The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-06-16

WluuS. MT. INolu'S lOSS Is SO,UOO. III
the village every house was destroyed.
At this writing we have a record of
twenty-eight houses that are totally de-
stroyed, and the loss on buildings is
1900; the loss to crops canuot be cal
culated; the loss of lite is one child
dead and an old man that cannot sur
vive. Fifteen other persons are suffer
ing from severe injuries, but none neces-
sairly fatal. The people escaped by
fleeing to caves and cellars. Winfield
is fearfully excited over the calamity,
hundreds having visited Floral to-day.
Cyclone in Usage County
An Usage City Free Press extra, is
sued June Is, gives the following de-
scription of q cyclone that visited that
vicinity on Sunday:
About four O'Clock p. m, Sunday, a
dense rain cloud rose from the north
west and passed over the country to-
ward the Marias DIES Cygnes river west
of Melvern. At the same time similar
cloud rose from the southwest and NOV
ed northeasterly toward the same locali-
ty. Many of the people of this city
watched the progress of this storm with
bated breath as it threatened to turn and
pass over it. AS these clouds approach
cd each other there was constant sue
cession of the most vivid lightning
flashes ever witnessed. These were
accompanied by the most alarming peals
of thunder.
The whole heavens in the vicinity of
the storm appeared to be in a towering
rage, and the furious contortions of the
angry clouds. the sharp, piercing thun-
der and the mad lightning formed ter
ribly grand and impressive picture that
those who witnessed it will never forget.
This wild wrangling of the mad ele-
ments lasted nearly an hour, the clouds
seeming to hover over one locality.
About this time the mad flashes of
| lightning suddenly ceased, the thunders
hushed and a dark, ugly, muddy, funnel
shaped cloud was formed about the cen
ter of the storm, and as it rose and fell
and began to sweep on down the river
everybody turned pale and spoke in
whispers. Everybody knew what it
meant. Everybody knew that ruin and
death would mark its course.
The shape and boundaries of this
cloud were well defined-it was very
dark and apparently hollow. 1t was
formed in the vicinity of Olivet, a point
on the river, in the south part of the
county, and the first damage that we
have yet been able to learn of was sus-
| tanned by a man of that place. We have
| Just seen and talked with Miss Tweed,
whose brother-in-iaw's farm lies about
two miles northwest of Olivet. Her de-
scription of the storm is heartrending.
They watched its progress, saw the
formation of the cyclone, and saw it
rushing wildly and madly over the
country, tearing up trees, carrying off
buildings. and leaving nothing but ruin
in its track. Just before it reached Mr..
Powell's house he called to the family
to go into the cellar, but they expected
it to rass by. Yet, just as it was about
to pass, it turned like a mad man.
caught the house up, whirled it around
| in the air, and threw it back upon its
foundation with great violence, leav-
ing it pile of ruins. The cellar was
filled with the debris and the family of
five people crawled and crouched in q
corner and escaped with few imma-
| terial bruises and scratches.
A horse was lifted out of the stable
and carried over a high hill and dashed
upon the ground in corn field a mile
| away. Cattle were lifted from the
ground, carried into the air. and dashed
to pieces. Mr. Powell's fine orchard
was totally destroyed, the trees being
literally torn out of the ground or
twisted into a thousand fragments. Miss
Tweed found the works of her gold
watch a quarter of mile from the
house, and everything was carried away.
Their furniture was all destroyed; their
bed clothes and wearing apparel have
entirely disappeared-nothing but a few
sheets being left. Miss Tweed's cloth
ing was torn off, and she has not q sim
gle dress left in the world. Her trunk
was lifted out of the house and was car
ried off and has not yet been found.
From this point the storm moved a
little northeasterly, going about one
mile north for every three miles east.
Mrs. Freeman, a widow lady, living
near Olivet, lost her house and every
thing in it, Plauty's farm house and
buildings were left in ruins. Three
negro children, left at home near Olivet,
were badly injured, one having since
died and il is thought the others cannot
live.
At this writing, 2 q. m. Monday, it
has been impossible to obtain all particu-
lars. Mr.. J. Morrison, of Melvern, came
in ut O'Clock, having been over the en-
tire track of the storm and has furnished
US with a memorandum of everything
he was able to learn.
The physicians at Melvern, Olivet,
Lyndon and this place are on the ground,
and hundreds of people are at work do
ing all that can be done to alleviate the
suffering.
Mr.. Rozencrants, who lives northwest
and Mr.. John Harper, who lives north
east of Melvern, are known to have been
killed.
Mrs. Rozencrants, Mr.. Colyar, Miss
John Harper, Mr.. Mart Nealy, Mrs.
Delvin, are badly hurt. John Lee,
Thomas Lee, and VIM. Appier are badly
bruised. A great number of others
whose names we have not been able to
obtain, were more or less injured.
The houses and buildings of. the fol-
lowing named persons, beginning near
Ollvet and following the track of the cy-
clone, were totally destroyed: L. w.
Powell, Mr.. Brown. Philip Latta, David
Duffield, Mr.. Rozencrants, H. NJ. Aus
Lee, Mr. Calkins, Mr.. Batram, John
Harper, Mr.. Tompkins, Mr.. Delvin, j.
higgins, Robert Graham, Joseph Mar
shal, James Wiley, and Mr.. Maneally.
OF course this list is necessarily lncom-
plete. 1t has been impossible at this
early hour to obtain all the facts.
The Presbyterian church at Quenemo
was DESTROYED The destruction oftheSe
buildings is complete from roof TO foun-
dation. The debris of each is scattered
over acres of ground-in many instanc
/ eS fragments are lOuuu AllIC lEOAu
where the building stood. Articles of
household goods were smashed and
ground into atoms, and bedding and
clothing whipped into rags and shreds.
A large number of people who were
yesterday the happy owners of comfort
able homes and surroundings are today
house,ess, destitute, pennyless, but re-
joicing TO have escaped with their lives.
The people along the river, who have
escaped, have generously thrown their
houses open to the sufferers, and every
thing will be done that can be done for
the unfortunate sufferers.
The people of Usage county have q
duty TO perform, and one that viii admit
of no delay. The people must be pro-
vided for. Temporary homes must be
provided for the destitute, and those
who have lost their homes must be as
sisted 10 rebuild them. Contributions of
all kinds will now be acceptable, money,
provisions, clothing. furniture, bed
clothing, etc. Almost every house can
do something in this direction and not
miss it The people of Usage county
must do this. We are abundantly able
and certainly ought To be abundantly
willing and ready 70 do everything in
| our power.