Sunday, May 30, 2021

-10 P.M., Johnstown



But an hour or so later it started pouring and there seemed no end to it. "Sometime in the night," according to [Reverend] Chapman, "my wife asked if it were not raining very hard, and I being very sleepy, barely conscious of the extraordinary downpour simply answered, 'Yes,' and went to sleep, thinking no more of it until morning." (Ibid 34)

There were also “weird and unnatural occurrences” reported. The Heidenfelter family:  a “rumbling, roaring sound” that seemed to come from some indefinable object not far from their house. It was then followed by a terrific downpour, which, according to Mrs. Heidenfelter, sounded as if a gigantic tank tub had opened at the bottom and all the water dumped out out at once. 

“I never heard anything like it in my life. I wanted my husband to get up and see what the matter was, but it was dark and he could have done no good. In the morning, as soon as we could see, the fields were covered with water four or five feet deep . People say the noise we heard was a waterspout…

Apparently the storm did tear big holes in the ground near the Heidenfelter farm…other families close by the lake reported hearing sounds much like thunder but which they were certain were not thunder.” (Supra 88)

(See May 28 Kansas for similar description.)