Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-08-08
A TERRIBLE STORM
Causes Great Destruction In Several Places
In the East.

In the East.
One of the heaviest rain falls ever known
in that section descended at Chicago . few
days ago. The total rainfall in twelve hours
was five and fifty-eight one-hundredth
inches, an inch more than the actual rain
fall during the month of August in the laat
three years, and the greatest fall within the
time specified on record. The fall was
so great and rapid that the sewers were IN
able to carry off the volume of water. Tho
damage to Easements was heavy. The base
ments and cellars more than ten feet in
depth soon contained two or three feet Of
water. Numberless families were forced to
leave their Easements, in which they re-
sided, and seek temporary lodging in the
apartments above the level of the street. OF
the residence streets Huron was most con-
spicuous in this respect; tenants of many
base ments of dwellings being compelled to
leave their homes. The easements and CO.
lars throughout the portion OF the south
side where wholesale houses are. situated
were filed with water TO the depth of sew
eral feet. The loss throughout that district
was very heavy though no estimate could Be
made.
ALONG'THE DELAWARE RIVER.
At the same time the above storm deyas-
tated Chicago, one of similar nature caused
great destruction along the Delaware river.
II visited the vicinity Of Smyrna, Delaware.
totally destroying property for miles in its
path of 800 feet wide. Stock was killed,
orchards, cornfelds. ETC., were destroyed.
No lives are known to have been loet. ..
1t struck Philadelphia near Greenwich
Point, demolishing portion of the works
of the Pennsylvania Salt Man featuring
company and injuring several employees
It then took q course across the Delaware
river, wrecking the river steamer, Msjor
Rev bold, and the ferry boat, Peerless, and
the storm blew the pilot, of the
Emory Townsend. and the captain
oold, of the steame. Reybold, into the Iivsr,
drowning the former and painfully ipjur-
clean almost to the waters edge. When the
Major Reybold left her dock for Salem she
had on board about fifty passer gers. Al
though, as no tickets had been sold,
it is impossible to ascertain the exact num-
Der there were aboard excepting the four
teen Off GERS and dec K hands. Ofthis NUM-
Der of people upon the wrecked boat, it does
not appear that any lives were lost. except
that of the pilot. A steam tug coming up
the river after the disaster, reports that the
body of q woman was seen floating in the
river, near the spot where the cyclone
struck the stes mboat, 1T she sank out Of
sight and could not be found, when the tug
was max ing search for her. B. ]. Warner
one of the passengers, describes the scene:
He was standing on the upper deck and saw
the black cloud approachir 6, but as it moved
rather slowly he supposed it was Q min
storm; when it struck the boat he discovered
that its immen force cane from its rotary
motion. He and several others we're thrown
through hole to the lower deck and all
the upper works were swept away like
chat. and the confusion among the passen-
gers was indescribsble. Several of them
j 1mped into the river, but Mr.. Warner be-
lieves ali of them were rescued. Whilsthe
cyclone was upon the vessel everything was
a. black as the blacklist night. Sofas were
broken into splinters and carpets torn to
shreds in the cabin, as if they had been pa
per. The cyclone, he thinks, lasted about
a minute. and after it passed the vessel
rolled and pitched frightful]y in the great
waves and came near swapping. The
storm then passed over to the jersey
side, striking q ship yard and destroy
ing buildings of the establishment. It then
took q course along the New Jersey river
front, demolishing all the buildings in its
path up to Bridge avenue, Camden. At
this point the cyclone took an easteriy di-
rection to Fifth street, Camden. embracing
in the path all that section of the city be-
tween Second and F ,fth streets to the Dela-
ware river. which ism the northern section
IF the city. Passing over the rvsr skirting
Pettis island the storm passed over that
part of the Twenty fifth ward of Philsdel-
phia known ss Richmond. The cyclone
was the most destructive that ever occurred
in the eastern states.