The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-05-20
: i" 4, -i.'s IL Il IL + i. II i. y i.
!. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
Z
+ II 81. ...fiti 81 ]. !. -.
Up in a Cyclone.

been up in a cyclone" and, after the
fearful experience, the wonder to me
is, that | am here to tell the tale;
and it certainly was one do not care
to have repeated.
Thus spoke Miss Laura Chantry,
who. at the time, in 1882, of her fear.
full aeriel flight through space, lived
in Audubon Co., Iowa, moving later
to Mitchell, South Dakota, and it was
here, she herself told my sister few
years after, the facts of the actual
occurrences of an experience that
comes to but few. Truth is stranger
than felton," 1t is said, so nothing
but truth will have place in this
story-nothing taken away or added
to. Perhaps the lady is yet living
but whether or not, 4 do not know.
My sister having heard OF it,
sought out the lady for an interview,
and this is what she gave. | pre-.
pared once before a manuscript for
the press, but some way it was mis-
placed and l never could find it.
The morning of that cventful day
was still, hot and sultry; and though
there were no indications of a storm
existing, yet every animate creature
seemed in a state of excitement and
unrest, Cattle came lowing in from
pasture, birds seemed some way in
distress, while flies and gnats bit
with unusual viciousness. The hui
man family also rested under the
spell and were enwrapped by a
strange langour or weakness, an I'M
iplainabde state of something to
happen. l was busy that morning
with the family wash in an out.
house several rods distant from the
house proper. My parents were
busted with duties abou THE rooms.
and my two brothers had taken their
dinner and horse feed and gone to
plow in a field near two miles distant.
My washing was finished abiut elev.
en- o'clock and ready for the line. Our
buildings were enclosed on two sides
by a tall, thick cottonwood grove,
and this is the reason, think, We did
not see the approach of the 'twister.
Out near the grove | carried my bas-
ket and was busily putting them on
the line.
Nothing was to be seen, neither
cloud nor threatenings of any kind
but an ominous stiffness was over all,
Suddenly this stiffness was broken
by an awful roar like unto many fat
ers, and in a twinkling was taken
Iup. up into aeriel space. All was SO
sudden that | was daZed and seemed
bereft of my faculties for the time
being. The long shouted rotating
monster seemed to have been gather
ing everything in its way before 1t
came my time to go in. BY the
whirligig plan of movement it ere
ates a nausea and OF course a dazed
confusion OF mind soon ensues.
was too dazed or numbed, to realize
my serious predicament and cannot
We have heard of the terrors of the
flint mill but will put the twisting
power of the cyclone against IL for
divesting you of your clothes. My
strange environment kept fear in
allegiance and fitful returns of the
Isenses showed me some strange
things in the interior of the twisting
and roaring, rapacious destroyer.
Among the various articles busily
traversing the spiral column, saw
no other human being. Whatever
the force is that sucks them in 1t
must be centrifugal force that casts
them overheard at the brim, for they
are cast over on the plan they are
taken up. They are not forcibIy
dashed to earth, but by the swirl of
air about the column are let down by
Idegrees-muCh as a feather is by a
slight breeze. | have no means OF
knowing the size or height of the
swaying, twisting parachute as |
must have lost consciousness on the
journey in the air. Though ] suf-
fered from no broken bones, the
clothes we're completely torn from
my back, my body black and blue
and bruised from head to foot.
so my parents found me limp, .ap-
parently lifeless, lying in newly
ploughed field about a mile from
home. Every building on the place
but the dwelling house was gone. as,
by the strange freaks of cyclones in
general, that was passed by and all
others taken, and the daughter be.
sides. Thus it was that the parents
escaped harm and rushing out as the
roar passed, they soon we're made
aware of the absence of their dauSh-
ter, and distractedly hurried on in
wake of the cyclone, following on
till there in the field, unconscious.
denuded of clothing, and covered
with dirt, they found me. My broth.
ers were fortunate enough to be out
of the path of the whirligig of wind
land so escaped Some time ELAPSED
before my equnimity of mind re-
turned, bit the wonder will always
remain,-taking it all in all,-that |
am really |, and live to be able to
tell the strange and o'ertrue tale, as
but few who may have had an expert.
enCe similar to mine, survived the
horrors OF such an occurrence as
came to me-"
Helen Bailey.