Smyrna times., 1879-06-11
The Kansas Cyclone.

The papers in Delaware and Maryland, or
rather the peninsula formed of these States
including the Eastern Shore of Virginia,
ought to thank themselves for the fact, as
well as other privileges not enjoyed else
where, that our section is free fromthe terri
BILE cyclones and other great disturbances OF
nature so frequently occurring latterly In
the western country. The daily papers OF
last week contained the account of most
fearful outburst of the forces of nature in
Kansas. The terrible storm, with irresistible
violence, swept away substantial buildings
as if they had been the toy structures ofthe
nursery. The trunks of the largest trees
were broken like twigs and great sections
of the forest levelled for miles. Animals
were caught up and whirled into the air.
Onward the tornado marched, and nothing
which it encountered could resist its fury.
Think of house actually drawn into the
vortex of the cloud, and coming down a
rain of fragments But worst of all was
the cruel destruction of human life, and
next to this the severe injuries inflicted
upon those who survived. The number of
men, women and children killed is stated
at not less than fifty. These were found
with their clothing stripped off, their bodies
blackened, their bones broken, their forms
mutilated almost past recognition. Some
of the instances were really tragic-in one
case, mother with five children, in another
husband, wife and five children fell victims
to the elementary fury. Whole households
| were swept away without a moments warn
| ing. To this must be added the great de
struction of property of various kinds-ot
houses, fences, barns and crops-the mater
ial loss, it is stated, being greater than has
L. G., GAOk .Nff h.
country from the same cause.
The scene, as it is described, must have
been one of fearful magnifcence. During
the progress of the tornado the darkenec
earth was illuminated by vivid flashes o
! lightning, the air was full of a sulphurOu:
smell, while the roll of the thunder was in
cessant. The cyclone often changed it,
course, and seemed to move with kind o
diabolical wantonness. At one momen
enormous quantities of rain would descend
at another the lurid sun would burst through
the clouds, and throw a strange SPLENDID
over the scene of destruction. 1t is almos
impossible to comprehend the force of tn
gale. A cart and two horses were carried
bodily into the air; two freight cars wer
lifted from the railway track and hurled
distance of fifty feet The ruin at partcula
points also proves the force of tho curren
and the greatness of the calamity. At Ii
wing, among the structures destroyed wer
two churches, the public school house, tn
railway elevator, with six or seven privat
residences. There is no estimate as yet
given of the gross amount ofmaterial losses
There must be much suffering, though pei
haps it is not greater than the local char
ties can relieve.
The Valley of the Mississippi seems to b
peculiarly liable to the visits of these fisrc
windstorms, though fortunately they rarel
prove so disasterous as this Kansas cyclone
The conditions under which these torni
does occur are tolerbly well known
physicists, and even their appearance ma
{ be predicted with more or less accuracy
Science, however, is yet unable to point oil
any way of preventing them or mtigatin
their fury. Luckily, they are not everyda
, occurrences, and their destructive energ
is usually confined to narrow limits.