Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-09-14

was evident that tornado of excep-
tional violence was raging somewhere
on the plains.
A singular yellow haze enveloped
the earth, and even the animals about
the camp exhibited signs of terror.
Suddenly roaring sound was heard
in the clouds above; and tremendous
disturbance in the upper air was visi-
tble to those who watched it from be-
low.
The soldiers could hardly keep their
feet and their tents were blown up
ward out of sight. There was appar-
emily no wind from any quarter of the
compass, but the cloud rushing over
the camp seemed to be drawing every
thing after it.
The electric storm in the sky made
itself felt in every fiber of the awed
spectators, and when it had disap-
peared they had giddy feeling, and it
was some time before they could quiet
their shattered nerves and straighten
out their disordered camp
''lf that tornado had struck the
earth" said the colonel, who was
could have withstood it's fury. 1t
would have completely demolished the
biggest town in Texas"
Didn't it strike the plains some
'where?" asked young captain.
Il have no doubt of it," replied the
colonel with an anxious look on his
face. Yes it probably struck some
point westward, and then leaped up
ward. 1t may not descend again until
1T strikes the ocean. Fortunately our
most violent storms spend their force
miles above us in the air."
Perhaps Barron met it," suggested
the captain.
: IF he did" said the colonel grimly,
1--WE shall never hear the story"
"You mean" began the other.
II mean," was the answer, that
,slch a tornado would carry a company
Or a regiment with it's wagons and
Equipments into the clouds and deposit
them hundreds of miles away from
here"
That's So" said an old frontiers
IMAM, i've seen houses and horses and
cattle carried off that way on the
plains, and that was the last of them"
'Oh, Barron's all right" said one of
officers confidently.
II don't know" responded the colo
mel. "He should be hundred miles
westward to-day, and l believe that
the storm was somewhere in his vicin-
ity."
On the same day, and at the same
hour, a federal colonel in the Indian
territory was very much in Blacks
frame of mind. The great tornado in
mid-air had damaged his camp, and the
commander felt anxious about COM
pany from his regiment which had
been sent into western Texas.
~ must send some scouts after Bill
ings," the colonel said to his officers.
Several picked men were in their
saddles and on their way in less than
an hour.
About the same time a party of
scouts started out from the confederate
outposts in Texas on similar mission.
The days rolled by and nothing was
heard from either Barron or Billings,
The confederate and federal scouts
met several times and finally entered
upon joint hunt for their missing
comrades.
AT WIG very polnI where bdrron anu
Billings would have been likely to
meet the storm had done its worst. The
grass was stripped from the prairie for
many miles, and not a trace could be
found that indicated the former pres
ence of human being.
The scouts rode many miles in every
direction and questioned every settler
they met.
But it was all to no purpose. The
two companies had vanished from the
face of the earth.
BY this time Col. Black had received
Iadvices from the east all the way to
the coast. The tornado had continued
its course in mid-air and had travelled
over the gulf.
When this intelligence was received
the scouts had returned and the con-
federates gave up Barron and his men
for lost.
Early In August of that year Span
iBh vessel from Cuba arrived at New
orleans-