Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-04-27
CYCLONE.
1t Strikes Sun City, and Three
Persons Killed, and Others
More or Less Injured.
Houses Biown ,Oown and De-
StTuction foilows in
its Wake.

~ S6hOs
sun City. thriving village twenty
five miles west OF this place, was visited
Friday night by cyclone that almost
destroyed the town. 1t blew down or
damaged the main business houses in
the town, consisting Of two general sup
ply stores, one hotel, livery stable, black
smith shops, etc. Our informant says
the storm struck the town from the
southeast about half past eleven, Friday
night. There was fierce gust of wind,
n momentary calm, sudden crush, and
the work was done. Houses were blown
down or unroofed, timbers and bricks
filled the air, men, women and children
alike uttered an almost death-like CRY
as they were either picked bodily up
and blown blocks away, or their houses
unroOfed, the contents snatched as if
by unseen human hands, while the rain
fell in torrents. The sky seemed a mass
Of flame the wind blew a strong gale,
which rendered locomOtion almost i'm
possible. NeighbOring houses which
could be seen by the lightning flashes
were reached, and the hospitality Of the
inmates knew no bounds under these
circumstances.
The coming OF daylight was awaited
with anxiety akin to fear, lest il reveal
the mangled corpseS of neighbors and
kinSmen. At last IL came, and, to the
surprise and JOY of all, the inhabitants
OF the little town were safe. But the
destruction of property was to be seen
everywhere.
The store house Of F. ]. Saunders, q
frame building 25x75 feet, is almost a
total wreck. The roof is gone, walls
either down or i'm tumbling condition,
merchandise drenched and scattered
over the country for u quarter of mile
In the course Of the storm. The store
house Of c. II. Douglass, a frame building,
was unroofed, and goods damaged and
scattered over the country. Saunders
hotel and the livery stable were unroof-
cd. The residence of Jennie Fishburn,
log house, in which was kept a milli-
merry stock was blown down and the con-
tents almost entirely blown away OF de-
stroyed. The residence of Mrs. Hook
ster was unrOOfed. Three unoccupied
houses were entirely demolished.
the town that the residence of a Mr..
Wilson was blown down and the family
more or less injured; also the residence
of Benjamin Allen, and part of the
family were missing.
n committee of willing ones started
at once for the scene. As il proceeded
up Turkey creek the force of the storm
had been demonstrated wherever il met
an object that offered resistance. The
residence of Mr.. Wilson bore but little
resemblance Of a human habitation.
The roof was gone, both ends, windows,
doors, and household effects all gone.
The family are more or less injured and
their escape is a miracle.
Half mile further on was the SPOT
where Aliens house had stood. Moth
ing remained except the basement. A
search in the timber some fifty yards
distant revealed the fearfully mutilated
and lifeless body Of Mrs. Shumate, near
~ all Of the head having been beaten off
by the timber. A little further on was
Allen, whose disfigured face and broken
legs and arms told the story of his
death. In the bed Of Turkey creek
young David Shumate was found. His
body indicated that life had been ex-
tinct before he reached the creek. Ger
tainly death in each case was instanta-
neouS and without warning. Mrs. Al
len was found at Daniel Pierce's, near
by, badly hurt; her daughter, four or
five years old, is badly injured, but will
recover; a son, aged fourteen years, il
injured internally, and his recovery is
doubtful.
The bodies were removed to Sun City
school house and by loving hands ten
DERBY prepared for the grave. Sunday
morning the bodies were taken to Mr..
Pierce's, where a large concourse of
people had gathered, and Mrs. Allen
looked for the last time at the mutilat-
ed remains of mother, husband and
brother. After an impressive discourse
by Rev. j. M. Adams, the bodies were
inferred in the cemetery near Sun City.
Mrs. Shumate was about So years old:
David Shumate "a, and Benjamin Allen
30.
The trail of the storm was about one
hundred yards wide, and along the
streams the timber, as was the case
with houses and fences, succumbed to
the force of the storm. A branch of
the storm went up Mulberry creek, and
demolished the house of Isaac Bailey
and severely injured his aged mother.
Arrangements are being made to at
once rebuild the houses DESTROYED at
Sun City, which indicates that the loss
Of property does not in the least dis
courage the business men Of the little
city.
LATER.
Sun CITY, April Is, 1888.
The injured are all better and in a
fair way to recovery. No trace of the