Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1886-05-15

6ALE--THE MOST pITIFuL SCENES M
AGINABLE ENAoTED--HousEs LEvELED
AND DOZENS OF DEAD AND WOUNDED
LETT
! KANSAS Cry, Mo, May I1.-A
fearful storm of wind and rain swept
over this city to-day, continuing from
III o'clock until noon. The Court
House, on Second street, was totally
demolished above the second story.
A number of persons were hurt there,
but none killed as far Us known at
this time
| The Lathrop school building, on
Eighth street, was totally wrecked
and many children caught in the
ruins. Seven are said to have been
killed, and the full extent of the dis
aster is not yet known.
| An overall factory on Second ST.,
was blown down and five deaths re
ported from there, out Of fifteen girls
working in the building, while nearly
all others are wounded.
| At one o'clock report from the
Lathrop school, makes ten badly hurt
besides those killed. The old water
works building near the Court House
was blown down and one or two per-
sons there are missing.
At the Western Union telegraph
Office but one wire is working out of
the city. Communication has been
established with st. Louis over that
wire, by way of Dallas, Galveston and
Memphis. One span at tho north
end of the railroad bridge across the
Missouri river, was blown into the
river, blocking the Hannibal and St.
Josephs, Rock Island, Wabash and
Kansas City, st. Joe and Council
Bluffs roads. Eight girls have been
taken out of the river at the factory,
four of whom are dead. Many others
ore in the ruins but there is scarcely
hope for their lives. In the confu-
sion it is impossible to ascertain de-
fnitely the extent Of the calamity, but
it is said that over twenty employees
are imprisoned in the basement Of
the factory. The disastrous fury of
the storm was confined TO the north
end of the city except in the destruc-
tion Of the Lathrop public school
building on Eighth street, and build
ings generally, excepting those men
/, toned, withstood the force of the
storm The main Office Of the West
ern Union Telegraph building is in
this portion of the city, and tho poles
are heavily laden with wires, which
were broken off, letting them down
in tangled heap. Many wires were
carried down with the broken bridge,
WINcHEsTER, VA, May IA fear
full storm passed over this place this
evening, lasting fifteen minutes. Two
clouds Of agreenish cast hanging low,
one from the northeast, the other
from the southwest, met and burst
immediately over the city. The wind
attained great velocity, and hail
stones the size of walputs fell to q
depth of from two inches to three
feet. The trees were stripped of
their foliage, and the rain fell in tor
rents, filling the streets and cellars
Every house with q western exposure
had all the window-glass destroyed
Carriages were overturned on the
roads leading to the city, the occu-
pants narrowly escaping with their
lives. Fortunately, the storm did
not extend more than mile on either
side of the place. The people were
greatly alarmed during it's prevalence.
CoLUMBUs, o., May ia special
from Xenia, Ohio, to the State Jour
nal says: About 7 o'clock last even
ing terrible clouds were seen gather
ing and terrific lightning followed by
peals of thunder. This lasted till 8
o'clock, when an extraordinary clap
of thunder seemed to open the gates
and the rain fell in torrents. The
people living in houses on Water st.
escaped by every way possible. The
spout seemed to vent its fury on that
portion of the city. For stretch of
$50 yards the little Miami Railroad is
swept away. The spout struck the
houses on Water street and tore them
to pieces as if they were shells.
A resident Of the street states that
within two minutes after the clap
of thunder he stood in water to his
waist. He being about twenty-five
yards from the creek. When the
waters reached the residence of
Aaron Ferguson it was swept away
with nine inmates and lodged
against bridge, where they were
afterwards rescued. The next dam