The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-03-25
A kANsAs CYCLONE.
How she Awful Messenger Of Dostructioa
Bursts Upon It's Prey.

How she Awful Messenger 81 Dcstructioa
Bursts Upon lis Prey.
Being m enthusiastic wheelman, fire.
oueuilrstai-c long rides into the country.
Thu evening az June 81 found me on
the read from Topeka to Lawrence. The
heat q tho uoonday sun dad giyen way TO
a slirhtly caolar fsulpcrafurc. and the blue
doure acs,sa gloftesfilertan and there with float
ing widte clouds. There was scarcely
hrcozeWnough tofmovo tho whiting foliage
OF the LOFTY tra'sun theihlun north OF the
road The whole world seemed at peace.
could hear in the distance the peculiar
cry OF the farmland calling the pigs 60
their-ovening feeding. The milkmaid was
busy with the COWS.
AsIm moved slowly along. delighting in
the glorious beauty Of the landscape and
IN its peaceful activity, / noticed that the
air felt so close and sultry that ] found
exertion difficult, and this, with a rus
thing in the trees and she yelling of the
suns face, prompted me 90 turn TO the
west. where il seemed that a thunder
storm was gathering 10 moved along rap
idly-only a summer shower. To the
left, along the bluff. the gentle drops Of
rain were falling with lullahylike patter
on the thickly clustered trees Of the hill
side forest. / had dismounted from my
wheel and was watching the progress of
the storm that, passing 10 near me. had
not touched me.
But all at once. with "a mighty roar
like the rendug of tho hoavcns,n dark
Rreenish cloud, with tints of yellow and
black. its massive folds writhing iu and
out like sGrpent1 ut battle emitting vivid
flashes Of lightning, came over the blum q
quarter OF mile clst of me. IL was shap-
ed like a huge top. its irregularly formed
upper bali revolving rapidly while the
lower end swept the earth along a path a
quarter of mile wide.
Startled as ! was I could not take my
eyes from thisawful messenger of destruc-
tion. The crash of the buildings first
struck filled the air with flying debris ia
which fragments of houses, furniture
trees, farming Implements, haystacks and
telegraph poles-all were propelled by a
wonderful, irresistible current of ruin and
disaster
Eighty rods wide the death dealing cy-
clone swept along, skirting he bluf. where
It stripped foliage and bark from the trees,
and now and then swooping down on some
farm. So suddenly did the storm burst
that many had to Gee with all speed TO
their cyclone cellars the only safe refuge
from these fearful storms.
After a course Of half a mile along the
bluff the funnel shaped monster swerved
to the right. 1t swept through huge wheat
fields, where it snapped of the dropping
heads of the almost ripened grain, and
then tore on through the little village Of
Nilliamstown, Transforming what was
the moment before "a lovely village Of the
plain" intoa scene Of devastation. Houses,
barns and other buildings were destroyed
aud human beings carried through space
as il they were butdeathers
Many lives were lost and many homes
literally swept from the face of the earth
There were many miraculous escapes A
baby IS months old was discovered by
the roadside several hundred yards away
from the house, asleep aud uninjured. An
old lady 60 years old was carried "A mile
from her home and lodged safely in the
widespreading branches Of an oak tree.
unhurt. A family of six sought refuge in
q small space under the stairs; the house
was carried away with the sole exception
Of that portion. and the family escaped in
jury. A house was completely swept away,
but the family cat and her kittens under
the porch were not disturbed.-John N
Steele in St. Nicholas.