A SHOWER OF FISH
MOUNTAIN TROUT MINNOWS
FELL FROM THE SKY.
SURPRISE FOR INDEPENDENCE.
OLDEST INHABITANT NEVER
WITNESSED LIKE BEFORE.
One Fish Expert Estimated That a
Ton of Fish Fell -- Public Square
Carpeted With Minnows --
Catch Basins Were
Clogged.
At 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, when the rain was heaviest, a large quantity of small silver colored fish, which closely resembled mountain trout, fell from the sky at Independence. Although a few of the fish fell in all parts of the town, the fall was heaviest over the square in the center of the town. So many of the fish fell there that the catch basins, built to carry the water to the sewers, were clogged and the water backed up and covered the sidewalks.
There were few people on the square when they fell, not over twenty, but the report of the remarkable occurrence spread throught the town and hundreds came out through the pouring rain to see the fish. Those who were incredulous and refused to come at first came later when fish by the pocketful were brought to them.
Nearly everybody in Independence who wished it had fish last evening. Men and women came to the square and picked them up off the pavement. Each man put a few in his pockets, and each woman picked up two or three, wrapped them in her handkerchief or a piece of paper and carried them home for souvenirs. The fall of fish brought an exciting finish to what had promised to be a very dull Sunday in the town. The people were still sitting up and talking about it at midnight.
It was all new to the young people, but there were old-timers who told of having seen frogs and butterflies fall down from the sky. There wasn't anyone, however, who had ever seen fish come down in a rainstorm before.
It is estimated by an Independence fish expert that the total quantity of fish which fell was about a ton.
