Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1886-05-20
TERRIBLE TARNAD0ES
AWFUL WORK OF A TORNADO
Widespread Destruction in Kansas City
The Street Turned to Rivers-Scenes
Among tho Dead and Dying.

Widespread DestFuctioh ~ wy
The Street Turned to Rivers-Scenes
Among tho Dead and Dying.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, May 12.-0minous
clouds began gathering over the city
about half past 10 to-day. They first ap-
peared in the northeast and surging west
wardly across the city, turned suddenly
about in their course and descending
rapidly, broke upon the city in terrific
bursts of wind and rain. The darkness
was almost like night and people fled to
the nearest shelter and awaited with
blanched faces the fury of the tempest.
Clouds seemed to Craze roofs of the high
est buildings and poured out their tor
rents in apparently solid masses for
time. The storm struck the city in full
force about 11:20 and ragged for half
hour. The streets were running rivers,
carrying boxes and signs and other simi-
lar freight blown from the buildings or
swept up by the flood Vehicles were
overturned and in numerous instances
drivers abandoned their horses to their
fate, and sought refuge in stores and
houses. Some hail accompanied the.
storm, but the fall was not great. Win
dows in large number of buildings were
blown in and goods and furniture were
water soaked. All this, however, proved
entirely insignificant when the full ex-
tent of the disaster wrought by the storm
became known.
The hathrop school building occupied
a prominent site at Eighth and Main SITS.
This morning the building swas crowded
with children, many of whom were near
ly frantic with grief over the appalling
darkness and the stiffness which preced-
ed the tempest. The wind seemed to
concentrate its force in descent upon
the tower which yielded with crash,
and carrying down the heavy bell, plung-
ed through the intervening floor to the
basement. The main building is mass
of ruins within shattered walls The
wing was comparatively uninjured and
the scholars in there unhurt. In the main
building the falling floors precipitated
the terrified children to the basement,
where masses of brick and beams crush
ed them to the ground and buried them
from view. Persons near, hearing the
crash, made their way to the scene. The
gale quickly subsidized and the work of
rescue was undertaken by eager hands.
The fire department and police soon ar.
rived and an organized search was be-
gun. Among the first taken out several
were dead and one or two mangled al
most beyond recognition, their clothing
torn and their bodies covered with dust
and morta'. One little girl, half buried
in the wreck, over whom rescuers were
busy, begged them to leave her and help
q hoy beside her because, she said, he
was only five years cid. The scenes as
the little ones were brought in and laid
upon improvised cots, the dead placed TO-
gcther upon one side, were pitiful beyond
expression Twelve dead children were
taken out in the course Of the day and
their bodies sent to the houses of theil
parents.
At No. 40 West Third street stood Q
three story brick building in the middl,
of the block, the third floor of which was
used as an overall factory conducted by
Haar Bros. The first and second floors
were occupied by the Graham Paper
Company. In the factory were abou
twenty five employees, chiefly girls They
when the storm broke out, started for thu
cellar. The building fell with crash
being razed to the earth and most of tht
afrighted girls were caught in the ruins
-Four have been taken out dead, Others
are wounded and some are still missing
The County court house was erected
nearly twenty years ago for hotel pur
poses, but when completed was purchas
cd by the county for 100000 and con
verted into court house. The storm
struck the northwest corner Today, blow
ing in the roof and the major portion o.
the walls of the third and fourth stories
The south wall at the east end was Blow
into the street and Deputy Sheriff Dough
erty was caught and killed. All other
succeeded in getting out Of the buildin!
alive. The Jail is in the basement of tn
buildin :, and that portion escaped injury
The prisoners were intensely alarmed bu
became quiet when the crisis had passe
and they found themselves unhurt Judg
Stover had been holding court on tn
fore the storm descended. A portion O
inc rOOl Ill lallllS slruCh tHc CHNli ui
judge had just vacated.
A two story brick building erected /
1860 by the Santa Fc Stage Company
one of the oldest buildings in the city
from which the stages formerly wer
started across the plains in stage. .coachin
days, has of late years been occupied b
the United States Engineers. Adjoinn
that in the west was three.story brio
coffee and spice mill owned by Smith
Moilatt This building was demolished
falling over upon the adjoining one an
both were wrecked. Frank Smith, tn
senior partner of the firm, was take
bleeding from the ruins, and died in
short time. Mr.. Moffatt was badly hu
and three employees were taken out.
The second span from the north end {
the bridge across the Missouri opposi
the city, was blown into the river, tll
piers being left apparently uninjured.
large number of telegraph wires was ca
red down with the broken span.