Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-10-17

VI WI IN"%W sM
! A SHOWER OF HEAVY OBJECTS From TN
SKY.
was evident that tornado Of exosp.
tional violence was raging somewhere
on the plains.
A singular yellow haze enveloped
the earth, and even the animals about
the camp exhibited siRns Of terror.
Suddenly roaring sound was heard
In the clouds above; and . tremendous
distu )ance In the upper air was wis.,
bic to those who watched II 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 tho
compass, but the cloud rushing over
the camp seemed 10 be drawing every,
thing after it.
The electric storm In the sky mazda
itself felt In every fiber Of the awsd
spectators, and when It had disap
peared they had giddy feeling, and II
was some time before they could quiet
their shattered nerves and straighten
out their disordered camp.
III that tornado had struck the
earth" said the colonel, who was
something Of scientist, nothing
could have withstood Its fury. 1t
would have completely demolished the
biggest town In Texas"
Didn't II strike the plains some.
where?" asked young captain.
II 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
II strikes the ocean. Fortunately our
most violent storms spend their force
miles above US In the air."
perhaps Barron met 1t" suggested
the captain.
III he did" said the colonel grimly,
I'VE shall never hear the story
"You mean" began the other.
II mean" was the answer, that
such tornado would carry company
or regiment with Its wagons and
equipments into the clouds and deposit
them hundreds Of miles away from
here"
That's So" said an old frontiers
man, 1--WE seen houses and horses and
cattle carried of that way on the
plains, and that was the last Of them"
"0h, 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 believe that
the storm was somewhere In his vicin-
ity."
On the same day, and at the same
hour, 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 tho
commander .slt anxious about com.
pany from bis regiment which had
been sent into western TexaA
II must send some scouts after Bill.
ings," the colonel said TO his ofacsrA
Several picked men were In their
saddles and on their way In less than
an hour
About the same time 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 Billinga
The confederate and federal scouts
met several times and finally entered
upon . joint hunt for their missing
AT the very point where Barron and
Billings would have been likely to
meet the storm bad done It's worst The
grass was stripped from the prairie for
many miles, and not a trace could be
Iound that indicated the former pres.
,nce Of human being
The scouts rode many miles In every
direction and questioned every settler
hey met
Bnt II was Ill to no purpose, Tho
'wo companies had vanished from the
ace Of the earth.
by this time Col Black had received
'dvices from the east all the way to
he coast The tornado had continued
to course In mid.air and had travelled
'ver tho gulf.
When this Intelligence was received
be scouts had returned and the con.
cdcratss gave up Barron and his men
or lost
Early in August Of that year Span
sh vessel from Cuba arrived at New
rleaua
The captain told strange story.
'horty after leaving Havana he found
imself on the edge Of a storm and
Us driven out Of his course on the
ast Florida coast
The greatest violence OF the storm
as In the upper mir, but suddenly II !
bated, and there was 0 scattering /
lower OF heavy objects from the sky.
As these falling objects struck the .
alter most Of them sank to the Bot :
I'M, but some light articles foatsd
nd were picked up by the sailors y
The Spanish captain brought some I
these curiosities ashore and took