Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-06-18
A DEADLY CYCLONE!
SEVERAL PERSONS KILLED AND Houses
DESTROYED.

circle about and take on changing posi-
tons rapidly. At half past four small
sharp point was seen to drop down
slowly three miles northwest OF here
till ii struck the ground, and the col
umn continued sinking till at the base,
in contact with the earth, it measured
something like forty rods across and
widening gradually In most magnlfi-
cent inverted come into the heavens,
then started slowly, moving to the north
and east, and was watched with irtense
interest from this point till it passed
out of sight. AT six o'clock the wind
began TO change here in most fitful
manner, blowing gale from every
point of the compass within the space
of ten minutes. Then great chunks OF
ice began 10 fall with force that was
more fearful than can be described,
crashing through windows, cutting the
leaves and small branches from the
trees, and pounding the crops into the
ground. No one who witnessed it ever
saw or heard anything that equalled it.
Stones fell from one TO three inches
through. This storm did not extend,
as your reporter found, more than three
miles west OF Solomon City. After the
storm, took the train and went to Sa-
lima. AS we were leaving town report
came in that Mr.. James Rairden and
his two sons, living north and west
from here, were killed in the cyclone.
When we got TO Salina man came IN
with word that 0. +. rockingham, his
wife and farm hand wele also killed.
| will take horse and start from here
at four i'll the morning and 60 over the
path of the cyclone and to send in full
report as soon as | return. Every one
here is wild with excitement, many
having friends in the country from whom
they have not heard as yet The storm
of ice at Solomon City lasted about
quarter Of an hour. 1t will not extend
ouer strip Of country from the north
west TO southeast at the widest point
more than four miles wide, of which
Solomon City is the center. How far
in length have no means of finding
out but where it did fall goodbye to
everything in the way of crops--the
beautiful fields of gram almost ready
for the harvest, are wiped out. The cy
clone, as saw it, three miles off, ex
tending as it did from earth to heaven,
Gully Iorty rods in diameter at the base)
was most grand and imposing; at the
same time, as we thought of the work
it was doing, the most fearful sight l
ever saw or expect to see. ltremble as
| think of what | will find in its path
before tomorrow night i. &. Z.
LArER.-W. i. Frathingham his wife
and Geo. g. Combs killed in the cyclone
near Sallna. Rarden and sons not kill
cd ID. Morgan aud sister, northwest
of Solomon City, killed. Two dead
found on the Solomon branch of the u.
F., not known. Six houses demolished
in the south part of Ottowa county.
From Maj. O. G. Rounds, who saw
the cyclone from the train near Salina,
and who came in to day, we learn that
the hail beat the growing crops into the
ground along the line from Salina to
this side of Abilene, and that the devas'
tation IS terrible. One gentleman told
him that his loss in wheat and corn
alone would be 81 1900. Maj. Rounds
saw one hail stone which measured ten
and half inches in circumference.
Disastrous CYCLONE IN TIE VEST
ABILENE, KANSAS, June l0.--A storm,
accompanied by rain and hail, struck
the Solomon valley last evening, at
o'clock. AT Beloit great deal Of glass
was broken out of the windows, but the
fury of the cyclone was greatest at Sol
onion City, where nearly all the glass
was broken from the north windows
and a number of houses destroyed, but
no lives were lost -Four miles north
west, Dennis Morgan and his sister
were instantly killed and their houses
totally destroyed.
AT Bennington, on the Valley road,
y miles northwest of Solomon City,
farmer named rockingham, his wife
and hired hand were killed and the
house completely demolished. In the
same vicinity three stone farm houses
were blown down, but the inmates
were in the cellars and escaped with
out serious injuries. n large number
of houses and barns along the valley
between Solomon City and Alinneapo-
lis, dis lance of 20 miles or more,
were blown down, but further loss OF
life has not been reported. lIailstones
came down very thickly, and some OF
them were larger than walEuts, and
contained in the centre small pebbles.
The cyclone did not extend so tar
east as Abilene, but rain and hail came
down for about 20 minutes at Il lively
rate, and the damage to window glass
is considerable. The cyclone proper
was funnel shaped, with the small end
downward, and at times, as it moved
onward, the heavy top would careen
over toward the East and large jets
would shoot cut in various directions.
The display lasted about 20 minutes,
and the duration OF the storm was about
soc hour The damage to houses and
crops is heavy.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo-, June IA terrible
storm prevailed in Northwestern Oissou-
ri Sunday. Theiirst cyclone was from
King City and vicinity, starting near Sa-
vannah in Andrew county. Houses were
blown down and many lives lost in An
drew county. At Flag Springs and King
City fifty men, women and children were
killed. Another cyclone, a quarter of 4
mile in width, started in Hopking, in
Nodaway county. The debris OF BALD !
ingS is scattered over acres of ground.
In Western Iowa great damage was done