The Banner-Democrat., 1899-11-11
CANNON FOR CYCLO ONE
HOW A KANsAs TOWN ESCAPED
DESTRUCTION.
the Deadly Tornado swerved from Its
Course. by an Artillery Attack--An
Old Sea Captains Novel Idea-Bamed
Elemonta.

Hennessey. Ok. correspondence OF
The Philadelphia Times: The cyclone,
which earlier in tho week swept
through Wisconsin and Nebraska.
wrecking towns and killing hundreds.
reached Hennessey Thursday morning
iust before 10 o'clock, and that the
town is still standing and compare
lively uninjured is due solely to the
inventive genius of one OF the citizens
Of this place, Capt. John R. Hoades.
I retired sea captain, who, though hith-
.rto generally regarded as visionary
crank, Is now hailed as the savior OF
The hundreds OF lives that but for his
unique scheme would unquestionably
have been lost
Mr.. Hoades' scheme consisted In
posting large 1s-inch smooth-bors
Parrot cannon. purchased by popular
subscription from the condemned stock
1t the New Orleans arsenal, on the
lour sides Of the town, each gun un-
der the care Of watchrul attendant
during the cyclone season. The can
aon were designed to be fred into the
lace OF an approaching hurricane. In
The hope Of breaking its force.
When the news reached here that a
tornado was sweeping southwark over
The prairies east OF the Rockies, 1t was
seared that when 1t reached the CHINA
mon river 1t would swerve from its
track and follow the course of the
stream, as was done by the hurricane
that killed seven people here in the
autumn Of 1897. a sharp bend In the
stream then throwing the storm over
the peninsula upon which Hennessey
% situated.
The cannon to the west, where the
Town is partly protected by the Wichl-
10 mountains, was accordingly with
drawn and placed on the northern
border as an additional protection. Un-
fortunately, however. on the approach
u the funnel shaped cloud the western
gun was fired couple of seconds too
soon, swinging the storm toward the
east, so that the shot from the other
Iun did not take full effect. The COM
bined effort so changed the tornado's
course, however, that only the ex-
treme eastern edge of the town was
touched, but here the one house fully
in Its path was completely demolished
and the cannon which guarded that
md of the peninsula was blown from
its carriage, carried fully 500 feet. and
hurled in a sand bank. The attend
ant at the gun. the inhabitants OF the
solitary dwelling demolished were
warned in time to escape with their
lives.
In speaking Of the marvellous success
pf his plan for fighting tornadoes. Capt.
Hoades, the originator OF the scheme.
said:
'I can hardly claim to have invented
the plan, for have twice seen water
Epouts broken by the same method
while following my former avocation
On the sea. Indeed. 1t was this that
irst suggested the scheme to me-"
After the cyclone OF 1897 suggest
ID that Hennessey, which Is directly In
the path of the south bound lorna
does, adopt this apparently strange
plan Of protection. 1t is only fair to
state that at first I was the laughing
stock of the town, and 1t was only by
persistent argument that / finally in
crested Mr.. Thomas, Of the Chicasan
coal company, in my plan. Backed
by SO influential citizen, we finally
gathered together enough money BY
popular subscription to purchase foul
out OF date guns that saw service
AROUND New Orleans during the civil
war, and mounted them in the places
rejected. The most singular feature oi
The whole matter Is that the one dwell
Ing destroyed by today's storm wai
occupied by the most,persistent doubt
er in the town.
IAN effort will now be shortly made,
Capt. Hoades concluded, ito similarly
Equip all cities in the tornado belt, the
late experience Of Wisconsin and Ne
braska towns having clearing proved
that the hurricane cellars hitherto re-
!; lied on are nothing but death traps II
which their occupants are crushed be
meath fallen walls or burned in th.
J fires which SO frequently follow thu
storms"
A town meeting will be held tonigh
to do honor to the aged preserver o
the town, and the mayor Of HennesseI
has declared his intention of resigninl
bis post in favor Of Capt. Hoades, {
uggestion that finds much favo
among those who owe their lives Il
the captains foresight