By Bruce Cline, director of the Little Egypt Ghost Society
The Tri-State Tornado of March 18, 1925 was the deadliest tornado in U.S. history. The path of the tornado that crossed Missouri, Illinois and Indiana left at least 695 people dead in its wake. West Frankfort, IL was hard hit with 410 injured and 148 dead. The total killed in West Frankfort could possibly have been higher if not for a strange and unexplained incident.
Children tend to be more sensitive to the paranormal than adults. They are able to sense things that we as adults can not. Lawrence, a schoolboy 8 years sensed something. He told told his mother that he heard something in the living room heating stove that told him not to go to school that day. The mother was very superstitious and decided to heed the warning of the mysterious voice. Lawrence and his oldest brother were kept home from school. A few hours later, the mother noticed an enormous black cloud skimming the ground that was rapidly approaching from the west by southwest. She rushed out to the well to fetch some water to douse the fire in the heating stove.
The wind kicked up, lighting flashed and thunder roared. The windows in the house started breaking. The sky was so dark that it was difficult to see. The house was lifted 3 times by the force of the tempest. The house was nearly destroyed but at least the schoolboys were alive although somewhat battered. Did the mysterious voice from the heating stove save the schoolboys? Only Fate and the killer tornado of 1925 know for sure.
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Bruce Cline is the Director of the Little Egypt Ghost Society based in Carbondale, IL. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army as a Corps of Engineers Officer. He is a former municipal, county and state law enforcement officer. Bruce lives in Carbondale, IL with his wife, Lisa and several cats and dogs.
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