“BREADFUL EXPERIENCE IN A MISSOURI TORNADO.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1009, 31 July 1883, Page 4

“BREADFUL EXPERIENCE IN A MISSOURI TORNADO.

Mr Mitchell, who lives some six ritiles south of West Plains, had his house blown down on the night of the tornado. Hearing the approach of the terrible storm, he told his wife to gather the children and get into the cellar with them as speedily as possible, at the same time bracing himself . against the outside door to prevent it from being blown open, and calling to his assistance his oldest child, a lad . some ten years of age. The cellar was no more than a hole excavated under

the floor, scarcely large enough to hold v a haW-dozen' persons in a standing ' ‘position, and reached by a trap. After ■i!£ holding the door alone for a moment, Mitchell turned to see if the boy was beside him, and as he was not there concluded that the lad had also taken refuge in the cellar, and, abandoning the door, he also jumped into the hole, and not a moment too soon, for as he did so the crash came. The logs of his house flew in all directions, and the, lamp went out on the instant, leaving all in utter darkness, only as lighted by momentary flashes of the most brilliant lighting. All was done in an instant, and then came a calm, while the ram poured in torrents into the pile of debris. It was then he heard the muffled sounds of a child, half crying; half choking. • He felt arotind in the group-of and one- was missing. Then he jumped out upon the floor, and, guided by the sounds, crawled over the fallen timbers till he reached the little fellow’s bed.

One of the top logs of the side of the .house had been thrown inwardly, one end resting upon the few end logs of the house : that remained in place, and the other end dropping upon the bed, which it had crushed nearly to the floor, while upon it, with head covered ; ;:jwath: quilts to shut out the horrors of the night, lay the boy with the heavy log directly across his face. Mustering all his strength. Mr Mitchell lifted the log and released the little prisoner, J who, strange as it may. seem, was more frightened than hurt, but would have

smothered to death in a few moments r had be,hot been relieved. The little cellar undoubtedly saved the lives of most of the family, for the house had v fallen down nearly to the floor, except at one end, and the logs that composed it were piled promiscuously inside.— West Plains, Mo. , Journal.