Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-05-20
A STRICKEN CITY.
Kansas City Visited by a Terrible
Hurricane.
School Building Blown Down With Fear
full Loss of Life-FactOry and Mill De-
stroyed-Span of the Big Bridge
Blown in the River-Court
House Demolished
Heavy Damage.

alter eteScN ClOck tillo iuoInhiE q
terrible wind and rain storm, caus.
ing great loss of life and property,
occurred in this city. Just before the storm
burst the sky became densely cloudod. 1t
was impossible to read without light, and
the buildings throughout the city were
lighted as though it was night. The sky
darkened rapidly and in few minutes
the clouds burst letting down shower
of hail and rain. This was imme-
diately followed by terrible wind
storm. which sent the rain and hail against
the w:Adows, breaking them in many In
| stances. AS the storm increased sidewalks
| were torn up, fences blown away, lamps
broken, chimneys demolished. and the
streets were strewn with debris. Heavy
frames were blown from their places and
carried blocks away. Bricks and shingles
filed the air and fell in every direction.
THE BRIDGE WRECKED.
The bridge over tho Missouri river lost its
north span, stopping much Of the the rail-
road traffic The loss was estimated at
$4,000.
THE SCHOOr. House DISASTER
A terrible disaster happened in tho blow
ing down of the Lathrop school building,
corner of Eighth and May. The children
were buried in the ruins, ten of whom were
taken out dead and fifty or sixty wounded.
FACTORY BLOWN DOWN.
AT twelve O'Clock, during the heSaasst
part of the great storm. the overall factory
of Thomas Herr, 40 West Third street, va
completely destroyed and razed to :fI&
ground. 1t was soon found that twenty
five employees, made and female, were
missing. and search was Immediately
begun. BY one O'Clock five bodies and
fifteen dying and wounded people had been
removed from the ruins. leaving five still
missing. AS they were at the bottom OF the
never be gotten out alive.
COURT HOUSE DEMOLISHED.
The whole third story of the county court
house at Second and Main streets was blown
in while the storm was raging. The build
ing was crowded with people at the time,
hut everybody escaped being buried under
meath the ruins. The prisoners confined III
lie Jail went frantic with excitement, fear
ing that the whole building was about to
tumble down, and it was some time
before quiet could be main
tanned among them. Deputy Sheriff
Dougherty has been missing since the
building fell. A few minutes before that
time he was seen standing at the front
door, and it is supposed that when he
heard the cracking of the timbers he
started to run but was caught underneath
when tho material fell into the street.
large force of men was put TO work imme-
diatciy clearing away tho debris. but up TO
this writing his body has not been rccov'
cred. Dougherty was single man.
SPICE MILLS GONE.
The cd building OH the northeast corner
of Second and Main streets, Opposite the
court house, also came down during the
storm. The building was occupied by
the Santa Fe Stage Company, the
United States Engineer Corps, and rs
coffee and spice mill by Smith &
Mofrat. Men were put to work TO dig fol
the bodies as fast as they could be pro.
cured. About twenty people were in this
building at the time it fell, but al escaped
with the exception Of about eight, who
were in the spice mill. +. O. Smith, one OF
the prOprietOrs of the mill, was dead when
found. 1t is supposed that Smith was the
only nan killed at that place.
OTHER DAMAGE.
About one hundred other buildings were
demolished or partially demolished. Glass
was blown in every where. The roof was
blown off the Central Presbyterian Church,
Eighth and Grand avenue. Merchants
suffered considerably from damage to their
goods, the drcnching rain pouring into the
stores after the windows were blown in
The loss must be in the neighborhood OF
$500, 900.
TIE DEAD AND INJURED CHILDREN.
The following is a list of the dead and
wounded taken from the LathrOp school
building: Dead-Neilie Ellis: May Bishop
3O3 West Twelfth street; Bessie Tusco:
Nellie Curry. 1888 Seventh street:
Joseph Mastin; Mertie Moore; Rich.
ard Terry, aged II, Ninth and JEFF
ferson streets; unknown boy, dark hair and
eyes, dressed in black jacket and pants and
gray stockings. The injured - Mamie
IIauser, age II; - Master (girD; Katie
Smith, age 10, 1919 BrOadway; Beatrice
Terry, age 10, 900 jefferson; frankie
Madison. ago II, Eleventh and
Penn; Edna Evans; Eva IIaslett, age Is.
735 Washington; Martin Jones, age II, Sill
West Eighth; Mamie Askew; Frank Smith;
the jani,Or OF the building, name unknown;
Miss Juba Carney, one of the teachers,
said to be badly hurt; Robert Sprayue. aged
10, 1918 Washington street; l.. Il. Moore,
aged l2, son OF l.. T. Moore, Jr.; Edith
Patch; Ra;h Jameson; child named Whit
ney, dead or missing.
The storm was the worst ever expert
enced in Kansas City, not excepting the
tornado of May 49, 1888. The wind came
from the northwest and its force was ter
rife, though it lacked the distinguishing
characteristics Of the tornado of 1883. The
streets are strewed with telegraph and tele-
phone wires.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, May 12.-The list of
dead reported now is distributed rs follows:
LathrOp school, Is; Smith d MOffatts mill,
4 court house, 2; Overall factory, ); others,
9; making dreadful total of 49, Others
are so badly wounded that tAsy can hardly
recover.