Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1885-05-21
FLOODS AND CYCLONES.
Many Lives Lost In Southern Kansas
and lncalculable Damage Done to
Farms and Farmers.
Furious Wind and Hail Storms Visit Stockton,
kitwln, Bennington and Other West
ern Points


bcauly rlOOus III SOutnern hunSaS.
Special TO he Hdnsds city Times.
:, INDEPENDENCE, KAN, May l7.-Many more
lives have been added by terrible storm In
This section 10 the already long list OF victims
oil The Hoods In Kansas this spring.
The story OF the latest casualty is but mca-
ger one at present, because OF the fact that the
Hoods are still so great in this vicinity that
communication with the surrounding country
Is almost impossible. For this reason II IS
feared that when full reports can be received
concerning the effects OF the storm the losses
Will be much greater than at present reported.
RAINS WORSE THAN EVER KNOWN.
All night Thursday and ali day Friday the
ram poured down in torrents through southern
hansas. The storm was in all respects the
most terrible ever known in this section, and
Tue amount of rainfall was far greater than
ever recorded.
In all sections creeks rose with the greatest
ralidily. The farms seemed turned into veri-
table lakes and small gullCs became rushing
streams. These poured into the creeks, and
these In turn hurled their torrents into the Elk
ard Nerdigris rivers, until they had far ex-
ceeded their natural limits and had spread over
miles oi fertile country.
sIN LIVES LOST on CARD CREEK
Gard Creek, seven miles west OF this city,
flows in gOOdy portion of its course through
comparatively level land. On or near IT'S
banks were situated several houses. In these,
thc people, so It Is said, thoughnO reliable in
formation can yet be obtained, owing to the
terrible condition Of the roads, had retired
Friday night without fear that the creek, which
was much swollen, would overflow It's banks.
In the middle OF the night, as far as can be
determined, a great wall OF water came rush
ing down the creek and in au instant the
houses were swept away aud dashed TO pieces.
SX persons who were In the structures are
known to have pcrishcd in the flood Their
names have not yet been learned.
FOUR MORE POSSIBLE DEATHS.
Mr.. Ria, Mrs. Ward and her two children at
tempted to escape from the Hoods on Friday
afternoon. In crossing a creek at ford,
which in ordinary days was shallow, but which
the storms had turned into mighty torrent,
their wagon was overturned and all four were
prccipitated into the foaming flood and were
drowned. Such at least Is the story brought
here to-day, though nothing positive can be
learned. II is also Just possible that the four
persons named were part Of the six who lost
their lives in the food on Card creek No
positive news can BE- received here for two or
three days more.
INCALCULAm DAMAGE TO FARMS.
The damage to the farms and the losses OF
the farmers will he incalculabc 1t is said
that thousands Of horses, cows and hogs wcrO
lost In the southern part Of this state AMI that
scores OF fine farms were completely ruined.
All ielcgraphic communication with the
west lihC Of the southern Kansas raiir,ad was
cut of AMI the lines still remain down so that
the full extent OF the disaster cannot be learn
ed. The railroad was badly washed in many
places. Nearly every bridge along lis line was
destroyed. County and township bridges also
suffered greatly.
1t II. utterly impossible to Give any csl'ma-
tion ot the damage DONE aud Il /, not likely
that any positive figures as 10 the extent Of
The calamity can lie given before several days.
statement that the storm was the worst ever
known in this section.