Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

Out Route 5, thru the dreary industrial barrens of Lackawanna. We did not feel really on our way until past Woodlawn. A trip like this made “against time” has the elusive quality of a dream—most of it is forgotten and only snitches of impressions come back later—  Lunch at a roadside diner—Art expressed it best when we came out—“That was the stalest bun, and the worst hamburger & coffee I ever ate in my life”— The white birch cemetery west of [Conneaut] never fails to arouse wonder at its beauty— The bridge at Ashtabula brought to mind the ever-elusive wild sweet peas.Altho the sun was shining when we left, it gradually “clouded up”—and just beyond Conneaut we ran into a violent rain-storm which lasted for miles, (far south of Ashtabula)—at times it became almost impossible to see—muddy water from the fields ran out over the road sometimes as we plunged thru deep waters, it ran up solidly over the windshield. Just north of Niles (it has ceased raining) we came upon a scene of wild disorder. A tornado had swept thru shortly before (later we learned that it had swept on east ward, thru Sharon with even greater violence & disaster, houses being destroyed and some lives lost).—Here, great trees uprooted, or ripped off half way up, poles and wires strewn around in the greatest confusion. Hundreds of cars seemed to have concentrated here, but the state police were working efficiently. On route southward (46) was blocked by great trees, so we were forced to detour eastward & then back to Niles.Supper at Isaly’s in Canfield. Then to Mary & Duke (they were just returning home).—