Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-05-25
THE DEADLY CYCLONE
wyandosre County, Kensss, and Kan
sas CITY, me-, Receive q Sund,v
Visit from the Monster. -

VIZ nooUe county, Aansass nnd Kan
So CITY. NE. Reesiye : sasd.y
vfnaf frOm the Monster.
Sunday the 13th about four o,elock
the people of Kansas City and wyandotte-
watched with almost breathless ANXIETY
the gathering of angry clouds in the west.
and as the thunder muttered its deem nm.
blings and the clouds thickened in dark.
ness, it became evident to the thousands Of
anxious watchers that storm Of more than
ordinary violence was rushing eastward
possibly bringing death and devastation n,
its course. About half-past five the dread
full funnel-shaped cloud was seen to form
southwest Of the City of Wyandotte and
bound along in a northeasterlv d.
rection. This struck the residence Of Mr..
David Reed, who lives two miles west of
Wyandotte, had his house completely de-
molished. His wife, Mrs Maria Reed was
instantly killed. The family were all in
the front room, and seeing the storm an.
preaching set about closing the doors and
windows. Mrs Reed stepped outside 70
close the door of the hennery. While stoon.
ing to fasten the door the roof of the dwell.
ing house was blown off and struck her
upon the back of the neck, breaking il. Mr..
Reed was closing window when the walls
OF the house were blown in, and he was
fearfuIly cut about the head and neck.
Annie Reed, the ten-year old daughter,
seized the baby and ran down into the eel.
lar. She was caught by falling joist and
pinned to the floor badly hurt. The baby
dropped to the floor and escaped uninjured.
Tho two-story frame residence of Mr..
Clarence Smith was blown down. Mrs.
smith rpCaix-o6 I'M, ~
body. At ii. l.. Kerr's the roof was blown
of the house, but the walls remained stand.
ing. Mr.. Kerr had the finest orchard in
Wyandotte County of which scarcely tree
was left standing. The Stewart Precinct
school house, one-story brick structure,
was literally blown in pieces, scarcely one
brick being left upon another. Mr.. Stew
arts elegant conservatory and hot beds
were destroyed. The roof of Theodore
Holly's brick residence was blown Off and
thrown into The public road,
distance of 200 feet. His barn was
blown down and orchard uprooted.
The residence of John Schmidt, German
farmer was turned over. All the family,
consisting of ten persons, were in the house
ut the time, and escaped by crawling
through the windows after it had been
overturned. Other houses in the track of
the storm were more or less injured. At
this point the storm seemed to take the
form of q water-spout, and whirled in a
circle of about 800 feet in diameter. An
eyewitness AYERS that he saw a forest tree
torn up by the roots and carried high in
the air, being whirled around the circle of
the cyclone like feather, and finally de-
posted over 100 feet from where it was up.
rooted. All through the timber
trees were stripped of the bark and
twisted in every conceivable man.
ner. The cyclone finally crossed the
Missouri River into Clay County, Mo. The
damage to property in Wyandotte County
is estimated at over S200,0OO
Soon after this another funnel-shaped
cloud formed in South WyandOtte, crossed
the Kansas River and struck Kansas City,
Mo. The approach of this was the signal
for flight to cellars by the people of the
southern portion of the city. The cyclone
crossed the bottoms unroofing the Stock
Exchange building and commenced its dc
struction on the bluffs by demoljsh
mg the uncompleted residence of Mr.. ]. G.
Horton. 1t then swept along through the
Fourth ward, the houses of Rev. A. d. Ma
deira, A. l.. Glenn, Upton Ely, d. S. IT
win, f. ]. Frey and Keefer's grocery store,
being demolished and ruined. Thence east
ward until Main street aud Fourteenth was
reached did the whirling cyclone continue
its zig-zag path, blowing down small
houses, unroofing larger ones, uprooting
trees, turning over sidewalks and blow.
ing fences and buildings about like straws.
Continuing its course through the CITY tho
houses of Mr.. John Hengle, Dr. Crow and
others were destroyed. The new German
Evangelical Church, but recently compIet-
ed at a cost of $4,000, was totally ruined,
as were all houses on Fourteenth street
facing the park from Oak to Locust, The
cyclone jumped from block to block, dc.
stroying buildings in its course. Buildings
were destroyed on the north side Of
Thirteenth street from Cherry to
Holmes. The damage on Twelfth street
east was equally great. The destroyer
finally passed out of the city i'm north.
easterly direction. The number of
houses destroyed and injured was
estimated ut over two hundred. The
killed in Kansas City were Willie Siebin,
boy twelve years of age, who
was at the circus grounds, by the
oFeHurning of circus wagon, and
Joseph Burns. The injured were James
Drummond, probably fatally; II. lie
brecht, seriously; Mrs. Thomas ]. Dye,
dangerously; child of Mrs. Jackson, ia
tally; Arthur Whitney, boy, seriously;
and Mrs. Trainor, Mrs. Lorie, Mrs. Gym.
tina Davis and Frank Jenkins. The damage
to property in Kansas City was estimated
at not less than $4,000.