The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-06-06
Destructive Tornado.

A tornado marked by terrible death and do
struction recently swept over wide stretch Of
country, beginning in Western Missouri and
extending over portion of Northern Kansas
and Southern Nebraska The town Of Irving,
Kan, was nearly destroyed. At that point the
storm took on the character of a cyclone, and
leveled everything in it's path. About forty
buildings were destroyed, fifteen persons killed,
and over forty wounded, many beyond hope Of
recovery In the neighborhood of Frankfort,
Kan, four or five farm houses were blown
over and several persons injured, and in the
town several houses were destroyed. At Beatty,
Kan, number OF houses were demolished
At Centralia, Kan, several houses were I'M
rooted, and one house and barn blown down,
trees uprooted, fences laid fiat, and great dam
age done to crops. At Deunison Mills, Neb.,
Catholic church was blown down, several
houses damaged, and one lady severely in
Jured. At Manhattan, Kan, a store
III which fifteen people had taken
refuge from the storm was blown down,
and woman and child killed. Near
Lees Summit Mo-, the house of Mr. Warren
WAS totally destroyed Two members of the
family were killed and others severely wound
ed. The house OF Alexander Scroggs was I'M
rooted. His wife's skull was fractured. The
houses of DIR. Huntington and Mr.. Underwood
were destroyed, but their families escaped I'M
harmed The residence OF Mr. Hutchins was
torn to pieces, and the family badly hurt
son Of IL Warden was carried through the
air distance OF 10 yards and when con-
seriousness returned he found himself in q
small stream. While going through the air he
saw his small brother still higher than himself,
aud 1t is supposed that he must have been
thrown still further, but when found after the
disaster he WAS returning to the house, which
was nothing but q mass OF debris. III falling
he was itDpaled on stick of broken furniture
hat Oh IN, no IF fxvo nd
half inches into his thigh. inficting painful
but not dangerous wound. The house Of
Mr.. Harris, near Blue Springs, was demol-
ished. Mr.. Harris, his wife and little
girl were killed, and three other children NOR
tally wounded Mr.. Harris was lifted high up
Into the air, carried about 205 feet in the course
the storm moved, and then dashed to the earth,
while his wife and Guild were carried about the
same distance III all opposite direction One OF
the other children was found in a pool, fifty
yards from the house, with a large bunch OF
wet straw and grass wrapped 40 tightly around
his head and shoulders that il could only be
removed with great difficulty. The child was
but slightly injured, his escape being attrib-
uted 10 the mysterious bandage around him.
At this point the storm. cloud hurst, but came
together again almost instantly with terrific
crash, bounded from the earth, came down
again near the dwelling of Mr.. Gore, which it
passed through, leaving It's side walls standing.
At Delp.,os, Kan, five persons were killed in
in from two square miles of territory. Que
man vas taken mp in his wagon thrown to the
ground again, and instantly killed. woman
and child were thrown against wire fence
aud killed. The track of the tornado
throughout its entire length anu breadth
was marked by death and destruc-
ton. Buildings were swept away as
II they had been made of paper, trees uprooted,
grain cribs, fences and crops destroyed, and
horses and cattle killed. The storm III all its
phases lasted about two hours. IL was in-
tensely dark, and the force Of the wind was
perfectly resistless. When house was struck
IL was totally demolished The people could
give no ineligible account further than that
there was a crash and then everything flew into
the air as coon as possible Everything
that'the central portion came In contact with
was either destroy ed or scattered promiscuous-
lv. Large trees we're uprooted, roots, dirt aud
all, aud were carried hundreds OF feet. As an
evidence of It's terrible force 1t laid q stone
fence level with the ground, and in some cases
throwing stones Of one aud half cubic feet q
distance of 40 feet The persope who were
caught by il were IN nearly all cases at ipped OF
their clothing, and were completely be-
with mud that other persons were I'M
able to recognize them until they spoke.