The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-08
SATURDAYS TORNADO,
1t Began at 3 A, M, in Kansas,
And the Damage is Immense.
All Railroad Trains Sto pped.

LEAVENWoRTH, Kan, May 6.-At half
past three this morning, this vicinity was
visited by the heaviest and most destruc-
tive wind storm Leavenworth ever expert
eneed. 1t had been raining almost inces-
sanity for sixty hours, and at the time the
windstorm struck the town the rain still
came down In torrents, At au early hour
in the evening the lightning began to play
across the sky. The whole air seemed to
be filled with electricity, and all night long
flashes and reports followed each other in
such rapid succession that there was an
almost unbroken glare of lightning aud
roar of thunder At 3:25 n dense black
cloud was seen in the western horizon, and
| Il few minutes after sharp breeze came
from the east which continued not over a
minute. Then there was dead calm and
the rainfall ceased entirely. Then began
to be heard the distant tornado. In "a
moment more the wind struck US and it
seemed for a time that everything above
ground was doomed to destruction. Just
as the hurricane struck the city there came
binding flash of lightning with crash Of
thunder that made the earth tremble.
| This, with the terrific roaring of the winds,
which cannot be likened to anything but
itself, the creaking and groaning of trem-
bling buildings, the crash Of falling walls
and the flying timbers made an exhibition
OF the fury of the elements which those who
witnessed will never desire repeated The
wind cloud was funnel shaped, with small
end down. 1t moved with an oscilating
motion from west 10 east, rebounding like
bom bshell and scattering ruin in its path
way wherever it struck the earth
The loss to the city and county cannot
be less than $l50,O00 and may reach
Il $250,OOO
Following are some of the damaging re,
suits Of the storm: LeavenwLrth carpet
factory, with machinery, valued a; $50, ,0O0.
totally destroyed; the roof cf Odd Fellows
Hall, one6f the largest buildings in the
city, torn off and the interior of the build
Jugs ruined 10y water. Part of this ROOF
fell on the agricultural warehouse OF
, Nobett 4 Co, crushing it aud another
building. Part of it was carried 200 feet
distan. and crushed IN a large board
Ing house, but happily without iujuring
any OF the inmates. The root Of Mr.. W
G. L1henstein's large warehouse wa,
blown off; also part Of the roof Of The new
market house. Part of the south wall o
l1offmans liquor store, part OF the north
wall of the Leavenworth mill, and tht
entire of Of Harmon's bleck, and ter
other large houses were more or less
damaged, and some thirty smaller build
ings were unroofed
KANSAS CITY, May There has beer
an almost uninterrupted and unprecedent
: ed rainfall here during the last two days
causing immense damage and delays t
railroads. None of the rods centeriDs
here have sent out trains this morning OF
! time, a@d no trains arrived except thost
of the Missouri Pacific and Missouri
|, Fort Scott roads The Hauuibal & St
Joe road is blocked near Cameron, ant
! passenger trains are held at Liberty
There are serious breaks in the Missouri
Pacific between here and Lcaycnwortl
=. near Pomeroy. and one on Council Bluff
road near Parkville. The Kansas PaciG
is interrupted 10y washout at Stranger
The entire railroad traffic at this point ha
. been delayed and Interrupted for twenty
feur hours, and it will be several days be
! fore the usual order of things IS restored
= A serious land side occurred on Bluff
!. street by which the railroad track wa
4 covered and all communications betweel
the Union Depot and the railroad bridg
q cut of.