TORNADOES — RAIN —A RANCH. iy

return to Lawrence or Leavenworth to meet the Senatorial party —
some forty in all — consisting of Messrs. Wade, Trumbull, Covode, and
others, who have just returned from their excursion over the Union
Pacific Railway of the Platte. I like the arrangement very well,

On Friday afternoon, after the main body of the excursionists had
left us, we had a tremendous hurricane, the severest, Gen. Hancock
said, that he had ever seen on the plains. One tent was torn up
and prostrated; another was drawn from its fastenings. A frame
building was blown down and scattered over the prairie as if it had
been dry leaves. We dared not remain in the tents, and it was hard
work to bear up against the wind. But there was no danger. The
scene was truly sublime, especially in the northwest, where the dark
clouds, tinged with sunshine, tossed in the tempest in the wildest con-
fusion, causing a strange optical illusion that drew the attention of all
the party —the appearance of a vast lake with well-defined grassy
shore on the near side, and huge and rugged mountains on the farther
shore. The storm lasted about an hour and a half, and then partially
lulled.

Some time in the night, while we were all in our tents, it began
again, and was little, if any, less violent, and continued for about two
hours. This was accompanied by the broadest and most vivid flashes
of sheet-lightning I ever saw, and so incessant that there was hardly
an interval of one second of darkness. This, too, passed over, and I
fell asleep. But long before daylight I was aroused again by the
dashing of rain upon the canvas, as if the windows of heaven had
been opened. After a while I put my hand out upon the ground, and
found that the water had filled the ditch, and was flowing into the
tent. I had no light, but I got up and put my blankets, &c. upon a
table, placed other things upon boxes, then mounted the table and
listened to the fierce hissing and dashing of the rain upon the tent.
At length morning dawned, and when we went out all was quiet and
comparatively pleasant. About noon it poured down again, and then
again, causing the flood of which I have already spoken.

About nine o’clock I took leave of my friends, and left the Fort in
company with R. H.Shoemaker, Esq., Assistant Manager of the road, and
Mr. Wallace, in a spring wagon, to go to the cars at Clear Creek, three
or four miles distant. On the way we came to what is called a ranch.
When I made some inquiries about it, Mr. Wallace kindly proposed to
leave me and return for meinanhour. Introducing me to Mr. Fisher,
one of the contractors, I was invited in and had a very pleasant
time. There were eight ladies, mostly the wives of the contractors,

lively, intelligent and accomplished, and a number of gentlemen. We
9