Pueblo chieftain., 1921-07-25
STORM CLOUDS
Third OF JUNE
FEARFUL SIGHT

The most formidable and thrilling
scene ever witnessed a t this place was
that of June 3, 1921.
We'll do I remember n spectacular
sky-sCape of a year or two ago. but
that was only a picture in the air. I
was walking south on Water street to
and over the Fourth street bridge,
with the whole western sky unob-
structed following a brief summer rain
that had left its mass of nimbus cloud
breaking Zip into iil"ery foes. The
largest Of these foes. making Intellectual
effort to throw down some rain. lifted
rapidly to high altitude and thru its
cleaning edges the o'clock sun cast
a dozen radiating streaks to as many
points of horizon and zenith, each a
hundred miles long and each ladder
for myriad angels. out of that
central furnace of dazzling rays darted
the fiery glance of the sun itself-not /;
yellow or even tinted but white as ice /
yet hot as molten steel Overpowered
by the maEnficence of this five minute
drama of the sky's drop-light and its
theatrical background | was moved to
kneel In rehuffed humility and cry out /
What is man, that Thou are mindful
of himi"
But on the afternoon of the third
day of last month the scene In the
western sky was something altogether
different. altogether foreboding. Some
thing actual and immediate. Not pic
ture made of imponderable rays and
mists but something real and awful.
| again CHANGED to be in a position
! from which to get unohstructed view.
being at work on roof. 1 had the
best seat in the house.
The pageant began with the usual
daily concentration of gray cloud in
the Canon City horseshoe But instead
of starting off toward the east en-
larEing into n fve-mile volume, spit
ting petty streahs and laundering in
local bursts in limited field moving
out toward tho plains. this bunch of
cloud stayed right there. tho rapidly
growing and swelling. The quantity OF
cloud mass was continually added to
by renforcements pouring over the
Cripple Creek ridge from South park.
armies OF nlmhus clouds came troop
ing from the continental divide. pour
Ing over the Hardscrahbie mountains.
Joining the mass already overhanEins
Fremont and Custer. TIL presently a
solid mass Of storm tnot storm cloud
space from Pike peak to Spanish
peaks. 1t had fairly distinct edge a
hundred miles long from north to
south. few miles toward the west.
| showing that we were not receiving
here the hardest and heaviest or the
rain.
Such words as Furious and Great
and Tremendous and Awful fall flat IN
any effort to describe tho appearance
and action Of that Overwhelming gray
with tho gloom Of night coming down
early. while not only sky and earth
hut the mysterious magnetic sense of
impending tragedy and unuttered awe
seemed TO fiji the air and strike dumb
all animated creatures. Effort to pic
turc the birness and the hiackness of
that Arkansas valley storm soon
runs short OF metaphor and finds help
less limit of language. The only thinS
II can he likoncd to, in meteorology or
in description, If tho winter blnst COM
ing down from the Divide when a
blizzard is on the way; but this sum-
mer performance was very different in
detail. Unlike II in appearance and in
action. Lower ana slower, not sweep
ing fierce gale but concentrating in
unuttorahle weight. floating and
descending ocean charged with the
potential energy OF natures vast dyna- b
mo. muttcTing and believing threats
OF destruction and straightway launcn- !
ing those threats with colossal vertical
ton upon "a defonseless world.
I have read scientific theories Of tbs
fancied action of air currents
and movement of moisture to account
scene OF June J such theory seems
childish and absurd
| am an old man: I have observed
and witnessed much: I have never on
any other day OF my life seen and
tremhingly watched such n sight as
that. and will never see It again. 1t
comes once in a thousand years I am
thankful for the eyes that can see
while seeing. and wish / could COM
mand the English words. or the fingers
that could WELD the brush by which to
place on record the fearful picture OF
June 3. NJ. G.