1879*] Tornadoes of Kansas and Missouri. 615 
blackness reaching to the sky, preceded by a fearful rushing 
and roaring noise, the mass of the ascending column being 
perfectly opaque. Passing south of Blue Springs nothing 
could withstand the violence of the tornado, the most sub- 
stantial houses in the vicinity of that place being swept 
away in a moment. Numerous instances are given showing 
the violence of the storm. The mould-board of a plough was 
wrenched off and carried some distance ; a new waggon was 
wrecked, the spokes being wrenched from the hubs, and the 
tires bent into a variety of fantastic shapes. Trees were 
stripped of their bark and looked as if scorched, which 
phenomena was first attributed to electricity, but afterwards 
found to be a discolouration by a peculiarity of the sap. 
Prostrated trees were found lying some at right angles to 
the path of the tornado, and some pointing toward the 
vortex. Evidences are abundant that the funnel of the 
tornado contained a large amount of debris , and mud having 
a sulphurous odour, which was dashed with tremendous 
force and plastered over every obstacle remaining in the 
path of the tornado. A fence near Blue Springs, running- 
east and west, was thrown down, the west end toward the 
south, the east end toward the north, showing the direction 
of the currents. A short distance beyond Blue Springs the 
tornado seemed to be lifted from the earth, not doing any 
more damage. 
A correspondent, going from Blue Springs to Lee’s Sum- 
mit, says that for several miles the road runs along almost 
parallel with the track of the tornado, which was nowhere 
more than three hundred yards in width, and in some places 
was contracted to fifty yards. Some persons escaped who 
were caught in the tornado, although instantly blinded, 
stunned, and covered with mud, and carried they knew not 
whither. The path of the tornado was deflected a little, 
about three miles south-west of Blue Springs. It seemed to 
sweep over hills and ridges and through ravines alike, 
carrying everything before it. It is impossible to give the 
mass of particulars gathered for this article, and many 
reports must be taken cum grano salis. Some four persons 
were reported killed, and a large number injured, some 
perhaps fatally. A correspondent traced the track of this 
tornado, giving range for the path examined of nine miles 
east and twenty-one miles north. The tornado passed along 
an elevated portion of the country, or a divide, the heads of 
streams along its course flowing from it both east and west. 
One of the U.S. Signal Corps observers, I learn, traced the 
path of this tornado back nearly to Paola, in Kansas. 
