The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-10

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 so
miles from Cuba, a spot famous for its
waterspouts, aui 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 CORE
spending figure would be seen rising 70
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 il like
"A gigantic bow-a thing of terror,
frightful object of the sea-
l had been visiting an island about
ten miles from our camp and was in a
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 a 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 sixteenth of mile
away. As | mentioned ii 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 breath of air, and |
there was an ominous silence Even the |
ever present gulls seemed 70 have de |
serted the place We got ont the oars
and endeavored to pull, but the boat |
was too heavy, and we We're compelled |
10 await developments.
The cloud tips slowly dropped, and |
all about us mysterious columns rose up |
10 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 70 move we gave our
selves mp for lost. as two appeared to be
bearing down upon Us.
As good luck would have it, they
seemed to bring a breeze. and we were
able 20 get under way, and, fortunately.
escaped. The two giants came careering
down upon us-a spectacle TO democrat
lze the stout hearted One passed not 200
feet away, rushing ON with a noise
like that of a steam engine l could dis
tinctlv see the terrific twisting and
motion Of the water, and for
large area about it there was what APP
peared to be heavy rain.
The spouts began TO move as soon as
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 l could
not venture to estimate their height.
My companion said a mile high, and
they certainly looked it; but they were
under ,O00 feet
My nearest approach TO a waterspout
later, and disSipated some Of
the theories had concerning them. One
|
touched or interfered with in any way,
yet | saw this water giant cross an is
land.
L was lying i'll the sands near our
camp one day when a lofty spout came
into view from the south. 1t was head
ing directly for us, but we felt perfectly
safe, as there was large reef and long
canal key between Us. On came the col
nmn, passing the reef in safety, grand
spectacle, and every one in the island
was seen watching it as it moved rap
dly up the lagoon, its upper portions
lost in the clouds. If it had |
it would have passed between
he two islands, and so reached the open
sea, but for some reason its course was
changed, and III few moments it struck
The island at AN angle. We fully expect
I'd TO see the whole mass drop. but il
Kept blowing up the sand, and soon
struck good sized schooner that had
been hauled on the beach. whirling it
about end for end like a feather. Then,
20 our consternation, the spout headed
'Or our island, and with a great bow or
'urve rushed on.
The distance from island TO island
vas good rifeshot, and there was not
much time to debate, as the spout was
low half way across. Seeing that it was
'eering off and would probably not
each us, ran out ON TO a sea wall and
it 1t gradually drifted to the
outh, and in "a few moments struck our
hoal with roar like that Of a locomo-
i've
A. | looked mp the top seemed a great
anopy of water lost in the black clouds.
own from which poured great drops I
which soon drenched me through The
enter Of the great curve | could not see
{ all for some singular reason, while
he lower end or portion, now bat 100 i
ards away was rushing by me, a mag /
ificent column of water, boiling and c
issing like some living thing / liter
lily raced with it for the length of the
7all, 600 or 500 feet, and had all !
ould do TO keep pace with it. s
The water Of the shoal was but a few g