The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-04-13
THE WRECK OF WINDS.


The Track OF the Tornado in Davis
County.
JUNCTION CITY, Kas, April 10.-Ali
day Sunday the roads were lined with
people going to Fort Riley TO view the
wreck made by Friday nights storm.
The freaks of the wind, without ocular
proof, are simply beyond belief. That
there was no loss fife, when the con-
dition of things are looked at, is nothing
less than miraculous. The wind pur-
sued a spiral course, destroying one
building in its course and skipping the
next, throwing fence in one direction,
and the fence on the reverse side of the
same enclosure in the opposite direction.
The commissary and quartermastcr
store houses were unroofed, and por-
ton of the side of one OF them was
ripped off as though it had been sawed
IN two. The stores in these buildings
were thus exposed, and are now covered
with canvas. Their damage has not
yet been estimated. The roof of the
guard house is partially gone. The roof
of several of the soldiers quarters are in
some instances wholly gone. Others are
partially so. OF the officers quar-
tiers, the greatest wreck is the one occu-
pied by Major Devices and DR.. Tllton.
How these gentlemen and their wives
escaped death is the most astonishing
story of a storm we ever heard. Where
their beds were are several stones
weighing from fifty TO one hundred
pounds each, and the roofs fell in, the
ends near their beds lodging while the
opposite ends fell to the floor. They es-
capped without a scratch. The kitchen
portion of the quarters, occupied by
Lieut.. Dimmick's family, was destroyed.
The wreck shows fearful mixture of
stones and broken cooking ware. In
one of the soldiers quarters great rocks
fell among the berths occupied by the
men, and only three soltiiers were hurt
so as TO be sent to the hospital. But the
greatest curiosity is the stable, which
suffered the greatest damage. There
were probably seyenty-five horses in
their Stalls. On the side mostly DAM
aged they broke their halters and
moved back as the fall came, the stalls
being filled to the depth of five or six
feet with rocks, rafters and other de-
bris. Only four horses were caught by
the falling wreck and but one of them
was injured so that ii had to be shot
On one of the soldiers quarters the up
per halt of the side of the roof is taken
off the entire length of the building, al
most as true as though it had been saw
ed to line, while the lower half of the
same side and the ROOF on the opposite
side is not harmed a single shingie-
Sections of the roof were carried several
hundred yards and great stones from the
walls are scattered all about. a portion
of the command is now in tents.
The destruction IS SO great as 10 cause
interest in the action of the
government as to the reconstruction in
good shape of the post, or IFS abandon
ment. 1t is said TO be the cheapest cav
airy winter quarters to be had. A sur
vey, consisting of DR.. Tilton, Major De- |
wees and Lieut. Burnett, are engaged IN |
and estimating the loss. No |
lives were lost in Davis county, and the |
destruction among the farmers was con-
fined TO outhouses and fences, the loss |
being unimportant. The track of the |
storm. q half mile or so south of juno |
ion City, is as distinct as the furrow of
, pillow. !