Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-09-22
CANNON FOR CYCLONE
HOW A KANSAS TOWN ESCAPED
DESTRUCTION.
fhc Deadly Tornado Swerved from Its
Course by an Artillery Attaos-An
old Sea Captains Novel Idea-Bahlcd
Elements,


Just 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,
retired sea captain who, though hith-
srto generally regarded as a 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 15-inch smoeth-bore
Parrot cannon, purchased by popular
subscription from the condemned stock
at the New Orleans arsenal, on the
four sides Of the town, each gun I'M
der the care of a watchiul attendant
during the cyclone season. The can
non were designed to be fired into the
face of an approaching hurricane. IN
the hope Of breaking its force.
When the news reached here that
tornado was sweeping southwark over
the prairies east of the Rockies, 1t was
feared that when it reached the CHINA
mon river it 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 1887, sharp bend in the
stream then throwing the storm over
the peninsula upon which Hennessey
Is situated
The cannon to the west, where the
town is partly protected by the Wichi-
ia mountains, was accordingly with
drawn and placed on the northern
border as an additional protection. I'm
fortunately, however. on the approach
of 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
gun did not take full effect. The com
bined effort so changed the tornados
course, however that only the ex-
IRENE 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
end 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
Of his plan for fighting tornadoes, Capt.
Hoades, the originator OF the scheme,
said:
Il can hardly claim to have invented
the plan, for have twice seen water
spouts broken by the same method
while following my former avocation
on the sea. Indeed, it was this that
first suggested the scheme to me-"
After the cyclone of 1897 l suggest
ed 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 it was only by
| persistent argument that l 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 place!
selected. The most singular feature O
the whole matter is that the one dwell
ing destroyed by today's storm wa.
occupied by the most persistent doubt
er in the town.
"An effort will now be shortly made,
Capt. Hoades concluded, ito similarl,
cqu!l oil cities in the tornado belt, thu
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 TIL
fires which SO frequently follow tn
storms"
A town meeting will be held tonigh
to do honor to the aged preserver o
the town, and the mayor Of Hennesse.
has declared his intention of resignini
his post IN favor OF Capt. Hoades,
suggestion that finds much favo
among those who owe their lives t
| tba cantain'a foresight