The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-04-28
ADEsrRUCTIvE sTORM.

A DESTRUCTIVE STORM.
ATown Demolished In IN 1nstant-Eighs
Persons Killed and Fifty Others Injured.
BRowNsvILLB. Mo-, April l9.
About four O'Clock yesterday afternoon
slight wind commenced blowing and show
er of rain fell. Almost immediately the At
mosphere grew very heavy and Deep
murky darkness seemed to envelop every
thing. Two large blush colored. angry
looking clouds were seen rising. one In the
south and the other In the southwest. The
clouds we're apparently several miles DIS
tant and seemed to be driving toward each
other at q fearful rate of speed. Whom
about two miles from town the two
monsters came together with loud noise,
and then approached with lightning velocity.
immediately after the clouds joined each
other, q loud roaring, similar to the distant
rumble of q locomotive, was heard, and when
the storm struck the town tho roar was al
most deafening, accompanied at intervals by
loud reports similar to the discharge OF q
cannon. Before the'clouds united it was no.
ticed that both seemed to be Keeling In . very
peculiar manner, but as soon - they came
together they assumed the shape of large in
verted funnel, the mouth hanging close
to the ground and the stem running
high into the air. The center of the fun
mel was dark blue in color, while around the
edges it was a murky, yenowish cast, the
whole occasionally lighted up with brilliant
flashes of lightning. which rendered the spec
tacle only the more frightful. Tho storm
clouds seemed to travel in q zigzag motion,
at the rate of at least q hundred miles an
hour, as scarcely i've minutes elapsed from
the time the first cloud was seen until the
place was in ruins. On account of the threat
ening appearance of tho weather during
the early part of the afternoon but few peo-
pie were on the streets, and scarcely half a
dozen persons saw the clouds or had
any intimation Of tho approach of the
storm until # was upon them. Those
who did see its approach were 50 thoroughly
frightened by its terrible appearance that
they were rooted to the spot on which they
stood, and not more than two made any effort
to seek place of safety. The first place the
cyclone struck was the two story brick build
ing on the corner of Main and Spring streets.
occupied by Myers & Duensing, dry goods:
Thos. Andrews. clothing; A. Helsea, grocer
les, and A. s. Reinbert, hardware, all of which
were lifted from their foundations and hurled
into the middle of the street. Seyz1sl persons
in each store were buried IN the debris. and
three persons killed outright.
From this point it continued northeast, de-
molishing number of dwellings on the way to
the brick block on Lexington avenue, known
as Newtown here. The work of destruction
was most terrible, both to life and property.
Seven two story brick buildings were totally
destroyed. and three others badly damaged.
The Brownsville Hotel, a large 2-story frame,
was completely carried away and the timbers
scattered for hundreds of yards arOrnd. Five
persons are known to have been killed in this
block, and at least twenty-five others more
or less injured. The Star mill, half block
northeast, was half destroyed. Persinger &
Beatty and Russelrslivery stables were leveled
to the earth /; stock uninjured. The brick public
school building was cut down to the top OF
the first windows. School had been dismissed
about fifteen minutes prior to the storm. The
Christian Church was also entirely demol-
ished. About twenty frame and several brick
dwellings were destroyed. The force of the
wind was SO great that the heavy brick build
fngs were lifted clear OF the foundations and
frame buildings were picked up bodily auG
crushed and twisted into spIinters. Sections
OF sidewalk were carried through the air over
one hundred yards. Carpets and furniture in
dwellings, were carried entirely out of town
and lodged in the tree-tops and timbers from
the lumber yards scattered all over the coun-
try; several pieces have been picked up over
one mile distant. horse was picked up and
carried about fifty feet and hurled to death
against brick building, and fence rail was
driven entirely through the body of q COW.
Following is correct list of the killed, so
far as known: Matt Williams, George Payne
and A. L. Scruggs, farmers; W. E. c. White.
City Marshal; James Miller, clerk; Claus
Meyers, dry goods merchant; Dick Ferguson,
clerk; E. j. Arthur, travelling man from Pitts
burgh, Pa. Seriously wounded: Jesse Jack
sonby, spine injured. Perry Wilson, shoulder
fractured. G. II. Kelly, both legs broken;
terribly bruised; condition critical. S. Chap
line, right eye terribly hurt and head and
body bruised. John Lamkin, seriouscut on the
head. four-year-old child badly bruised.
j. L. Wilson, blown against building and
severely cut and bruised. Mr.. and Mrs. j. c..
Mailer, Mrs. JEFF Eccles. James Matthews SER
tous bruises. w. H. Steers, face and head ter
ribly cut. W. G. Parsons, injured internally
will die: At least fifty Others are slightly in
{ured: The home physicians have been re-
heved by others from Sedalia and other ad-
tacent towns. and the wounded have now
been nearly all attended to. A large number
Of people are rendered homeless but the
Brownsville people hope to be able to care
for them for the present, at least, without as
sistance. Parties who have lost most heav-
lily declare their intention of rebuilding right
away. The total damage to property can
scarcely be calculated, but will not be less
than $4,000
A singular phenomenon of the storm was
that everything in its path was charred and
and covered with blue, sulphuric
smelling mud.
The brick dwelling of Jeff Eccles was lifted
from its foundation. The family including
the baby in . cradle in the front room, were
all covered by debris and more or less injur-
ed. except the baby. which had not received
q single scratch and was not even awakened
The Pacific Railroad ran a large excursion
train from Sedalia, donating the gross pro-
ceedS to the sufferers.
After leaving here the storm cloud raised
some distance in the air and began the dc.
of fences.
Work Of the Wind Elsewhere.
At Montrose, Henry County, the Christian
and Baptist churches were completely de-
Coman's butcher-shop was
wrecked the roof of j. 81. Vicker's new house
was swept away, and many other structures