The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-04-23
DEATH IN IT'S WAKE.
Terrible Effects of the Kansas
WaterSpout.
WHOLE FAMILIES DROWNED.
The Parties Responsible for the Tene-
ment House Fatality to be.
Punished-A Warning.
Horrible Effects of a waterspout.

WICHITA, KS, April PA special to
the Daily Eagle, dated yesterday, at
Medicine Dodge, recounts the fearful
results of the waterspout, or cloud burst,
to the residents on Medicine River,
which seems to have been the same
that filled Minnesota to Overlooking
The special says that the water
rolled down over the low lands east Of
Medicine Lodge City, five to twelve feet
perpendlcularly, carrying death in its
wake. Several whole families are known
to be drowned. Yesterday morning,
parties who had gone out to give re-
llel, found men. women and children
clinging to trees, With nothing but
their night clothes to protect
them, and some without any
clotllng whatever, but still alive. Their
cries could be heard as early as O'Clock
in the morning above the roaring
waters. Three attempts were made to
rescue parties beyond the river, but
each boat in turn was swamped and the
occupants only saved themselves by
swimming to the trees Five bodies
had been recovered up to the hour of
writing of the dispatch, which was sent
over to the first railroad point
by mail. Another body was
in sight, but could not
be reached. There were eight movers
wagons camping in the bottoms. and
one old man has recognized the bodies
of three of his family, his wife and
two children. James Gibbs and his
daughter and niece were washed away
with their home A Mrs. Harris
and her little girl of IL years
of age were found drowned,
G. W. Paddock and family, consisting
OF wife and four children, are thought
to be all drowned. Frank Shippeler put
his wife and child on the roof and his
house went down. His was knocked
off by projecting limb and swan
ashore several miles below, but of the
fate of his wife ana child nothing was
known.
KANSAS CITY, April 22.-The Times
Medicine Lodge, Ks, special gives the
following additional particulars of the
disastrous flood there The town is
situated between Medicine river and
Elm creek. Early on Monday morning
|, the food came down the streams, quick
ly overlooking their bottom lands
to depth of about ten feet. In the
Elm Creek bottoms, east of town, a
and many occupants were drowned or
saved only by clinging to the branches
OF trees. In camps in the bottoms were
ten or fifteen emigrant families and not
half of these persons have yet been
found. North of here entire families were
drowned. Others made miraculous
escapes. All yesterday and last night
the streams were so high that no COM
munication could be had with the east
and to-day the first dispatches were
sent. The stores in town were closed
yesterday and every citizen
was engaged in the work
of rescuing the citizens in
boats and RATS from their perilous po-
sitions in the trees and housetops. This
work was extremely hazardous, and by
nightfall there were still some
befated prisoners. A relief party
was out all night, picking up
these unfortunates. The people in the
Medicine river bottoms had earlier
warning and all escaped with their
lives. Hundreds of cattle were drowned
and great fields of crops were ruined.
Hundreds of dead animals also line the
banks of Elm creek. The rise started
at dark on Monday night and the rain
poured steadily for six hours,
which was followed by a great cloud
burst north of town. Among
those known to be lost are the follow
ing: G. w. Paddock, wife and four
children, 1.-THE bodies of the wife and
three children have been recovered)
Jerry Gibbs and daughter, the bodies of
the latter two were recovered; wife and
four children of Samuel Maddox, the
bodies Of the woman and two children
were recovered. The four wagons con-
tanning mowers" have not been
found.