People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-06-03

hardly reached there, when volceless |
calm came down Oh the city aud thought |
the storm was over. Back We went into
the house rejoicing.
A premoniliOn! felt the cold chills run |
down my back and freeze the blood in my |
veins. 1t WAS the calm before the storm.
knew it. Out into yard lpeered, and not |
leaf was stirring. The green trees so
lately dressed in the spring sunshine, stood |
calm aud moiionless-not leaf stirring |
not a souud-eyerywhere, above, beneath,
GREATNESS silence Then rustic, quiv-
ering, trembling motion Of the foliage, the
window panes ratified with alarming omi,
nousness. The cyclone was coming.
shut my eyes.
THE CRY OF WEARING DEMONS.
But it was not yet. The jarring window
panes shook fitfully, but no tornado yet. |
was waiting, listening trembling for the
roar-tbat ominous, thrilling voice of the
air. which had heard about all my life
but had yet never heard. | noticed that
the air WAS becoming rarifed and all of
us in the room were breathing heavily.
Suddenly there was a change ia the color
of the lightning. 1t had been white
flashes, but now it was an intense, vivid
brilliant blue. Suddenly real zed that
there was buzzing in my ears. lis
tened sharply. 1t WAS the roar Away in
the distant, ever so faint at first, | could
hear the demon of the elements in his
ruthless journey. Nearer aud louder,
louder and nearer every moment.
The roar! What was it like! Like bee
at first; then in turn somewhat tuneful
like threshing machine; then like ti
freight train, for tried to begu.'e myself
into the impossible idea that it was run
away train on the Rock Island that had
gotten away from its engine. and not
tornado; then as it came closer, it was
hasrher and lacked every resemblance to
concordant sound and roared like a goaded
elephant, and then-it struck
1t is not for me to tell you of that moment.
All hell was let loose aud the demon and
devils Of frey inferno, seem TO have bro.
ken their chains and were battling in
some new found moral chaos Have you
ever sat out on warm July evening in
Kansas and listened to the love-phrases OF
the scarcely stirring zephyrs and the
leaves shimmering in the moonlight, aud
felt that the repose that came, then. and
at no other timer If you have, then i'm
agine the most directly opposite condition
OF the elements that you can summon up,
and you have an idea Of tornado when
it strikes. There is Il wall, constant,
desperate wall in the winds, now falling
beneath the rasping shrieks Of Bedlam
witches, now rising above the gaspng de.
spair of tortured souls, now falling be-
meath the believing brawl of battling
ogres and now rising above the moanful
grumblings Of blinded Cyclod.
PEOPLE PRAYED.
A great many stories are rife in Well
ington about instances of prayer Many
people who were never known to have
great deal or knowledge or bending the
knee were down on their marrow-bones
with feryid petition for divine pTotec-
tion in hurry, when the tornado came.
Many women were met with who accred-
tied their escape to the power of prayer,
Said one little woman who was lying Grip
pied in bed. to the EAGLE reporter, Never
had any idea that my husband knew!
how prayer was worded, much
less to be able to make one. But when
the tornado took the roof off and a side
out Of the building and twas knocked.
down. he prayed with all his spirit; and i
did too, and believe that it did save u,
from any greater injury. belong to th,I
church, but my husband doesn't, but BID
tells me this morning that he is going To
join.
Mrs. Frank Ellis was leading her sun,
day school Class. Sunday with a radiant
face. Prayer saved u.s." she said TO thr;
EAGLE reporter. The reporterasked her
to recount her experiences My husband
was down town, and his aged mother and
myself with the three children were sit
ting about a table waiting for him to re.
turn. Shortly after the tornado struck
long two-by-four was buried through the
wall like an arrow, passed within a foot OF
nv head and pierced the opposite wall.
Then while the tempest ragged. we all
knrlt down in little group and | prayed
God to save us. And prayer saved us"
Judge John G. Woods and his wife were
aroused by the storm. LET US get out OF
this ROOM" why, answered his wife
this room is as safe as another" saying
that it was all over with them, Mrs Woods
began praying. NO no, it isn't" ex.
claimed her vigorous husband, we have
not lived all these years to die in a tor
nado, and he grasped his wife and rushed
into another room. Mr.. Wood.
said Sunday that he could not tell what
impeI1d him to 20 in' another room. but
that 1t looks like an intervention of Provi,
dence Is shown by the lact that as they
lett the room ton Of brick fell where
they had been standing and the room they
went into was the only one not demol.
lshed.
HER FLESH on HIS CHEEK.
Among the saddest OF all the sad storje,
Is the revolving death OF Mrs. Sasher and
her sister, Miss Strain. 1t was one Of
frequent repetition among the people Of
wellington. Mr.. and Mrs. Sasher had
only been married four months and Mis-.
hlttie was living with them. Mr.. Sasber
was down town when the storm struck.
Mrs. Sasher was ironing and Miss Kittie
was i'll and lying 10 bed. When the build.
ing collapsed, Mrs. Sasher had evidently
run to her sisters side for when they were
taken out Mrs. sasher's arm was around
Miss Kittie.
Mr.. cashier ran from town to the place
where he lived. He found the building
down and on fire. He may have heard the
cries oil his wife and dashed 10. but the
general opinion In WelIin0ton il ,b.t ,Lo,,