Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-06-10
A RIDE ON A CYCLONE

TARTAN MINISTER IN THE M0NeT
ES's GRASP-CARRIED A HALF Mlhh
To ride a half mile through the air
on cyclone and live to tell the tale Is
a unique experience. Yet that is pre-
cisely what happened to Rev. a. N.
Somers, Unitarian minister at High
land Springs, surburb of Richmond,
Va. l had the story from Mr.. Somers
himself, as told by Julia Wayatt Bull
ard in the Richmond Times Dispatch.
1t ran as follows:
Il had read and heard much about
Icyclones, but my information was con-
Iflicting and far from satisfactory. Had
resolved if l ever got near enough 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 in 1872. | had
gone west to teach school, salaries then
being more than double what they
were in Virginia and forthcoming when
due.
''It was in Randolph country, India
ma, in the month of September. The
farmer with whom l boarded was
building barn and went out to as
sist the carpenters, it being Saturday
afternoon and nothing doing.
Zone of the workmen remarked that
it was good cyclone weather, and just
as we finished shingling one side of the
roof, he shouted, Look out boys, there
is cyclone coming"
GIancing hastily in the direction he
pointed, saw on the horizon, some five
or six miles distant, a monster as black
as ink and as clear cut rs an Egyptian
pyramid, bowling along terrific speed.
''Indiana has had many cyclones. In
travelling through the county, one
sees their track in twisted and strewn
timber-trees three feet in diameter
twisted off feet above ground as if
lby giant hands.
There was an old track to the west
of us, and as we watched the cyclone
advance it was painly evident that 1t
was following the course of its prede-
cessors.
"My ignorance and consequent lack
of fear. and my desire to better observe
this wonderful phenomenon, led me to
disregard the advice of my associates
to get off the building.
Meanwhile the funel-shaped mass of
dust and debris grew momentarily
J larger. Fascinated, watched 1t, and
listened spell bound to the crash and
grind of the debris in it's swirl. Fences,
fragments of buildings. cattle, grain
timber, hay stacks and, for aught !
knew, human beings enveloped in a
J sable mantel of dust, pounding and
grinding one another to pieces, and
sweeping along with lightning rapidlty
my interest was reused to the high
est pitch, when suddenly chill raI
through me. The raging demon, now
almost opposite us, had suddenly tack
ed; and leaving the old track at right
angles, was headed towards us.
There was no time left to get dow
and was too far from the ground tt
drop. So burying my hatchet in th'
} shingles in such way as to get holt
on one of the lathes underneath.
stretched myself flat On the roof ant
awaited the shock.
81 was none too quick. For immed.
! ately the roof rose on the rim of tn
! cyclone and sped majestically on it
: way in spiral course til it reached th
top of the swirl-150 feet from th
ground, according to the estimates o
the onlOOkers.
8 1.-THE roof remained intact until
D had reached its greatest altitude, an
: had travelled on the rim of the cyclon
s proper nearly half mile, when th
! corner opposite the one l was on wa
\ drawn into the inside current of th
s swirl, and the roof, with a great crast
Z went to pieces.
\ Il had lost my support and was
8 fl oat in mid-air the victim of the mos
= terrific power l had ever encountered
- During all this time. and it WI
y probably only the fraction OF a minu
though it seemed an age. l was full
conscious of my position, and was ca
culating on how it would terminal
= The roar was deafening, and l realiZ
u that if l was drawn into the swirl
q would be ground to pieces like the gri
u in mill. 1 also speculated that if
~ dropped to the ground should be
g phyxiated before reaching terra firm
b "To my surprise did neither, b
q kept drifting around what seemed
N circle of hundred yards in diamet'
until settled down to about Is fl
"a from the ground.
e "Then l recognized that had be
x released from the hold of the cycle
- and was shooting to earth like rocl
e head first. expected to be dashed
x pieces, but suddenly the top OF t
= lswam before my vision, and as plu
e ed into it. l seized hold of a limb.
x 1.-THE force of the fall was so gr
- and my grasp so strong that the bra
e was torn from the tree and carried "
~ me to the ground, a distance of thi
feet, My hold on the limb had re'
sed my position and struck the gro
- on my feet, sinking deep into the q
and gravel of the creek. The cycl
had swept the water before 1t in
passage moment earlier.
"Pulling myself together, l tool
ND inventory of my Injuries. Both
were broken in two places between
ankle and knee and my feet We're
ribly mangled. There were elgh1
fractures at least.
dragging myself to the bank l
the boot from my feet with po
l:ra a,1 xuao MAKING a c0mOreS