskin hat and
coat
His younger brothers, Ned and Joe,
helped him load the boat into the single
wagon and haul it the few rods from
the house to the creek. Even his mother
joined them 10 see the boat launched
and handed Frank lunch.
The boat rode the water as beautiful
ly as Frank could wish, and as she
glided swiftly and gracefully forward
under every stroke of his oars the
mother and younger boys cheered him
enthusiastically. He was overjoyed and
called back:
I'm going down to Ed Aliens this
morning, mother, and then, if I'm moi
too tired, I'll row back up to RUFF Mil
ler's in the afternoon. Don't worry,
I'll take good care Of myself and be
back by night"
On the voyage down stream he was SC
engrossed in the pleasant contemplation
of every popularity of the Peerless that
he hardly noticed that the mist hal In
creased to drizzle and that the sky
was steadily growing darker. How he
enjoyed Eds establishment and unstint-
ed praise of the little craft!
+. 1t made him the more eager to hear
what RUFF Miller, who had been the
most severe in soothing at the project OF
her building, would say of his success,
So he made haste to begin the long row
up stream-for Rufe lived across the
Kansas line several miles above Frank
The current of the stream seemed nm
usually strong, but he attributed it tc
hisown lack Of strength. As he passed
his home he waved his hand and pushed
resolutely on up stream. He was still toe
busy with his pleasant speculations tc
notice that it was fast growing darl
and that the water of the stream was
rising with fearful rapidity. The first
thing that aroused him to the situation
was the sight of pumpkin as i
bumped against the boat and wen
twirling away in the eddies Of he
wake.
Never saw that before' muse,
Frank. 'Why the water must be risini
at q great rate! And how dark it Is
I've half mind TO turn around and g
home,r he mentally exclaimed
He suddenly acquired the lacking hal