The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1893-09-16

times since the strange cloud was
sighted But it was no use. The
engine was doing its best, and she
wasn't capable Of more than about
thirty-eight miles an hour.
" It's gaining on u.s. / said. How
FAST does such thing as that travel?
".About hundred miles an hour,
replied the boy, white as sheet.
IF that had been true l would not
be here to tell the story. I have
since learned that eighty miles an
hour Is supposed to be the best a
tornado caE do. My belief is that
this one was going at about sixty
miles. Anyway it wasn't any more
than six or seven miles distant by this
time, and gaining on as rapidly. II
my reckoning was correct, it would
catch US In little more than twenty
minutes The way I calculated 1t
was that the great peg-top was NOV
ing at the rate of three miles to oul
two.
1T was the most frightfull specta'
Gle to look at that can possibly be
imagined. TO me it seemed to be a
monstrous giant pursuing US with
an evil intention TO DESTROY. Now
and then the blackness would be
transformed into dark green
and it was constantly lighted up by
flashes. as if It were an immense
b.lloon Illuminated from within. It
ap-eared to whirl around with in.
conceivable rapidity, and from It
came a sound across the prairie as OF
believing, With voice so awful that
the rumbling Of the locomotive was
lost in it. OF the destruction it was
accomplishing l could get no notion
from my point Of view. Fortunately
there were few settlements in that
part OF the country, but as we passed
Two or three small hamlets at full
speed I ,uld see the people running
about trying TO find some place OF
safety.
THE boy staggered to my side
the rocking Of the engine made 1t
difficult to Keep ones feet-and
cIutched my arm. l stopped my head,
and he yelled into my ears, Make
the bend
II knew what he meant on the in
Stant- Less than ten miles ahead Of
US was bridge ever river, after
crossing which the road turned
abruptly southwark. 1t was freak
railway anyhow, and its zig-zags
were intended to pass through as
many supposed centers of future pop,
ulation as possible. The only long
stretch of it in a straight line was
Just where we got caught by the
tornado. If we could get to the bend
ahead O. the @nonster =srss~~'""'--'''- '-~-'''-
LAS you may we'll imagine, I had
no opportunity to consider the plan
calmly aud in detail. but it struck me
like a fash. It was race for life sure
enough. II that engine never did
her forty miles an hour before I think
she must have done that and more
too, then. With the great funnel
cloud rushing on behind us and
steadily approaching, we tore over
the rails at frantic rate of speed. I
was fairly crazed by the excitement,
so that it almost overcome my sense
Of fear. I remember distinctly that
pulled the whistle cord and let the
locomotive scream with all her might,
though it could hardly be heard In
the roaring Of the pursuing tornado.
'tSix miles passed, as well as I could
estimate, and the monster was only
about four miles behind. Three
miles more and it had lessened the
distance by a mile at least. But we
were near the river. A minute later
and We were running across the
bridge. No time then to heed the
warning that trains must run slowly
over this stream, in obedience to the
sign post
"Over the bridge, we few around
the curve and dashed away south
ward, just in time to see the mighty
balloon pass by with whirl and a
roar, as if all the demons in the in
fernal regions were let loose. We
could not make out anything very
distinctly, the sky being darkened
and the air filed with dust, but we
knew that We were safe. A few min
utes later the clouds rolled away and
everything was as quiet and pea efuE
as before the storm. We ran back
to the bridge, but it wasn't there. II
was clean gone, and such remains Of
it as were left were scattered all over
the country. The road was so badly
torn up the track for considerable
distances being twisted and broken
to pieces, that the expense Of repair
ing it bankrupted the company.
Eleven people lost their lives by that
tornado, which afforded me an ex'
perience which I would not repeat fol
all the money in the world. Wash
ington Star