Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-06-05
TERRIBLE TORNADO.
and Missouri Visited by the Most
.Frightful Cyclone on Record

state that a terrible rain storm
and cyclone passed over Northern
Kansas and Southern Nebraska last
evening. It extended through nearly
the whole northern tier of counties in
this state, but was most violent between
Blue Rapids and Centennial Stations on
the Central Branch railroad about so
miles apart. The storm moved in a
q direction little north of east and
passed into Nebraska through Richard
son county. The town of Irving, 90
miles west of this place was nearly de-
stroyed. At that point the storm took
on the character of a cyclone and leveled
everything in its path. About forty
bu:ldldings were destroyed, fifteen per-
sons killed and thirty or forty wounded.
Among the casualties are the follow
ing: John Kelly, wife, father and son.
killed; Mrs. w. J. Williams, killed;
Mrs. Breckinster and four children
killed; Jacob Sabins and wife, fatally in
jnred; E. S. Seldom, wife and sister dan
gerously hurt and not expected to live;
Mrs. W. G. Bates and two children bad
ly hurt, one has since died; and Mrs.
Noah. Mrs. Geo. Martin and several
others more or less seriously wounded.
Among the buildings blown down are
churches, one fine stone building, the
pubic school, the grain elevator, rail-
road depot, Witmore institute, and
the residences of John A. Warden.
Chas. Preston, W. III. Sabins, M. L.
Leady, and Messrs. Armstrong, Thomp-
son, Sheldon, Bates, Williams. and 9TH
ers. In the neighborhood of Frankfort
four Or five farm houses are blown over
and In the town several house were de-
stroyed. No casualties at this place,
severely injured. At Centralia several
houses were unroofed, and one house
and barn blown down, trees uprooted,
fences laid fiat and great damage done
to crops. At Beatty, on the St. Joseph
and Dehver railroad, number
of houses were blown down.
At Dennison's mills, Nelson county,
on the Atchison & Nebraska road, the
Catholic church was totally demolish-
ed, as was also the store of Mead, Eley
Il Co. One lady was severely injured.
Several residences were more or less
damaged. Reports meagre as yet,
telegraphic communication west hav-
ing been greatly interrupted. The
Daily Champion sent q reporter to Irving
this forenoon on q special locomotive
and expects further telegraphic report
tonight which will be forwarded as soon
as received The above account is
condensed from dispatches already OBJ
tanned.
THE CALAMITY INCREASES.
A dispatch from Manhattan, Kansas,
says the cyclone crossed the Big Blue
river at the mouth Of Mill creek last
night, uprooted trees, destroyed grain,
cribs, fences and crops. A two story
storehouse in Candroy was unroofed
and crushed fifteen persons in it at the
time. Mr.. Condroy is somewhat in
jured, and his slster-in-law, Mrs. Tut
tleck and child killed. On Fancy Greek,
twelve miles north of Condroys, a Meth
odist church was entirely demolished,
buildings torn down, cattle and horses
killed, and other property destroyed,
but no lives lost.
An Atchison, Kansas, dispatch says
terrible rain and wind sto1m passed
Frankfort, Marshall county, Kansas,
at six o'clock last evening, lasting
over two hours. F. B. Taylor's
warehouse was torn to pieces and
several small houses and stables more
or less damaged. The houses of Messrs.
Fox, Carser Il Vaughan, three miles
from town, was blown down and the in
mates considerably injured. They are
now here receiving medical treatment.
Fox's house and contents we're blown
into the river.
A messenger just in from Irving says
the storm at that point blew down Is
houses, killed s persons, wounded about
25, and several are missing. The resi-
dences of Jules Warhen, Mr.. Arm
strong, J. Williams, Mr.. Thompson and
II others, names of owners not given,
were totally demolished. The Presby-
terian church, public school building,
and Irving's elevator were completely
destroyed. The east span of the rail-
road bridge crossing Blue river was
blown down.
A committee with funds, provisions
and lumber left Atchison on the Cen
tral Branch railroad this afternoon to
supply the wants of sufferers, and
another committee is soliciting addi-
tional aid.
IN MISSOURI.
The Globe Democrat special from Inde-
pendence, Mo, says a cyclone struck
the earth four miles from Lees Sum-
nit last evening and cut a furrow
through the country about hundred
yards wide and ten miles long,
leveling everything in its track
and killing and wounding several
people. The direction of the storm
was from the southwest to northeast.
Three miles east of Lees Summit the
house of Mr.. Warren was to-day de-
stioyed, two members Of the family
killed and others seriously wounded;
further on the house of Alex. Scroggs
was unroofed, and his wife's skull frac-
tured. The houses of DR.. Dunnington
and Mr.. Underwood were destroyed,
but their families escaped unharmed.
The residence of Mr.. HuIchins was
torn to pieces, land the family badly hurt.
The house of Mr.. Harris, near Blue
Springs was demolished. Mr.. Harris,
his wife and girl and three other chill
dren were mortally wounded. Harris
was lifted high up in the air and carried
about 200 feet In the course the storm
moved and then dashed to the earth;
while his wife and child were carried
about the same distance in the opposite
direction. At this point the storm cloud
burst but came together again almost
instantly with terrific crash, bounded
from the earth, came down again, near
the dwelling of Mr.. Gore, which it pass
ed through leaving its side walls stand
ing. The tunnel-shaped cloud then rose
high in the air and disappeared in the
Tb. ovor