Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1906-07-04
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On Il CSC1Otie ana I'VE 10 Ten Tue ldlt IL
q unique experience. Yet that is pre-.
cise]y What happened TO the Unitarian
minister at Highland Springs, a suburb
of Richmond, Va, The gentleman says;
Il had read mlch aud heard much
about cyclones, but my Information
was conflicting and far from @a"isflc-
tory. Had resolved if I ever got near
enough to one to investigate for myself.
Don't know that ever prayed the good
Father 10 SEND II my way. bNt WAS
willing lie should.
"Ny opportunity came, It WIS i'll
Randolph County Ind, i'll the month
of September. The farmer with whom
] boarded was building a barn. and |
Went out to assist the carpenters, it be-
ing Saturday afternoon and nothing do
ing. One of tle workmen remarked
that it WAS good cyclone weather, and
just as we finished shingling Ii side
of the roof he shouted: Look out. boys.
there is q cyclone Conlingtf CHANGING
hastily in the direction he pointed [
saw on the horizon, some FIVE or six
mites distant, a monster as black as
ink and AS clear as an Egyptian pyra-
md, bowling along at terrific speed.
"Indiana has had many cyclones. lii
travelling through the country one sees
their track il twisted and streWn TIM
ber-trecs three feet in diameter twist
cd off 4 few feet above ground as if by
giant hands. There was an old track
TO the west of us, and as we watched
the cyclone advance it was plainly evil
dent that it vas following the course
OF It's predecessors.
My ignorance and consequent lack
of fear and my desire to better OBJ
serve this wonderful phenomenon led
me to disregard the advice of my asso-
ciates to gel Off the building. Mean
while the funnelshaped mass of dust
aud debris grew momentarily larger.
Fascinated, l watched it, and listened
s%pelIbound to the crash and grind Of
the debris in it's swirl. Fences. frag-
ments of buildings, cattle. grain. tim
Der, h~aystacks and, for aught l knew.
human beings, cnyeiopea in q sable
mantle Of dust, pounding ard grinding
Que another to pieces and sweeping
along with lightning rapidly.
My interest was reused to the high
est pitch. when suddenly a chill ram
through he. The raging demon, now
almost opposite us, had suddenly
tackled. and, leaving the old track at
right angles, was headed toward us.
There WAS no time left to get down.
and | WAS too far from the ground to
drop. So, burEing my Ratchet i'll the
shingles in such q way as to get a hold
on one Of the laths underneath, !
stretched myself fiat on the roof and
awaited the shock.
4 WAS none too quick. For imme-
<iiately the roof rose on the rim of the
cyclone and sped majestically on its
way in a spiral course till it reached
the top Of the swirI-15O feet from the
ground according to the estimate of
the onloOheTs.
The roof remained intact until it
mad reached its greatest altitude and
had Travelled on the rim of the cyclone
proper nearly half d mile, when the
corner opposite the one | was on sank
iuto The inside current of the swirl and
the roof with a great crash went to
pieces. had lost my support and was
;adoat in midair, the victim of the most
terrific power had ever encountered.
During all this time. and it was
probably only the fraction of a min
ute, though it seemed an age, 1 was
fully conscious Of my position and was
talculating OF how it would terminate.
Fhe r0ar was deafening, and I realized
that if l was drawn into the swirl |
would be ground to pieces like the grist
in a mill. I also specialized that if l
dropped to the ground l should be as
before reaching terra frma.
To my surprise 1 did neither, but
kept drifting around what seemed a
Of a hundred yards in diameter
until I settled down to about seventy
I've feet from the ground. Then l rec
,ognized that l had been released from
the hold of the cyclone and was shoot
fng to earth like a rocket head first. l
expected to be dashed to pieces, but
suddenly the top Of a tree swan before
my vision, and as l plunged into it l
seized hold of a limb. -""~~'
The force of the fall was so great
and my grasp sostrong 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 ny position and l struck ele
ground on my feet, sinking deep into
the mud and gravel Of the creek. The
cyclone had swept the water before it
IN it's passage a moment earlier.
Pulling myself together l took all
Inventory OF my injuries. Both legs
were broken in two places between the
aakle and knee and my feet were hor-
ribly 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 a
compress to stop the flow Of blood
using pieces torn from my shirt-when
friends came up.
"One of the men attempted to re.
move tie other boot. but was so ex-
cited he cut my foot as much as the
boot. There was nc surgeon near and
/ was beginning to feel the loss OF
II-1I r. r 4~~l- 4lN -;e> ~,1 E-s-ho