Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-12-09
A MARITIME FREAK.
NARROW ESCAPES FROM WATER
SPOUTS IN MEXICO.

SFOOio TN McNCO.
A Traveller Relates Two Experiences He
Had With These Twisting Terrors-A
Congregation of Them. Each of Which
Was Nearly 1000 Feet In Height.
The narrowest escape ever had was
from congregation of waterspouts. 1
was making trip to some of the small
islands in the gulf of Mexico, about 80
miles from Cuba, a spot famous for its
waterspouts, and in the summer months
there were few days that one or more
were not seen. Generally long, atten-
uated black cloud would appear, from
which would drop pendulous cloud.
Lower it would descend, resembling the
lower portion Of balloon, and when
about half way to the water q CORE
spending figure would be seen rising to
meet it. Finally the two would join,
and the column. from 400 to 1000 feet
high, more or less, would move away
before the wind, bending before it like
a gigantic bow-a thing Of terror, a
frlghtful object OF the sea.
/ had been visiting an island about
ten miles from oar camp and was in q
heavy sailboat-too heavy to manipu-
late by oars readily. When half way
home, on the edge OF the channel, the
wind died completely away, and no.
ticed all about Us q number of strange
black clouds.
Watching them closely and comment
ing upon them to my man, suddenly
saw the ominous dropping of pointed
index finger not q sixteenth of a mile
away. As mentioned it my companion
pointed behind me to another, and in
less than five minutes five of these dread
objects dropped from the clouds about
Us.
There was not q breath of air, and
there was an ominous silence Even the
ever present gulls seemed to have de-
serted the place. We got out the oars
and underworld to pull, but the boat
was too heavy, and we We're compelled
to await developments.
The cloud tips slowly dropped, and
all about US mysterious columns rose up
to meet them, until in few minutes
we were surrounded by these huge pill
lars, SO that in one direction the heav-
ems appeared to be supported upon
these watery columns. A more remark
able sight cannot be imagined, and
when they began to move we gave our
selves up for lost, as two appeared to be
bearing down upon u.s.
As good luck would have it, they
seemed to bring a breeze, and we were
able to get under way, and, fortunately,
escaped. The two giants came careering
! down upon us-a spectacle to democrat
ize the stout hearted. One passed not zoe
feet away, rushing on with a noise
| like that of a steam engine. I could dis.
tinctly see the terrific twisting and
whirling motion of the water, and for q
large area about it there was what ap.
peared to be. q heavy rain.
The spouts began to move as soon a:
they were complete, and very soon as
sumed the bend or bow shape that char
acterizes them, and went sailing away
These giants were SO tall that could
not venture to estimate their height
Ny companion said a mile high, anG
they certainly looked it; but they were
under 1000 feet
Ny nearest approach to q waterspouI
occurred later, and dissipated some q
the theories had concerning them. Ont
was that a spout was broken wheI
touched or interfered with in any way
yet saw this water giant cross an is
land
I was lying in the sands near on
camp one day when a lofty spout cam,
into view from the south. 1t was head
ing directly for us, but we felt perfect,
safe, rs there was a large reef and Ion,
canal key between US. On came the col
umn, passing the reef in safety, a gran,
spectacle, and every one in the islam,
was seen watching it as it moved rap
idly up the lagoon, its upper portion
apparently lost in the clouds If it ha,
continued it would have passed between
the two islands, and SO reached the opel
sea, but for some reason its course wa
changed, and in a few moments it strucl
the island at an angle. We fully expect
ed to see the whole mass drop, but
kept blowing up the sand, and sool
struck good sized schooner that ha,
been hauled on the beach, whirling j
about end for end like a feather. Then
to our CONSERVATION, the spout heade,
for our island, and with a great bow O
curve rushed on.
The distance from island to islam,
was good rifleshot, and there was no
J much time to debate, as the spout wa
now half way across. Seeing that it wa
veering off and would probably no
reach us, I ran out ON to a sea wall an
watched it. 1t gradually drifted to tn
south, and in a few moments struck on
shoal with n roar like that of locomo
tive.
As looked up the top seemed a grea
canopy of water lost in the black clouds
down from which poured great drop
which soon drenched me through. Tn
center of the great curve 1 could not Sc
at all for some singular reason, Will
the lower end or portion, now but 10
yards away, was rushing by me, a mas
nificent column of water, boiling an
Kissing like some living thing, I lite,