Evening star., 1927-11-18
AIR STATION FORCES RECALL
HUMOROUS EVENTS OF STORM
Students Discovered Approach of Tornado
Which Sent Men and Buildings
Flying Across Field.

ITndaunted by the atmosphere OF
desolation produced by the storm yes
terdav afternoon, officers and men OF
the Naval Air Station found time to-
day to enjoy many laugh in recall
ing incidents which occurred during
that frightful two-minute episode
when the wind swept through the sta
tion at q recorded speed of % miles
an hour.
Rejoicing in the knowledge that al
though every one at the station was
within imminent danger of their lives,
only a small number were injured, and
those slightly, the personnel sWapped
stories as they worked in the biting
wind which swept across the station
in an effort to make the place habit
able once more.
Students Sighted Storm.
The storm was first sighted by two
aerology students who We're in the OBJ
servation tower of the Aerology Build
ing. the southernmost structure on the
field.
These students, X. Campbell and f.
J, Minser. who were just beginning
IL
sighted the funnel shaped cloud mid
way between Alexandria and the sta.
ton. They called down to Chlet
Aerologist Albert Francis. and said,
Come on up and look at the torna-
do
Get the hell out of there" replied
Francis as he sought to warn the stu
dents of the approach of the storm.
Francis had a moment in which 10
observed the funnel-shaped cloud
which he estimated was about 40O rect
above the water. A water spout was
beneath it for a while and then 1t dls'
appeared. However, a wall of water
about three or four feet rose up
in the river and moved ahead or the
"twister." At one point, FRANCIS sald,
he saw the cloud suck up from the
river a log about thirty feet long
which disappeared.
From the looks Of the cloud. Francis
assumed that the storm was headed
direct for the Astrological building, and
would tear down everything in its
path.
Telephones Warning.
w. s. Schnowberger, aerologist in
Francis office. grabbed the telephone
and yelled into it to the operator in
tho Administration Building that a
cyclone was coming. AT that moment
Francis and T. H. Little, another
aerologist, made a mad dash toward
the station proper to warn the inno-
cent OF the approaching danger.
They did not get further than the CEN
ter of the station when the storm
struck. Francis was fiattened and
thrown into several somersaults, while
Lille sought refuge in a nearby build
ing.
Lieut.. W. G. Tomlinson, officer OF
the day, was in the northern part of
the station, when he saw the black
cloud coming. II knew it would be
the administration building to sound
the alarm. I got as far as the tennis
court when the roof of the barracks
right behind me went off. / knew
it was too late and in another moment
people were rushing by me.
Couldn't Outrun Tornado.
"Some ons said to me, Where shall
we go? We. can't outrun a tornado "
Tomlinson said. Finally he made his
way to the strongest structure on the
station, a large new building housing
The flight test office, closest to the
seaplane hangers. was occupied by
several officers who were engaged in
a quiet discussion, when suddenly the
door flew open and some one yelled:
Clear the building, tornado is com.
ing"'
Lieuts. Frederick Buse and E. r.
Rounds fed Immediately, but Lieut..
s. w. Galloway stopped TO put on his
overcoat. Just as he grabbed the coat
a corner window blew out and the
door slammed. Lieut.. Galloway spent
all his strength in trying to open thd
door. and. resigned to the fact that
it could not be opened. lie stayed in
the office while the walls shook.
New Uniform Ruined.
Lieut.. Rutledge Ervine, flight opera.
tions officer, was In an adjoining office
when the word was passed that Il
tornado is coming" He took the
hint and started out for the center of
Boiling Field on dead run. He
passed the seaplane hangar, he said,
when a strip of sheet metal struck
me amidships and floored me. When
! got up ii was all over, but my new