The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1881-06-16
I'm CYCLONE AT MULvAm.



NULyANE, June le, 1881.
To tie Editor Of tAe Eagle:
About four o'clo.k this p. IN. destructive
cylonc crossed the river west of Mulyane
travelling in : northeast direction just north
Of the town until reached point about one
and 4 fourth miles north when it bore direct
" east. Mr. Dakin's house was struck BY
the cylone and raised 80 or 40 feet from
the ground sad flung to atoms. Mrs. Dakir
and her little daughter were in the house a
the time. The little girl ran across the roat
to the Louse Of George Woodcock, her uncle
Mrs. Dakin was found in the yard some fifty
feet from where the building mad stood lying
ON her back apparently dead. Drs. shelly
Harris and Jones Of Mulyane were soon sum
moned and at this time ten o'clock p. IN. Mr.
Dakin has only partially recovered conscious
ness, and fears are entertained that she MAJ
not recover. The doctors report that Mrs.
Dakin has no bones broken but badly bruis
ed. Mrs. Dakin is most estimable woman
and the entire community will s!mpathist
with her aud Mr.. Dakin in theil
frame house one and a half story, and vel
furnished. The house and contents are .
total loss; even the carpets are strircJ from
the floors and gone Of the entire furniture,
beds aud clothing scarcely remenant has
been found. Ed Osborne lives outside the
town limits one OF his mules was picked up
and swung around, in the air; a part OF the
running &. ar Of his wagon are in Still Wood
cocks corn field over q half mile north.
It is mos. remarkable how the houses Of SO
many were missed. have not learned what
damage was done west Of the river. a man
just in from the east reports the cyclone
tearing away into Butler county but does
not know of any houses being struck.
The appearance Of this storm was remark
able and almost beyond description. The
day had been a most remarkably hot one, the
sky clear until about half past four O'Clock
p. m. when few large silver looking clouds
formed in the west, fully ioity five degrees
above the horrison. Ia q few moments they
turned brown in their centers, still with sill
very edges and began TO move east and one
half mile north Of MuIyanc. The clouds be-
came black and big drops of rain began to
rattle on the house and bump came big
sprangled lump Of ice onto the house aul
rolled of into the yard about the size OF
hens egg, crash came another down through
the limbs of tree in the yard, rip came two
or three out in the corn field. went to the
door aud the clouds seemed to be passing Of
to the east. l stepped out into the yard the
air was still, l looked over the house to the
west and there seemed TO be big
cloud running around like lightning.
Going around to the west side l
saw half mile north of Mulyane
something like great black cable rope
about two feet in diameter extenending
from the ground straight up to the
along about as fast as a person would
walk. Mr.. Dakin's house being on the
west side Of the divide between Dog creek
and the river. l could not see the hcasc but
when the great cable rope had moved along
until it had got near his house as supposed
hold Of the great rope and gave it a shake it
coiled and vibrated the coils running from
the cloud to the ground, and then the rope
pulled apart leaving each end sharp. The
lower half sunk to the ground and the upper
haf drew up into the cloud until the sharp
point only was visible, then it droped from
the cloud to the ground with the velocity of
lightning. The rubbish, stalks, boards,
leaves and thousand other seemed TO be
flying from the great rope. When it crossed
the rayine east of Mr.. Dakin's the rope vi
brated and the lower end dropped Of. The
upper part now bobed up and down like a
rubber string with weight attached.
When it got to the top OF the divide the rope
dropped to the ground again and grass, weeds
leaves and cornslucks and stalks began to
fly Off On il came toward Dog creek and as
it came down the hill about 30 feet of the
over end ofthe rope DROPPED the sharp point
hanging straight down but making no effort
% reach the ground. The grass and wheat
md corn under il was in great commOtion
md after it passed east of Joe Douglas house
he west side raised from the foundation suf-
icient to let Joe view the country FROM the
cellar and then dropped back, and the head
IF bed jumped from the wagon over into the |
log pen. 1t had nov reached point so rods |
North of where stoodwhen the rope received
jerk from the cloud and coil ran down |
hat sent sharp point some ~ rods to the |
forth and then another which sent it south |
he sharp point coming toward where was |
ianding. At this point turned my back |
III the performance and can not say how far |
hat vibration brought it south. When / !
oOked around it seemed to have gone over |
he east bank of Dog creek and the great |
loud was contracting and whirling around |
n perfect circle ten feet in diameter. The |
over part of the ring broke one side swing |
u. to the north the other south and dropped |
0 the ground, making perfect triangle |
bout eighty rods wide at the ground and |
oming to point in the cloud and moved OF |
asst. The clouds that seemed to boil down |
ut of a clear sky in the south and west and i
ush rapidly TO the cyclone center, now SEEM
d like great boiling molten mass, bulging,
orming in it'll: eddies and little tunnels
trying to drop down. Then the
'ind raised and drove OF the oppressive
cat, the clouds became calm and two ends
{ a rainbow appeared in the east.
June 13, 10 O'Clock a. m.-Mrs. Dakin re-
lains half unconscious.
FARMER DonI little