River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-06-05
Great Storm in Kansas and Missouri.

%. LoUts, Ma 3l.--A dispatch from |
Atchison, KAN, says a terrible storm of |
wind and rain passed over Northern Kansas |
and Southern Nebraska last evening. 1t |
extended through nearly the whole northern |
tier counties Of the State, but Yves most !
violent between Blue Rapids ana Centennial |
stations, ON the Central BIanch Il. r., about |
trinity miles apart. The storm moved in a
direction a little north of east and passed
into Nebraska through Richagdson. The
town of Irving, NINETY miles west of this
place, was nearly destroyed. at that
place the storm took on tho character
of cyclone and leveled everything in its
path. About forty buildings were destroyed,
fifteen persons killed and thirty to forty
wounded. Among the casualties are the fol
lowing; John Kelley, wife, father and son,
killed; Mrs. w. j. Williams, killed; Mrs
Breckinster and five children, killed; Jacob
Sabins and wife, fatally injured, T.. Sheldon,
wife and sister, dangerously hurt and not ex-
pected to live, Mrs. w. G. Bates ard two
children, badly hurt, one has since died, and
Mrs. Nash, Mrs. Geo Martin ard several
others more or less seriously wounded.
Among the buildings blown down are
churches, one fine stone building, the pub
lie school, the grain elevator RAILROAD depot,
Wetman Institute, and the residences of Jno.
A. Warden, Chas. Preston, W. IL. Sabins,
M. l.. Teddy, and Messrs. Armstrong,
Sheldon, Bates, Williams, and others.
In the neighborhood of Frankfort four or
five farm houses were blown over and in
town several houses were destroyed. No
casualties at this place, but several persons
in the country were severely injured.
At Centralia several houses were unroofed
and one house and barn was blown down.
Trees were uprooted and fences laid fiat,
and great damage done to crops.
At Beatty on the st. Joe X Demur rail
road a number of houses were blown down.
Reports are meagre as yet, telegraphic
communication west having been greatly
interrupted.
THE HARRIS FAMILY.
ST.. LOUIS, May 31.--A dispatch from the
associated press reporter at Kansas City
about the cyclone which devastated the east
ern part of jackson county, Missouri, last
night, referring to the destruction of the
house of Mr.. Harris, near Blue Springs, an
account of which was reported from INDIE
pence, says Mr.. Harris, his wife and chill
dren were carried up into the air clear out
of sight and dropped in different places and
directions from the site of the house they
occupied and varying in distance from one
to two hundred yards. Mrs. Harris
and one child were killed outright.
Mr.. Harris died several hours after. One
other of the children was found in a pool of
water five yards from the house, with large
bunch of wet straw and grass wrapped SO
tightly around his head and shoulders that
it could only be removed with great difficult
y. The child was but slightly injured his
escape being attributed to the mysterious
bandage around him. When last heard from
the storm it was travelling northeast and had
entered Lafayette county.
| ST. LOUIS, June 1.--No additional particu-
lars of Friday evenings cyclone in Marshall
county, Kansas, was received to-day, but q
report comes from Brookville, Ks, at least
seventy-five miles southwest of Irving, the
town where the most destruction took place,
that most terrific wind storm passed over
the country northwest of there Friday after
noon, doing great damage to farm
property and killing several people.
A cyclone also struck the outer edge
of Kirksville, Adair county, Mo-, Friday
evening, demolishing about dozen houses,
badly damaged several others and severely
injured several people, one woman being re-
ported killed. A high wind also prevailed
north and northeast Of st. Joseph, Mo. A
grain elevator at Hopkins was destroyed,
several sInalI dwelling HOUSES, Daflls, otc'
blown down and an elevator at Craig station,
on the Kansas City, st. Joseph q Council
Bluffs railroad, destroyed. Consider
able damage was done to other
buildings. Trees were uprooted, fences
blown down and crops destroyed all along
the line of the storm. 1t is not unlikely the
storms had common origin, but on the
plans in western Kansas some local cause
broke the original cloud into fragments,
that separate storms were formed from
these, one of which traversed the northern
counties in Kansas and another Travelled
eastward striking the earth in jackson
county, Mo-, thence moved northeast to
KirksvilIe and beyond. The third and
weakest one of the three passing over the
country in the neighborhood of st. Joseph.