The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-07-21
The cvelonc at Fairfield postolIice

BENSON, Mimi, July 1.-The coun-
try in the immediate vicinity of Fairfield
p. o. was visited by terrible wind
storm, tornado or cyclone about 8
O'Clock. The storm seemed to come
from the northwest, yeering around
southwark until it assumed almost an
easterly direction and levellcd every
thing movable in its course.
BENSON, Mimi, July 14.-From DR..
Marshall, of Appletown, who was called
to attend the wounded the following
facts are learned of the Fairfield cyclone
which occurred in Mayer township to-
day: The first house in the track of the
tempest was that of Wesley Horner, who
lives on the west bank of the Pomme de
Terre river, in Mercer. 1t tore down
over the hill, dwelling trees around the
house and prostrating it in an instant.
throwing the man and his family out of
doors, and leaving them bruised and
homeless and bereft of everything ex-
cept the clothing on their bodies. They
have suffered some very severe injuries,
but none of them dangerous. Four out
of five horses were killed outright. The
storm next took bridge (wagon bridge
Of single span of about forty feet, and
IL lEOul us
turned it over and dropped it
about fifty rods down the
river, where it now lies. On the north
side of the bridge stood small black
smiths shop which it utterly demol-
ished, and passed on to the black
smiths house, which ii tore to pieces,
and in its fury hurting the man and wife,
and two children quite distance from
the building. The boy and girl, about
five and seven years old, were insensi-
bic when the doctor left and in a dang
erous condition from their wounds,
while the mother was scarcely any bet
ter off, owing to her delicate condition.
Next in the course of destruction
came the stone building of Mrs. George
Train, in which she lived and kept store
and postoffice. She and her children
and T. b. Boyle, her clerk, stayed in the
house till the windows blew in, when
they ran out and lay on the grass. They
had scarcely got out when the bailding
was blown 10 pieces and with all its con-
tents scattered all over the prairie. Mrs.
Train is widow and is rendered desti-
tute by this misfortune.
The next house visited was that of
Henry Miller, which was unroofed and
| the upper part blew away, with all the
clothing, leaving the inmates to the mer-
cy Of the elements. Mrs. Miller sustain
cd very severe shock from fright and
prOstration.
George Kepner, the oldest resident,
who lived Just south OF the bridge, suf-
fered the most severely from the storm.
The house in which he was living and a
new one he was erecting were destroyed,
The frame of carpet loom in an old
building, which held up the falling
walls, was all that prevented the death
of some of its inmates, as under this rude
but substantial shelter they crouch
ed for safety until the storm was over.
Part of the floor was blown away, and a
cow blown into the cellar of the new
church of the United Brethren, standing
close by. There was NO obstacle to the
wrath of the tempest These are all the
houses damaged in the vicinity which
| the tornado visited But one or two
houses in a north and westerly direction
were unroofed, but further west, and not
far from Carroll, house has totally dis
appeared. Two lives were lost II was
reported here in Benson that German