Free Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson

Weather
    ITWASWINTER.Isaac'strainpassedthroughanausterelandscapeofgraysandbrowns,thetreeslikeupendedspiders,buttohimallofitwasdazzling."Somethingnew,somethingofinterestandbeautyunfoldedbeforemyeyesallthetime."HearrivedinLitdeRockjustbeforethestatelegislaturepassedabillthatresolvedalong-festeringcontroversy.Henceforth,thenewlawdeclared,thelegalpronunciationwas"Arkansaw."
    Isaac'sbossassignedhimresponsibilityforweatherobservationstobemadeatfiveinthemorningandelevenatnight.Inbetweenhewastoputtogetherbulletinsforthestation'scustomersandcollectweatherdispatchescabledeachdaybyanetworkofrailroadagents.
    Hedidnotfindanylocusts."TheyevidentlylearnedthatIhadbeenputontheirtrailanddisappeared."Buthedidfindanothermeansoffillinghistime.
    TheUniversityofArkansas'smedicalschoolwasonlythreeblocksfromthestation.Medicine,Isaacreasoned,wouldprovidenotonlyaproductivewaytofillhisday,butalsosatisfytheSignalCorps'requirementthatitsobserverspursueascientificendeavorrelatedtotheirdailyduties.Hecouldstudyhowweatherandclimateaffectedpeople,anewfieldandonethat"couldnotevademeastheRockyMountainlocustshaddone."Heenrolledinthemiddleofthe1882-83schoolyear,andfoundhisworkandstudyschedulescomplementedeachother."Theonegavemearestfromtheother,"hewrote,"andIneverbecametired."
    HegraduatedfrommedicalschoolonMarch29,1885.FivedayslaterGeneralHazenplacedhiminchargeofaweatherstationatFortConcho,Texas.ThenearesttownwasSanAngelo,whoseresidentsdescribedtheplaceashellonwheels.HazendirectedIsaactotravelbyrailtoAbilene,Texas,andtheretocatchastagecoachfortheone-hundred-milejourneytothefort.ButwhenIsaaccheckedhisRandMcNallyRailroadMaphecouldnotfindAbilene.
    Itdidexist,therailroadagentassuredhim.Itwasjusttoonewtobeonanymap.Acatdeboomhadcreatedthetownovernight.
    AstheagentpreparedIsaac'stickets,hetoldhimastory,thefirstofmanyunsetdingstoriesIsaacwouldhearabouttheWestinthedaysbeforehisdeparture.
    TherailroadhadjustreachedSweetwater,theagentexplained,Sweetwaterbeinganotherspanking-newtownsomethirty-fivemileswestofAbilene.JustafewdaysearlierhalfadozenChineserailroadworkershadbeengunneddownbyagroupofdrunkencowboys.ThesheriffarrestedthekillersandbroughtthembeforeSweetwater'sbrand-newjudge,whohadalsoopenedasaloon.
    Thejudgeconsideredthecase,pursedhislips,openedacoupleoflawbooksjusttomakesurehisfirstbone-deepfeelingsaboutthecasewerecorrect,thenissuedhisjudgment:"Gendemen,"heruled,"IhaveexaminedthelawsoftheUnitedStatescarefullyandIdonotfindanylawwhichsaysmatawhitemanshallbepunishedforkillingaChinaman."
    Thejudge,namedRoyBean,letthekillersgo.
    Isaacpaidcloseattentiontoonefragmentofadvice."Iwastoldthatwell-dressedmenoftenhadtheirhatsshotofftheirheadsandtheirgoodclothespulledfromtheirbacks."
    InLittleRock,Isaachadbecomeadandy.Hehadadopted,wholeheartedly,thefashiontheninvogueamongthecity'sdoctors.OnhisroundsatLittleRock'sCharityHospitalheworeaPrinceAlbertbrownbeaversuit,silktophat,andkidgloves.Andcarriedacane.
    Hewastwenty-threeyearsold.
    Hewasasgoodasdead.
    WhenIsaacclimbedaboardhiswestboundtrain,heworeabatteredoldsuitfromhislastdaysinTennessee.Hecouldnotbeartoleavehisfancyclothesbehind,however.Hehidthemunderthefalsefloorofhistrunk.
    ISAACARRIVEDINAbileneunderagunmetalsky,thecityawashinmudandscentedwithhorsemanureandfresh-sawedlumber.Heheardthetorn-fabricscreeofripsawsandthesoundofhammeringasjoistsandbeamswentupinnewbuildingsaroundtown.Cowboysstrolledaroundinhighbootsandspursthesizeofdaffodils,andworepistolsshovedintotheirwaistbands.Hehadenteredaterritoryasalientohimasanythinghecouldhaveconcoctedinadaydream.HerebeforehimwastheWestofJulesVerne'sAroundtheWorldinEightyDays,inwhichPhileasFogg,anIsaac-likecharacterofprecisionandrigor,racedacrosstheGreatPlainsduringtheAmericanlegofhisjourneyaroundtheglobe.
    IsaaclearnedthatthecoachtoSanAngelowouldnotarriveuntilthenextmorning.HetriedAbilene'sonehotel,butfounditfull.Arailroadagenttoldhimaboutaroomforrentoverasaloon.
    Attheentrance,Isaacencounteredaportermoppingthewoodensidewalk.Thewaterhadaredtingetoit.Perhapsjoking,Isaacsaid,"Thatlookslikeblood."
    "Yessir,"theportersaidcasually,withoutbreakinghisrhythm.Heexplainedthatfourcattlemenhadgottenintoagunbatde.Thesewerenotjustordinarycowboys,hesaid,butwell-offrancherswithlargeherds.Nowallfourweredead.
    Isaacsteppedpast.Hecheckedinandclimbedthestairstohisroom.
    "Myhead,"hewrote,"didnotresteasythatnight."
    INTHEMORNING,thingslookedbetter.Thesunwasbright,theaircoolandscentedwithbacon,coffee,andsawdust,thefragranceofabrand-newcountry.Thelandscapewasamber,piercedbylongblackpicketsofshadow.Isaacwastwenty-threeyearsoldinanewcountryinaworldwhereanythingwaspossible.HewasinthethickofitwheneveryoneelsebackhomecouldonlyreadaboutitinthenewspapersandinJulesVerneandinthethousandsofdimenovelsaboutBuffaloBillCody.Isaacwasapioneerinanewscience,aprairieDampier,atatimewhenanordinarymanwithpatienceandaknackforobservationcouldchangeforeverthewaytheworldsawitself.FartothenorthintheBadLandsoftheDakotaTerritoryanotheryoungman,TeddyRooseveltofNewYork,wasbusy"pioneering"alongwithotherEastCoastbluebloodslikeFredericRemingtonandOwenWister,latertowriteTheVirginian,whohopedtoexperiencethefrontierlifebeforeitdisappeared.Rooseveltcalledthiswayofliving"thepleasantest,healthiest,andmostexcitingkindoflifeanAmericancouldlive."
    Thestagearrivedclottedwithmud,thensetoffagaininagreatjangleofenergy,pulledbyfourhorsesandrockingonitsspringslikeabarkinheavyswells.ThecoachwasscheduledtocovertheonehundredmilestoSanAngelobylateafternoonwithateamchangeeverythirtymiles,butarain-engorgedstreamhaltedthejourney.ThedrivertoldIsaacandhisfellowpassengerstheywouldhavetospendthenightalongsidethecreekuntilthenextscheduledcoachcouldarrivefromtheoppositedirection.Thedriverwouldthenferrythegroupacrossthecreek,usingaboatkeptatthecrossingforjustsuchemergencies.ThefreshcoachwouldreturntoSanAngelo.
    Thesolefemalepassengersleptinthecoach;themenfoundplacesontheground.Aboutmidnight,Isaacheardarattlesnake.Itterrifiedhim,"infactsomuchthatIranandjumpedontopofthestagecoachandscaredthewomanintohysterics."ShethoughtthewagonwasbeingattackedbyIndians.Isaacstayedontherooftherestofthenight.
    TheAbilene-boundcoacharrivedthenextday,asexpected,andsoonIsaacfoundhimselfskimmingoveraseaofwildflowers.CartographersofthedaycalledthistheGreatAmericanDesert,buttoIsaacitseemedtheyhadgottenitwrong,forherewas"acarpetofflowerssuchaswordswillnotdescribe.Theflowersrolledinthewindlikevaricoloredwaves."Flowersnorth,south,east,andwest