Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1873 — Tremendous Hail-Storm. [ARTICLE]

Tremendous Hail-Storm.

One of the. experiences of the recent Yellowstone expedition was the encountering of a storm of hail of extraordinary force. A writer describing it says; The storm occurred won Tuesday, tlie 24th, about four o’clock in the afternoon. It came on with such Force and rapidity that the surveying party were taken by surprise. Many of the animals broke away from tlie wagons and stampeded. Others were overturned and tumbled on top of each other into a gulley, the animals only escaping through the breaking of the harness. Tjie cavalry horses became unmanageable and ran away with their riders. The whole company was completely demoralized. Major Townsend had rather a doleful experience. “My horse,” lie said, “became panic-stricken and utterly unmanageable, anil at last started oil aid ran away with me. How long he ran with me on his back I cannot say; it seemed a good while, hut the first I knew I was going over his head and plowing the ground on all fours. Then lie started off into the storm and was gone. I scrambled to my feet; but no sooner got up than I was knocked down as if I had been struck with a club. Three times was I struck down before I could keep my feet. My hat is a sight to behold, the crown being actually torn to rags. When I got back to the command I found that many of the wagons were disabled, and one entirely wrecked. We went into camp on the spot, and sent out after the missing, and by dark, to my great satisfaction, every animal belonging to the command was in camp, my- horse among the first. Scarcely a man among us bui received severe bruises; myTiands are black and blue from the blows of the hail stones. Others had their heads cut? and bodies badly bruised. A large yellow dog was literally beaten to death, and a number of young antelopes were found dead front the same cause. When the storm ceased the hail was front two to three inches deep on a level, and a foot or more in drifts.”