The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-14
RODE ON A TORNADO.
Man Picked Up and WhirIed in Ar
 .ialf Mile.

.ialf Mile.
 From the Richmond Times Dispatch.
 To ride half mile through the air on cyclone and live to tell the tale is unique experience. Yet that is pre- cisely what happened to the Rev. A. M. somers, Unitarian minister at Highland Springs suburb of Richmond, Va, I had the story from Mir. somers himself It ran as follows:
 T had read and heard much about cy- clones, but my information was conflict Ing and far from satisfactory. Had re- solved if ever got near enough to one to investigate for myself Don't know that l ever prayed the good Father to send one my way, but was willing he should
 My opportunity came. It was In Ran- dolph county, Ind. in the month of Sep tember. The farmer with whom I board ed was building barn. and I went out to assist the carpenters, it being Saturday afternoon and nothing doing.
 One of the workman remarked that ii was good cyclone weather, and just as we finished shingling one side of the roof, he shouted: Look out, boys, there is a cyclone coming
 hastily lne ulTeCIlOn TIC pointed, l saw on the horizon some five or six miles distant, monster as black as ink and as clear cut as an Egyptiar pyramid, bowling along at terrific speed
 Indiana has had many cyclones IT travelling through the country one sees their track in twisted and strewn timber trees three feet in diameter twisted of few feet above the ground as if by giant hands.
 There was an old track to the west of us, and as we watched the cyclone advance 1t was plainly evident that il was following the course of it's predeces. sors.
 My ignorance and consequent lack of fear. and my desire to better observe this wonderful phenomenon, led me to disre- gard the advice of my associates to ge, off the building.
 Meanwhile the funnel shaped mass of dust and debris grew momentarily larger Fascinated I watched it, and listened spellbound to the crash and grind of tn, debris in its whirl Fences. fragments of buildings, cattle, grain, timber, hay stacks, and. for aught I knew, human beings, enveIoped in a sable mantle O dust, pounding and grinding one anothei to pieces and sweeping along with light ming rapidity.
 My interest was reused to the high est pitch, when suddenly chill rar through me The raging demon, now al most opposite us. had suddenly tackled and, leaving the old track at right angles was headed toward us.
 There was no time left to get dowi and was too far from the ground f, drop. So burying my hatchet in tn shingles in such a way as to get hol, on one of the laths underneath l stretch ed myself flat on the roof and awaite, the shock.
 T was none to quick. For immediatell the roof rose on the rim of the cyclon, and sped majestically on it's way in spiral course until 1t reached the top o the swir1-150 feet from the ground, ac cordins to the estimate of the onlookers
 '"rhe roof remained intact until it hat reached it's greatest altitude, and had travelled on the rim of the cyclone proper nearly half a mile, when the corner op- posite the one I was on sank into the inside current of the swirl. and the roof with great crash went to pieces
 "I had lost my support and was afloat in midair. the victim of the most terrific power had ever encountered.
 During all this time, and 1t was prob ably only the fraction of a minute, though 1t seemed an age, I was fully conscious Of my position. and was calculating on how 1t would terminate The roar was deaf. ening and I realized that if I was drawn into the swirl I would be ground tc pieces like the grist in mill. l also spec ulated that if I dropped to the ground should be asphyxiated before reaching terra firma
 ITO my surprise I did neither, but kers drifting around what seemed a circle Of a hundred yards in diameter, until set tied down to about seventy-five feet from the ground.
 Then realized that had been releas. ed from the hold of the cyclone and was shooting to the earth like a rocket head first l expected to be dashed to pieces, but suddenly the top of tree swan be- fore my vision, and as I plunged into It seized hold of limb.
 ''The force of the fall was so great, and my grasp was so strong that the branch was torn from the tree and carried with me to the ground a distance of thirty feet My hold on the limb had reversed my position and l struck the ground on my feet. sinking deep into the mud and gravel of the creek. The cyclone had swept the water before it in its passage a moment earlier
 Pulling myself to gether I took an in- ventory of my injuries. Both legs were broken in two places between the ankle and the knee, and my feet were horribly mangled. There were eighteen fractures at least.
 Dragging myself to the bank, cut the boot from one foot with a pocket knife, and was making q compress te stop the flow of blood-using pieces torn from my shirt-when friends came up
 "One of the men attempted to remove the other boot. but was so excited he cut my foot as much as the boot. There was no surgeon hear and I was beginning to feel the loss of blood. So I took the knife and finished the job myself. and also set my own broken bones, the car renters making the splints. having had some little experience along this line.
 Strange to say. felt no pain for .