The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-04
MEASURING A CYCLONE.
[From the New York SUM-

''When I saw by the papers," said
man from the west, that all the weather
sharks was gittin out their thermometers
an barometers an spirit-levels an SIGH
to measure an determine an otherwise
size up that cyclone t was chargin' to-
ward US from down tn coast, it reminded
of tn time measured cyclone with
a hitchtn' post an a hencooP- WASH
intenden' t do anything O tn kind, me
KNOWN no more o, tn art an science o.
igatin' a Kansas mule, but L did it I'M
intentional, an did it proper, so under
20 course I had my cyclone cellar all
fixed so | could leg 1t for cover eff see
cyclone BLOWN my way. Bein a bache-
lor. l made it jest a snug fit fer one. 1
uld4 put IN I1uch IlIle on T. fer SsdI /
an then wouldn't need it fer mOre'n bout
dBut thoughf ' ef ever did have t. use
it Wien II h minute an a quarter was up
likely everything pOrtable'd be bowed
mieht be- So lest bSt WaV o. fixing tn
location O. my farm before it got bowed
en- post, exactly six inches in diameter
with tn bark peeled, an sunk it ten foot
Twas nice round post, an 1 had d heap
O. trouble gittin it out thar, where wood
We'll that post was a great consolation
to me an I'd often stop work just to look
one O. these little affairs with boards on
tn side an Stats in front an rear built
on tn plans an Specifica tiOnS of q peaked
roof. I'd Jest got it finished when look
tn iiveiiest kind O. a cyclone bearin' down
on tibet post an jest give one squeak an
coop, which was YIN on its back. with tn
packed edge toward tn cyclone like
wedge o cheese o. course, it was u silly
thing t think that crazy hencocp could
be any protection, but hadn't time t
git to TIL cellar, an 1 Jest Topped behind
/ that coon like a drownin' man grabs at
well sir. I hedn't teched tn ground
when tibet cyclone bust with fury
place, an could see my house an barn,
an live stock, an sids an dirt an pretty
much my whole farm Sailin' away in tn
cyclone, t. drop down like visitation o.
heaven on some other critters place thet
didn't want EN- nOhOw. An in tn. middle
O. all tn tumble. Tn blessed eff didn't
see tibet blamed hftch1n post snapped as
/ along in TIL, cyclone like all possessed.
I want hurt mite, ner even moved
but tn heels O. both my boots was ripped
/ off while laid thar. The ole hen-cOop
( didn't even shiver. an when l got up and
looked aroqn', I'm blamed if 'twarn't tibet
/ the only thlng left o. all my goods an
! chattels an real estate.
How do I account for it? couldn't IN
! til a weather sharp that was folloWin' tn
/ cyclone come up, | told him all about it
! an tn hen coopt prove 1t. he measured
/ EN- both in every different direction, an
/ then he says thet how was saved was
! tn hen coop, bein' with its edge toward
f a knife, afore tn cyclone got a chance t
4 git a good grip onto it He said tn cy-
/ t business agin jest whar my heels was
| stickin' up, an that accounted fer my
/ losin' part O. my boots. Then from meas
/ urin' me, an weighin' an measurin' tn
| hen coop, an measurin tn stump O. til
/ hitchin post he could tell t q dot jest
| how fast tibet cyclone was flynn. Fer he
| said eff t he'd been goin jest a mite slower
it couldn't never a. snapped off q six
| he'd been goin' jest a shade faster, it d
! got a purchase on tn hen coop. An he
| told me, too, that eff I'd "a spread tn
sides O. tibet hen coop a sixteenth of an
/ 1 n
| a. got hold O. it. an I'd been rovolvin'
! aroun' tn, earth in space He shook
! hands with me, an said me an my hen
! coop an my hitchin post he'd rendered
| immortal aid t. science, an then he lit out
/ on tn track o. tibet cyclone. I got that
! hen coop yet, too b'gosh an KIN show
| it t. anybody t don't believe me-