Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-05-12
KANSAS CRY, Nav IL.

hANsAS CITY, Nav H.
fearful storm of wind and rain swept
over this city today, lasting from IL O'Clock
uhtil noon. The court house on Second
street was totally demolished above the sec.
ond story. The Lathrop school building ON
Eishth street was partially wrecked and
many children caught in the ruins An over
ali factory on Second street and the old wafer
works building near the court house were
blown down and many people buried. One
span of the railroad bridge across the Mis-
souri, river was blown into the riv r, blocking
the Hannibal 4 ST. Joseph, Rock Island.
WABASH 4 Kansas City roads The girl,
have been taken out OF the overall factory,
four OF whom were dead. Many others are
IN the ruins, but there is scarcely hope for
their lives. In the confusion it is impossible
Il ascertain definitely the extent of the
Calamity. but 1t is said that over 20 EMPLOYEES
are imprisoned in the basement of the fac
tory. The disastrous fury of the storm was
confined to the north end of the CITY, except
IN the destruction of the Lathrop school
building on Eighth street, and the buildings
generally, excepting those mentioned, with
stood the fury of the storm. The main office
of the w. U. Telegraph building is in this
portion of the city and the poles are heavily
weighted with wires which were broken off
letting the wire down in tangled heap
Many wires were also carried down with the
broken bridge
AT L. NJ, as nearly as can be learned
amid intense excitement and confusion, about
~ persons are known to be dead.
Frank Smith, of Smith & Moffatt, owners of
the spice mills, situated in the old water
works building at the corner of Second and
Main streets, is killed. Deputy Sheriff
DOugherty was buried in the ruins of the
court house, and at o'clock searchers were
reported to have come in sight of his body
AT the Lathrop school III children are report
ed dead.
OF the four buildings wrecked all were
more or less un.ound. The school building
had twice been condemned and the court
house by many was considered unsafe No
one was killed except in these four houses.
Signs, awnings. chimneys. ETC., were blown
with the gale and number of vehicles were
overturned in the streets. The black clouds
that rolled over the city created almost the
darkness of night and made timorous crouch
in terror in the cellars. The streets were
entirely deserted and in some instances.
horses were seen wandering about attached
to vehicles and seeking refuge from the
peting storm.
The following list is as accurate as can be
given at O'Clock:
AT the Lathrop school, Nellie Ellis, MAY
Bishop, Josie Mastin and her little brother,
Kate Smith, Ruth Jameson, Jesse Insco,
Matte Moores, f iith Patch. Robert Sprague
and L. T. Moore were killed. Among the
injured are: May Hoover, badly hurt; Edna
Evans, Eva Hazlett, Nellie Currie, Maud
Askew.
At the water works building, w. A. We'll
don was injured about the head and breast
quite seriously. Maj. Livermore was hurt
about the head. Lieut.. +. IL. Young had
knee broken and was nurt about the head.
Nelson was hurt alb out the head
AT Smith & Motfatts spice mills adjoining,
Frank Smith was killed and several others
bruised.
AT the court house, Deputy Sheriff Henry
Dougnerty is still missing lie is supposed
to be in the ruins. MIR. Moore of Inuepen-
dence, is dangerously hurt. Ed Hedges had
his back broken. Will Hedges leg was
broken. Jas. Chase was badly hurt
Prisoners in Jail in the basement of the build
ing were scared but unhurt. They remained
in the building. which is intact on the outside
from the second story down.
At the overall factory, search is still in
progress and several persons are still missing.
The following are known to have been killed
Jennie Fitzgerald, Willie Reckmsn, and a
woman unidentified. Mary and Maggie
Bird will die. Several others are in dan
gerous condition. Julian and Joseph Hoar,
proprietors, are badly ipjured.
The overall factory occupied the third
floor and the Graham Paper Co the first and
second floors The employees of the latter
escaped unhurt.
Another Account.
About half past ten this morning storm
clouds began gathering over the city. They
first appeared in the northeast and surging
westwardly across the city turned suddenly
about in their course and descending rapidly
broke on the city in terrific bursts of wind
and rain that swept all tighter objects before
them. The darkness was almost like night
People fled to the nearest shelter and aw alted
with blanched faces the fury of the tempest.
The clouds seemed to Craze the roofs of the
highest buildings and poured out their tor
rents in apparently solid masses for a time.
The storm struck the city in full force about
l1.20 and ragged for half an hour, the streets
running rivers of water, carrying boxes,
signs and other similar freight blown from
the buildings or swept up by the food All
damage by water, however, proved entirely
insignificant when the full extent of the
disaster wrought by the storm became known.
The Lothrop school building occupied a
prominent site at the corner of Sth and Main
streets. 1t consisted of the main building to
which an art wing had been added The
building was surmounted BY a tower, which
for some time has been considered unsafe
Ii has been twice condemned, but no action
taken in the matter. This morning the build
ing was crowded with children. The winds
swept madly across Broadway from the west
and seemed to concentrate its force in de-
scent on the tower, which yielded with a
crash, and carrying down the heavy bell
plunged through the floors to the basement
rhe main building is a mass of ruins; the
effect was awful. The falling floors precipi-
tated the terrified children to tine basement,
where a mass of brick and beams. crushed
them to the ground and buried them from
view. Persons hearing the crash made their
way as best they could against the beating
storm to the scene.
The gale quickly subsided, and the work
of rescuing was undertaken BY eager hands
Owing to the prevailing excitement the first
work was not very effective, but the fire de-
partment and police soon arrived, and an or
ganized search was commenced. The dead
and wounded were taken out as quickly as
possible and carried TO the natusorium adjoin-
ing, which was turned into q hospital. Here
the parents and friends of the little ones soon
gathered, each searching for his or her own,
and uttering heart rending cries as they rec
ognized in the MANNED and bleeding forms
those whom they loved. Among the first
taken out several were dead and one or two
mangled almost beyond recognition. their
clothing torn and their bodies covered with