Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-25
THE PATH OF A CYCLONE.
THE DAMAGE ~ THREE STATES.
Lives ost and Considerable Destruehon st
Property in New York, Wisconsin, and his-
uesofn.

Lives ost and Considerable Destrueion or
Property I'm New York, Wisconsin, and f1in-
nsseta.
A terrible cyclone swept over portions
OF New York. Wisconsin, and Minnesota
Wednesday.
A Cortland IN. " telegram says: Du-
ring the afternoon performance OF the
Bmnum. Bailey & Hutchinson circus TO-
day q cyclone struck the main tent and de-
siroycd IL IN less than three minutes. AT
least eight hundred persons were in the au-
dience, which was thrown into the widest
confusion. The tents had been pitched in
the suburbs Of the town near the station OF
the Elmira, Cortland and Northern rail-
road. In a large field surrounded on
three sides by low hills. Toward the
west the country il ilai. and thunder
showers easily assume cyclone shape
on entering the inclosed space. All dav
long thousands OF people flocked In from
thesurrounding country. and when the per-
Torrance began there was no indication OF
any storm. About $3.50 there were indica-
tons OF moderate blow. Assistant Manager
Hyatt saw the danger, and gave orders to
prepare the tent for the emergency. The
four peaks were lowered and all the STAYS
were frightened. During tins time the !lst
act Of the circus proper, "the performing
elephants" was being performed. Mr..
Hyatt. fearing trouble from the elephants.
hastily brought their drill 10 close and
called for the hippodrome performance.
Just as the last elephant was leaving the
tent, ana the horses were about 10 enter,
the rain began 10 fall in torrents, and
suddenly terrific crash was heard,
and The audience rose in their seats.
a cyclone had struck the tent near the
dreSsinc-rOOIns. In q second the stays and
braces were torn from the ground andwere
0,ing in wild, confused mass above the
heads I the terrified audience. About
each OF the main poles were a dozen or
more OF the attaches trying 10 keep them in
position. These were hurled high in the
air like so many boys. The animals in the
menageric-tcnt howied iearfully, while the
panic-stricken crowd, blinded by the driy-
ing ram and wind, ran in all directions,
making terrific scene. To add to the
confusion the elephants began to trumpet
icariu.ly. and for a time 1t seemed a. IL
nothing could prevent them joining the aw-
ful stampede. The fying qulrter-poles
were whirled about like fags, and were
continually striking the ground in their
mad whirllgig. Hopeless confusion and
CONSERVATION reigned everywhere. The
two teams Of four horses each, which were
in readiness for the chariot.raco, became
unmaIageabc. and ran over dozens Of
people. The kitchen was also Ovcrthrown,
and the implements were sent flying with
the mass. The ensuing scene OF iainting
men and women, dying ropes aud stays.
and ridCrl ss hOrs :, all mixed IN one mex
tricabc confusion. was Undesirable. In
less than three minutes the tent was in
sbTcds, and no vcstigc. except the shattered
seats, remained.
The superior discipline Of the employees
wss evident. Every man was at his post
and did his utmost to stop the riot. MANY
OF them were thrown down, but strange to
say none were seriously injured. /; seems
miraculous that no one was killed. The
number oi those seriously wounded will
probably reach seycnty-hye. lnaSmuch as
the majority Of the audience was from the
surrounding towns, many we're taken di-
rcctlv 10 their home, in the wagons in
which they came. Mr.. Hutchinson and his
assistants procured immediate medical t.
tendance for ali the wounded they could
find. and gave orders that nothing should
be spared for their comfort. When the
news reached the town intense excitement
prevailed. The fire department was called
out and thousands rushed 10 the scene. In
afow minutes the rain ceased, but it took
several hours to clear the ground OF tue
wreck.
IT, the town there was no whirlwind a.
all. it being nothing more than an Ordi-
nary shower. No blame can he attached
to the management, the accident b.;ng due
entirely 10 the peculiar location OF the
tents. The damage i. estimated at $4,000.
but the exact amount cannot be knowp for
some days. II is fortunate that the Gle
phants were out OF the tent. for had they
Joined in The stampede the loss OF lie
would have beeu very great. As l. was,
only a few Of the larger ones were
chained, and these served to quiet !
the unruly Young ones. That il was
Il cyclone which struck the tent IL proved |
bv the fact that Of all the numcr-
Gus tents standing on the ground only the
performing and kitchen tents were de-
strOyed, the others remaining absolutely !
fast. 20 such accident has happened 10 |
Mr.. Barnum since 1871, when the main !
tent was burned down IN Chicago. Hav- |
ing duplicate tents. the management say |
they will keep their engagements as
rs II the accident had not oc-
CURED, and necessarily there was no per- |
for1nanCe this evening, an nearly all the |
company left for Bnghamton, where
they perform tomorrow.
As far as ohlanablc the following are |
the names Of the wounded: Del Farbel, !
severe scalp wound MOrson |
B. IIurlJurt. Cuylcr, head injured and /
chest crushed; Elijah Harvey. Scion, skull |
fractured; daughter OF the Rev. George |
Adams, Cortland. internal injuries: J. -. /
v "a l. -
man Olmstoad. Mclean, fractured skull;
LLOYD Richardson. Cortland, scalp wound;
Mosgcr Sherman, Cortland. slight internal
injuries; Cornelius Brown, Marathon,
three ribs broken and internal injuries;
Mrs. B. Conscr, McGrawyillc, internal in
iurics; Ed. Stilson. Cortland, back OF
head injured; Orrin Hicks, Cold Brook,
shoulder dislocatcd; j. French, killawog, |
internal injuries and skull fractured.
ANOTHER CIRCUS TENT down.
A RichGeld Spring. telegram says: The
greatest excitement prevailed to-day in the
middle Of the performance OF WaShburne
4 Iluntng's circus. Without word Of
warning the ceutre-polc lifted from its
socket and the butt shot under row
Di seats. The top then lifted like an urn.
brcla, lifting the pole and consequently
>tNeThl BedIS. dnu III hccOnu luc huOlc |
canvas lay flat "a a sheet Of paper on the
ground. The tent was filed with the
beauty and fashion Of Richfield Springs,
md hundreds Of children wee present,
nearly all Of whom were compelled
10 crawl from under the canvas on their
laLds and knees, only to meet n
erriGc hail.storm followed by blind
ng flashes Of lightning and claps
1f thunder. The ladies and children took
refuge in barns and sheds until help ar
rived. The lain came down in torrents
md the wind blew a hurricane. Eight
persons were injured, but none seriously.
Il was subsequently ascertained that the
lightning bad struck Halls cottage, near
he spring-house and had torn several shin
yles from the rsof. thence glancing down 10
he door-kuob, melting the end Of the wire,
md actually ringing the bell. IL then
ore the casing nearly of, and, glanelns,
truck tree, which will Of course die.
Annie Hazen, nurse to DR.. and Mrs.
ichley's children, Of New York, was pros
rated by the shock, and remained uncon-
cious two hours. Bates's barn, three
niles away. was entirely demolished, and
It another, two miles from here, the whole
md was blown out and the building turned
lali round. julius Walker, three miles
renee, was about TO enter his barn with a
Dad OF hay when the hurricane struck IL.