The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-11-17
wArERsPoUTs ON ONTARIO
E Extraordinary Display Witnessed Ne.
Oswego Recon Iy.

< extraordinary display Witnessed Me-.
Oswego Recon. Iy.
Waterspouts ere not frequently SEN
on the great lakes, especially On Tqb,
Ontario. Over 80 years ego tb,a
passed down the lake one Sunday afta,
noon, butnone has been seen siacetba
we have heard Of. TIE oldrs. S ..lors men
who have followed the lake since ina,
! were boys, cannot rcmenber bavn,
met with any of these terrors to. chin
ping, which ingult large boats upn
the broad expaneo OF the ocean.
A few days ago at a3ou. seven
o'clock in the morning fcur passsdb v
this port. Three burst when as9cr
distance to the east ward, but the
fourth, the largest and mos. terrific
sped down the lake at ~raceborse speed
holding itself intact until lost sight Of
by persons who were watching IL with
marine glasses
When the morning dawned The sly
vas overcast by dark clouds, which
denoted both wind and rain. Astrong
wind was blowing from the northwest
making nasty, choppy sea Suddenly
out of the western horizon there could
be seen sweeping do@a rhe lake a con.
icalshaped column. II looked JlEe a
huge serpent, twisting and revolving
with the rapidity OF lightning. This
column reached from the dark, over.
hanging clouds to the surface Of the
lake. As it approached off this portlt
was seen to be five or SIX miles IN the
lake. AS it whirled along it seemed to
pick up large volumes OF water and
whirl them into the air. The Ta:era at
it's base was churned into @ caIdron
When q mile or two below this pOrtIt
burst. AS it did go & fl ash Of lightning
cana out Of the east and a THOUSAND
tons of water which had been taken
from the lake fell back, causing q
mighty swell, which rolled shOreWard'
No sooner had this strange phenome'
non disappeared than another was seen
following in its course. 1t was larger
than the first and agitated the watsf
more violently. 1t broke at abouttS
same place as did the former.
There was a wait of perhaps bali 80
hour, when n of the greatest and
most awe inspiring sights ever witnoa"
ed on the lakes was seen. Two Of these
whirling, writhing columns standing
obliquely from the lake to the ST.!
were seen coming down the lake The!
were both larger than the two WHICH
had preceded them, and they raisedS
mountainous sea along their course
They we're as black as black could De-
On they came, picking up THOUSANDS
of tons of water end whirlin3 1t In~
the air as if it was the lightest Oh
feathers. When opposite the Delaware
Lackawanna and Western coal treS''
Peter Griffin, who had a marine glass
conferred on them, said it was q slgn'
which will long be remembered Oy
him. The outside of the conicaI COZ
cumns was n whirling black mass
Through the center could be seen .
white streak through which the "aI'l
was being drawn from the lake to 'D'
clouds in a steady stream.
These w~aterspouts were out b9V"77D
six and seven miles in the lake. WDoD
just below the Ir win & SlOan ma"
house the smaller one burst, lts ln
mense volume of water falling into VIC
lake. But the large one remained -
tact and was whirled down the laao
toward the mouth Of the st. La"repJ'
river, keeping intact until lost sign ~
These wonderful formations OF VaPTae
and water are dreaded by seaI7t nS
men, for a vessel, NJ matter t;De
staunch she may be, is but a pl9ytu,Df1
in the power of we'll developed VIII" tbis
spout. The largest which passed NE e
port that morning was apparently st
tween Is and 100 feet in dlameI5l il
the base, and had it struck a VeSs oraF
would have sent it to the bottom
and all. -Oswego Times.