Free Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson Page B

"themostbeautifulvisioninnaturemyeyeshaveeverbeheld."Thisdidnotlast.
    THESKYTURNEDcloudlessandblue,theprairiebrown.Theflowersdied.TheConchoRiverwentdry,althoughundergroundflowssomehowkeptportionsofthebedflushwithwaterandfish.Theweathershoweditselfpronetofitsofviolence.Atornadofollowedhimalongaroad.A"bluenorther"caughthiminthemidstofahuntingtripanddroppedtemperaturesfromhottofreezinginminutes.Heexperiencedheatlikenothinghehadknownbefore.DuringavisitbythefreakdragonwindsthatperiodicallyblisteredtheTexasplainsherecordedatemperatureof140degreesFahrenheit.
    Oneeveninginmid-Augusthewaswalkingtowardtownalonghisusualroute,crossingthefootbridgeovertheriverbed,whenheheardaroarfromsomewherefarupstream.Notthunder.Theroarwascontinuous,andgotlouder.Hesawacarriagecarryingamanandtwowomendescendintotheriverbedatapointwherewagonsandhorsemenoftencrossed.AnescarpmentofwaterthatIsaacestimatedtobefifteenortwentyfeethighappearedbeyondthecarriage.Isaacbegantorun.Thewatercaughtthecarriagebroadsideandrippeditfromthesoil.Isaacreachedtheothersideoftheriverbedjustasthewatersurgedpasthim,thecarriagetumblinglikeatreestumpinaspringflood.Thewagonpassed.Rescuewasimpossible.
    Hisheartracing,Isaaclookedupstream.Menhadgatheredandwiththeirbarehandswerepluckingfishfromthewater.Largefish.AsIsaacwalkedtowardthemen,hesawafishtwofeetlongdriftslowlyby.Hemovedcloser.Thefishdidnothing.Hereachedforthefish.Itkeptstill.Isaacthrusthishandsintothewater,andtwothingshappened:Hecaughtthefish;hefrozehishands.
    ItwasAugustinTexasbutwaterhadabruptlyfilledtheriverbedandthiswaterwasthetemperatureofaTennesseecreekinJanuary,socolditparalyzedfish.
    Butwherehadthewatercomefrom?Isaacscannedtheskiesfortherollingblack-woolcloudtypicallyraisedbybluenorthers,butsawnothing.
    Dayslater,townsmenrecoveredthebodiesofthecarriagedriverandhistwofemalepassengers.
    Aweeklater,themysteryoftheice-waterfloodwassolved.
    VisitorsfromthetownofBenFicklinfiftymilesuptheConchocametoSanAngeloandreportedthatamonstroushailstormhadstruckabouttendaysearlier,thedayoftheflood.Thestormdischargedstonesthesizeofostricheggsthatkilledhundredsofcattleandfellinsuchvolumetheyfillederosiongulchesandpiledtodepthsofuptothreefeetonlevelground.Theicemeltedquickly.
    ForIsaac,thiswasexplanationenough.Thedeadlyfloodwasthedownstreamflowofflash-meltedhail.Hewroteanarticleontheincidentfortheweatherservice'sMonthlyWeatherReview,editedbyClevelandAbbe.ToIsaac's"surpriseandchagrin,"Abberejectedthearticleongroundsitwastoofar-fetchedtobebelieved.
    Therejectionstung.Isaachadbeentherewhenthefloodcamethrough.Hesawthefish.Hehadthrusthishandsintheice-coldwater.TheshockofitonthatAugustdayinTexaswasembeddedinhisbrain.
    Isaaccouldnotletitgo.Hailbecameatransientobsession.Hetrackeddownreportsofmonsterhailfromalloverthecountry.Itwastrue,hewrote,thatnoonepreviouslyhadreportedahailstormsobigastoproduceariveroffish-paralyzingicewater,butonJune30,1877,hailstonesaslargeasorangeskilledponiesatYellowstoneValley,andonJune2,1881,inWhiteHall,Illinois,hailstonesthesizeofgooseeggspiledtotwelveinchesdeep,andonJune12,1881,hailstonesaslargeasaman'sfistfellonthreecountiesinIowaandpiledtodepthsoftwoorthreefeet,andonJune16,1882,hailstonesuptoseventeeninchesaroundandweighingtwopoundsfellatDubuque,
    Iowa.
    WhichwasIsaac'sloyal,obedient,oblique,three-cushionwayofstatingthatthegreatClevelandAbbehadbeenwrongtorejecthispaper.Isaacwasnothingifnotcredible,anddidnotlikehavinghiscredibilitychallenged.
    ISAACFELLINlove.
    TheSignalCorpshadmovedhisstationtoAbilenewhereIsaacbeganattendingthecity'sBaptistchurch,ledbyPastorGeorgeW.Smith.Hewasstruckbythebeautyofthemusic,andmoretothepoint,bythebeautyoftheyoungorganistwhoproducedit.ThewomanwasCoraMayBellew,anieceofPastorSmith'swhowaslivinginthepastor'shouse.
    "Shewasabeautiful,brilliantandculturedgirl,"Isaacwrote."ShehadmoreattractionformethananywomanIhadeverknown."
    Hewooedher,wonher,and,onMarch17,1887,marriedher.Heremainedtruetohisbeliefthatone'stimeshouldbeusedefficiently,anethosthatFrederickWinslowTaylorsoonwouldbringtoAmericanindustry.Aninefficientman,Taylorsaid,waslike"abirdthatcansing
    butwon'tsing."
    Isaaccouldsing,anddid.OnDecember10,1887,afterjusteightandahalfmonthsofmarriage,CoraMaygavebirthtoadaughter.TheClinesnamedherAllieMay.
    THECLAMORTOreformtheweatherservicecontinuedtogrow.Demandforbetterandmoreusefulforecastsintensified.Untilthecreationoftheweatherservice,individualshadreliedontheirownmeteorologicalsavvy