The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-09-12
FREAKISH DOINGS OF CYCLONES
Winds Pluck Chickens and Undress
Children Difference Between
Storm and a Cyclone.

News and Courier.
They have storms sometimes in this
part of the country. but in Oklahoma
they have cyclones. A cyclone is a
storm, but a storm is not a cyclone.
For instance, it takes thirty-six hours
for a wind to do any damage in this
part of the world. In Oklahoma it
takes about 10 seconds. There was
the cyclone at Snyder, a few years ago.
that broke all roads for freak pranks
by the wind. Snyder was a prosperous
and happy community one minute. The
next and 1872 people were dad. 1t all
happened in the course of few Sec
onds.
The most popular man in town was
a preacher. He lived on the outskirts
of the place with his bride of few
months. Their most treasured pos
session was a grand piano, a. gift from
the brides father. When the tornado
! hit the place it swooped down on the
preachers house and lifted it up as if
it were piece of paper, not from the
foundations, but from the first floor.
Magazines that lay on the table in the
parlor were not touched or moved All
inch, nor was anything on that first
floor. There remained the piano. the
sheet music open on it, the scarf un-
disturbed. The carpets were left on
the floor. It was simply furnished
house o\na platform, minus pictures !
on the walls.
The cyclone then went on down to
a hardware store, the best in Oklaho- !
ma. The sides were strong brick:
walls. The front and back were en-
tirely Of glass. Through that front
and back the wind went. It touched
nothing in the second story, not even
breaking a glass, but it took every
piece of hardware there was on the
ground floor and none of it has beell
seen since. It was as if a hundred
men had suddenly swooped down on
the place and taken everything out.
A school teacher in the country
nearby was crossing bridge with six
of the children. Down came the ~
clone. It took every stitch Of clothing,
including stockings and shoes, off ev-
cry one Of them, but it did absolutely
no damage to their persors or to the
bridge. They just stood there, naked
but unharmed, wondering what it was
all about,
AT farm house q littIe further or,
the cyclone drove a spade seven and
cnc half inches i,sfo al oak tree and
it took two mules and stump-pulling
machine u get it oH:. More than thai.
1t took wheat straw and drove it
end foremost clear through four and
one-half-inch plank. The straw Was
hollow and could be blown through
after penetrating the plank. On the
same farm every chicken had every
feather taken off, butt not one was
killed or really injured. The feathers !
came back later, not the same ones,
but new crop. All these things were
done in the course of a few seconds. !
The cyclone disappeared and was
heard of no more.
There is a great difference between
a storm and a cyclone. Folks who !
live in the cyclone territory seldom
have time to get to their cellars. More .
over, cyclones are never predicted by
the weather bureau, possibly because
the bureau does not like them, and pos
sibly because it knows nothing about
them. That is the chief resemblance,
many experts think between storms
: and cyclones.