The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-07-16
FREAK TRICKS OF ToRNADoEs.
Man Tells of Thrilling Experience in
the Land of the Big Winds.

noon of April 27, 1899, l left my
house at Kirkville, Mo-, to post some
letters. The day had been rather
remarkable, alternating between suf-
locating heat and chilliness Of early
spring. Dense dark clouds occa-
sionally rolled across the saffron sky,
and showers of rain alternated with
bursts of sunshine, while the winds
had been capricious, at times blowing
in gusts and gale, to be followed by
a dead calm. 1t needed no barom-
eter to indicate an impending at
mospheric disturbance, for everyone
could feel it.
At the time l started from my
house gentle shower was falling,
and took my umbrella with me. AS
I stepped from the west door Of the
veranda a continuous roaring to the
southwark burst On my ears, and, my
house being on high ground, had an
excellent view in that direction.
In the southwest, at the extreme
limit of my vision, hung lowering
dark cloud, from which occasional
peals Of thunder issued. Just below
the cloud, SEEMING to rest upon the
earth, was a whirling monster of va
Dor, dust and smoke, coming appa-
rently toward me with an incessant
and steadily increasing roar. The
first appearance was that Of a huge
locomotive emitting black smoke and
steam, and coming at a tremendous
speed. The tornado seemed sudden
" to tear itself loose from the black
storm cloud and to advance at an in
creasing speed, rotating from the
right to left.
I quickly entered the house, call
ing to my wife and children to fly
for their lives. My youngest daugh-
ter, aged 16, had gone to the second
story to secure some windows, and,
evidently alarmed at my call, was for
a moment dumfounded with feaf.
Bounding up the stairway 1 met her
coming down, and my wife took her
and our eldest daughter into the
yard west of the house, where they
sought safety behind some cedars:
Having placed them in what l
thought the most secure place avail
able. I once more turned my atten-
ton to the storm, which I found
much nearer. The great funnel-shap-
ed cloud, expanding and extending
up into the vault of heaven, seemed
to extend over the entire eastern hori-
zon. 1t was a dark, steamy cloud,
from which there were emitted evan
escent flashes of electric light.
My next care was for my mother
and two sisters, one of whom were
blind! Their cottage is on the same
street, just opposite my own house.
AS + started across the street shout
ed to a neighbor, who, with his wife
and child stood motionless on the
veranda, calling to them to fly for
their lives. BY this time the lorna
da was so near and its roar so loud
that my voice could not be heard,
though they saw my frantic gestures.
In the west wing of my mothers s
cottage were north and south win
dows, and I could see her standing
quietly at the south window gazing
in awe and silence upon the fearful
phenomenon, so terrible in its splen-
dor that she was spellbound and inca
pabls of motion. shouted as ran,
but my calls were unheeded. She
stooss like a marble statue, her slight
form and white hair silhouetted in
the dull gray twilight that enveloped
the scene, while the roaring expand
ing monster continually was drawing
nearer and nearer.
Suddenly there came report as If
a shell had exploded at the window.
The noise broke the spell which
chaiaed her to the spot, and with
my sister and servant girl she ran
from the house.
Al that I have described could not
have occupied more than 10 or Is
seconds. The street is only so feet
wide, and I was but half way across
when the report came from t te cot
tage. At the same moment l. dis
covered that the course of the lorna
do had changed and that it was
sweeping in a northeastern direction
through what is known as Fible's
Addition to the. city. Fibie's Addi-
tion is built up chiefly with frame
houses, one or two stories in height,
which are occupied mainly by stu
dents, laborers and small merchants.
A large brick building stands just
southeast of the addition and to the
east of the storm path, while the
North Missouri State Normal school