The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1878-04-20

that sent the troops to Topeka the Times
would have been consistent enough to
have endorsed the action.
TORNADO IN LYON & CHASE COUNTIES.
The rain storm that visited this section
last Saturday evening, was veritable
tornado in the central part of the State.
From the Emporia Ne,rs' extra we
learn the following particulars in that
section. 1t says:
The tornado first attracted attention
here about 4:30 p. m, when general ap-
,preheusion was excited by the appear
iance of the sky, especially in the south
west, where gigantic, greenish coiored
cloud massed up, swelling and writhing,
and steadily increasing in bulk and ap-
parent sOlidity until it looked like an
immense avalanche ready to overwhelm
the earth beneath. 10 the east and
north of this terrible cloud the sky was
comparatively clear, the clouds there
seeming to 20 northwest, from whence
rolled, along and across the western hor
lion, continuous volume of cloud which
entered into and was absorbed by the
growing mass in the southwest, until it
seemed as if everything in the sky above
us was being hurled toward and sucked
into that gloomy monster. This i'm
pressive .atmospherical display went on
for about fifteen minutes, when q ire
mendous though distant roaring began to
be heard, approaching nearer every mo-
ment, and q heavy dash of wind and rain
came from the south. The storm had
reached us, the rain shutting out further
view of the sky. This first wind and rain
almost Instantly swung round and came
from the east, and lasted about three
minutes, when perfect lull of about
two minutes ensued. The lull was sud-
denly broken by blast of wind, rain
and very heavy hail from the northwest
and north. This was the storm, in all
its strength, and it ragged with terrific
fury for a full half hour before it abated
the least, and then kept up very heavy
rain for another half hour, the latter
part coming from the east and south.
1t was truly terrible storm, even to
to those whose houses stood without in
jury-while to those. whose houses were
blown to pieces, exposing them to the
full force of the raging elements. the
experience of that hour can never be
forgotten. The rain was the heaviest
our oldest settlers have known-coming
down like a cataract, and flooding the
ground inches deep in a few minutes.
It penetrated roofs and joints heretofore
proof in all storms, and as the heavy hail
dashed in windows to the north, the
water deluged rooms in few minutes.
The hailstones were immense in size, and
the wind hurled them with tremendous
Foremost all glass in northern win
dows, unprotected by blinds being shat
tered.
Many of the hailstones that fell south
Of the Cottonwood, where the tornado
was more severe than in the city, are
said to have been as large as goose eggs,
knocking holes through shingles and
siding large enough to put ones fist
through. The sutterings Of the numer-
GUS families whose houses were SO sud-
denly blown to pieces, leaving their in
mates, men, women and children entirely
unprotected from the fearful pelting OF
this enormous hail as well as the flood OF
water and the force of wind that threw
them from their feet to the sodded
earth, can be imagined when we
remember that this storm kept up its
full fury for more than half an hour.
The houses destroyed we're generally
lifted up into the air, carried number
of feet and then dashed roof or side first
to the ground, shattering them entirely
TO pieces, scattering timbers and boards
for hundreds of feet, and in some cases
Tor more than half q mile, and of course
destroying all the furniture and other
property within them.
On Phenis and Dry creeks, and along
the south bank of the Cottonwood be-
tween these creeks, very large trees were
torn and twisted to pieces, and the prai-
RE is covered with fragments of houses
and fences. The gale was simply terrible,
nothing seemed capable of withstanding
Its awful power, and the only wonder is
that so few people we're killed by the
falling of their dwellings, or that those
who were exposed to the hail were not
beaten senseless to the earth.
How women and children lived, as
many did, through the fearful hour
with nothing to shield them from the
hail is uuaccountable. Two children
were. in fact, killed in this way.
The path of the tornado, where it was
strong enough to destroy houses was not
very wide. 1t began, 50 far as We now
know, in Chase county, and then appears
to have lifted in the sir, and struck the
earth again at Jacobs Greek, in this
county. and kept on going east until it
reached Mr.. Ross house, about three
miles southeast of Emporia. It then
again rose from the earth, and may have
come down again or may not. at some
further point east. The width of the
track on which buildings were destroyed
is about six miles. reaching from the
northern limits of Emporia to about
four miles south of the Cottonwood. The
storm was more extensive than this-but
not in its destructive power.