ACCOUNT OF A HAIL-STOKM IN TEXAS. 477 



ACCOUXT OF A IIAIl-STORM IX TEXAS. 



By Lietttenant George M. Bache, U. S. A. 



One of those terrific hail-storms often heard of, bnt seklom experi- 

 enced, visited this city last evening.* Captain A., Doctor B., and my- 

 self were returning from a day's fishing some ten miles from San An- 

 tonio, in an army ambulance, about 7 p. m., when we first noticed indica- 

 tions of rain. Dark clouds were rising in the northwest, accompanied 

 with a great deal of what we at first supposed to be heat lightning. 

 This gradually became more vivid, the clouds blacker, the thunder be- 

 gan to make itself heard, and our first supposition of a light shower 

 changed to a certain i)rospect of a severe storm. 



The mules were put to their most rapid gait, with the hope of reach- 

 ing town before the tempest assailed us, but to no purpose ; it broke on 

 us when we were about two mik\s from home. A fierce wind from about 

 due noilh, driving sheets of rain right in our faces, put a stop to any 

 further progress, and compelled us to turn the ambulance from the di- 

 rection of the storm into the "mesquite" bushes, where we prepared 

 ourselves to quietly sit and take the result. Suddenly, however, some- 

 thing struck the side of the ambulance, with a noise similar to that of 

 a stone violently thrown — another, and another — and now we hear the 

 resounding thuds on the bodies of the mules, and the war of the ele- 

 ments has commenced in earnest. Neither mule nor man was iirepared 

 for this, and the former, beaten to infnriation, dashed off wildly into the 

 mesquite bushes. It was impossible to see, and, fearing a capsize and 

 a drag in the chaparral, we jumped out, still not realizing what was ui^on 

 us; for all this had happened in a few moments of time. 



Continuous blows on the head, body, and legs soon enabled us to real- 

 ize the serious natnre of our condition. Stones of ice of all shapes and 

 of the size of the fist, cut and bruised our bodies, and with our arms 

 crossed above our heads we rushed to secure the slight protection of a 

 mesquite bush, there being no trees on the prairie. We were each at 

 different times knocked down by blows about the head ; one of us, Cap- 

 tain A., three times. Cut, bleeding, bruised, and still with no prospect 

 of abatement, not knowing howlong sucii a phenomenon n^ight last, nor 

 how soon WT. might be rendered senseless, we felt our situation as by 

 no means enviable. 



In the mean time, the mules, which having again headed the storm in 

 their fury were nearly stunned by repeated blows on the head and sides, 



* May 10, 1863. 



