St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-08-02
A TORNADO AT FIRST HAND.
Personal Experiences and Observation.
Ofn Missouri Author.

Personal Experiences and observations
ofa Missouri Author.
"In the Whirl OF Tornado" is the
title under which John R. Musick de.
scribes, in the August Century, per.
sonal experience at his home in Missouri.
last spring.
To stand quietly for even ten seconds
and watch the rapid approach of inevi.
table doom, to look utterly helpless into
the face Of devouring monster. and
speculate on the chances of being swept
into eternity, is enough to turn white
the hair Of youth. Old soldiers-veter-
ans of two wars and the heroes of scores
OF battles-assert that they would
rather storm a well.defended fort, or
lead forlorn hope, than meet one of
those monsters OF the air inaccuratelv
spoken of in the United States as "cy-
Clones"
1t was my good or i'll fortune to be an
eyewitness of one Of the devasting tor.
nadoes that often sweep American soil.
About half past six on the afternoon
of April II, 1899, left my house in
Kirksville, Missouri, to post some letters.
The day had been rather remarkable.
alternating between suffocating heat
and the chillness OF early spring. Dense
black clouds occasionally rolled across
the saffron sky, and showers of rain al.
ternated with bursts Of sunshine, while
the winds had been capricious, at times
blowing in gusts and gales, to be fol-
lowed by dead calm. 1t needed no
barometer to indicate an impending at
mospheric disturbance, for every one
could feel it.
At the time started from my house a
gentle shower was falling, and l took
my umbrella with me. AS I stepped
from the west door upon the veranda,
continuous roaring off to the southwest
burst on my ears, and my house being
on high ground, had an excellent view
in that direction.
In the southwest, at the extreme limit
Of my vision, hung lowering, dark
cloud, from which occasional peals of
thunder issued. Just below the cloud,
seeming to rest upon the earth, was
whirling monster of vapor, dust and
smoke, coming apparently toward me,
with an incessant and steadily increasing
roar. The first appearance was that Of
a huge locomotive emitting black smoke
and steam, and coming at tremendous
speed. The tornado seemed suddenly to
tear itself loose from the black storm
cloud and to advance at increased speed,
rotating from right to left.
At the same moment discovered that
the course of the tornado was changed,
and that it was sweeping in northeast
erly direction through what is known
as Fible's Addition to the city. l
ran east in the direction of the tornado.
1t had now grown to such gigantic pro-
portions that it seemed to extend from
the zenith to the farthest limit of the
eastern horizon. When it struck the
densely populated part of the city, the
continued tearing and crashing of houses
was added to that incessant rumblng
and roaring, making an awful sound
which swelled in volume until the earth
trembled beneath our feet. The air was
filled with flying debris. Doors, shut
tiers, roofs, and even whole houses were
sent soaring and whirling to height Of
three or four hundred feet. saw the
wheel of wagon or carriage and the
bodies of two persons flying up into the
storm-cloud. One house was lifted up.
ward to height of over one hundred
feet, when it seemed to explode into a
thousand fragments, which went soar
ing, whirlug and mingling with the
other debris.
On it swept in it's answering north
east course, great black monster OBJ
scuring the eastern sky; raging, bale
full thing; hateful. devouring devil.
tearing up houses to their foundation
stones. roaring, rumbing, crashing,
laundering in its awful rage. and yet the
most terrifying spectacle man ever gazed
upon, until it swept out OF sight, leaving
path of smoking ruins in its wake. 4.
An old man was found dead on the
wreck, clutching his pocket-book, in
which were 5000. His vile. who lay
dead at his side, had $4,000 sewed up in
the skirt of her dress. woman was
found dead, holding in her arms her
dead child. Another was found dead
holding in her arms an uninjured infant !;
and when the men who found these re-
moved the boards and timbers covering
them the babe looked up and smiled as
if grateful to it's deliverers.