Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-05-20
TERRIBLE TORNADO.
A Cyclone Sweeps Over Kansas City
Death and Destruction In Its
Path.
Over Twenty Bodies Recovered from
the Debris and Fifty People
Injured.
The Court House, Public School and
Several Large Buildings De-
molshed.

A furious hurricane, accompanied by
deluge OF rain and hail, swept over Kansas
City, Mo-, on Tuesday, the 11th inst,
wrecking the courthouse, the Lathrop
School, Smith & Moffatt's spice mills,
and other structures, and carrying away
q span Of the railway bridge crossing
the Missouri River. A thick darkness
also settled over the city, adding terrors to
the storm, and causing many persons to
seek safety in Easements and cellars.
Twelve children in the Lathrop school we're
killed, while many were badly wounded.
Twelve other persons lost their lives in
wrecked buildings, and of the score or more
injured half q dozen at least will not sur
vive. A Kansas City correspondent gives
the following account Of the storms terri
bic work
About 10 80 ominous storm clouds began
gathering over the city. They first appeared In
the northeast, and, surging westward. turned
suddenly in their course and descending rapid
ly, broke upon the city In terrific bursts OF wind
and rain that swept all lighter objects before
them. The darkness was almost like night, and
people fed to the nearest shelter to await with
blanched faces the fury OF the tempest The
clouds seemed to Craze the roofs of the highest
buildings and poured out their torrents Of water
III apparently BOllu MASSES IOf n U1IQo.
The storm struck the city In full force about
II 30, and ragged for half an hour. The streets
were running rivers Of water, carrying boxes
% ana siRnS s And other M smilsfn fn5 6Sd Alum.
ber Of buildings were overturned, and in numer-
GUS 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, otherwise the loss to property
would have been enormous from water stream
ing in at broken windows. AS 1t was,
windows in quite a large number Of buildings
were blown in and goods and furniture were
tirely insignificant when the full extent Of the
disaster wrought by the storm became known.
The Lathrop school building occupied prom
inent site at the corner Of Eighth and May
streets. It consisted OF a main building, TO
which an art wing had been added. The build
ing was surmounted by tower, which for some
time had been considered unsafe. It had been
twice condemned. once within a few weeks, but
no action had been taken in the matter.
The building was crowded with children,
many ;tRy of, Of whom went nsIyn nearly frantic Sar
ness and the stiffness which preceded the tenn
pest. The wind swept midway across Broad
way from the west, and seemed to concentrate
yielded with crash, and, carrying down the
heavy bell, plunged through the intervening
mass OF ruins within shattered walls, which
will stand. The wing was comparatively unin-
jured, and the scholars in it We're not hurt. In
the main bGiIdng shs eect tS was
ed children 70 the TAer % hg sroahd
and buried them from view.
Persons near hearing the crash, made their
way as best they could against the beating
storm to the scene The gale quickly subsidized,
and the work of rescuing was undertaken by
eager hands. Owing to the prevailing excite
ment, the first work was not very effective, but
the fire department and police soon arrived, and
an organized search was commenced. The
dead and wounded were taken out as quickly
as possible and carried to the natatorium ad-
joining, which was turned into a hospital.
Here the parents and friends Of the little ones
soon gathered, each searching for his own and
uttering heartrending cries as they recognized
in the MANNED and bleeding forms those whom
they loved.
Among the first taken out were several dead
and one or two mangled almost beyond recogni-
tion, their clothing torn and their bodies covered
with dust and mortar, the deathly pallor Of the
skin showing in painful contrast against Crime
and blood stains. Many heroic scenes were en-
acted during the rescue, and the wounded
children seemed often to have greater control
OF themselves than their elders. One little girl
half buried in the debris, over whom the res
cuers were busy, begged them to leave her and
help q boy beside her, because, she said. he
was only five years old. The scenes in the nata-
torium as the little ones were brought in and
laid upon improvised cots, the dead placed
together upon one side, were pltiful beyond ex-
preston. A dozen dead were taken out during
the day and their bodies sent to the houses Of
sorrowing families
At 10 West Third street stood three-story
brick building in the middle Of the block, the
third floor Of which was used overalls fac
tory, conducted by Haar Bros. the first and
second floors by the Graham Paper Company.
In the factory were about twenty five employees,
chiefly girls. When the storm broke out they
started for the cellar. The building fell with a
crash, being razed entirely to the earth, and
most of the affrighted girls were caught in the
ruins. Seven have been taken out dead, a num-
ber OF others are wounded, and some are still
missing. A force Of laborers is busy there to-
night by the Pickering lantern lights, upturning
confused masses OF bricks and timbers,
The County Court House stands at Second
and Main streets, on the hill, exposed to winds
from the north and west. The building was
erected nearly twenty years ago for hotel pur-
poses, but when completed was purchased by
court house. The building has always been con-
sidered rather unsafe, and the roof has fire.
quently suffered injury from high winds The
storm struck the northwest corner, blowing in
the roof and the greater portion Of the wall Of
the third and fourth stories. The south wall,
at the east end, was blown into the street and
Deputy Sheriff Dougherty was caught and
killed. All others succeeded in getting
out Of the building alive. The jail is located
in the basement OF the building, and that
Portion sS1DsS S SS The s Tpsn
crash had passed and they found themselves
unhurt. Judge Slower had been holding court
on the third floor and had adjourned Just before
the storm descended. A portion Of the roof In
falling struck the chair the Judge had just va
Gated.
Across the street, ON the northwest corner of
building erected in 1860 by the Santa Fe Stage
Company, one of the Oldest buildings In the city,
from which the stages formerly were started
across the plains in the stage-coaching days.
The building has of late years been occupied
by the United States Engineers. Adjoining
that on the west was three-story brick
coffee and spice mill, owned by Smith
& Moffatt. This building was demolished.
and, falling over upon the adjoining one,
wrecked IL also completely. Frank Smith, the
senior partner OF the firm, was taken bleeding
from the ruins and died in n short time Mr..
Moffatt was badly hurt, and three employees
were taken out badly bruised, The debris is
being removed tonight in search for any who
may yet be buried beneath.
The second sran from the north end OF the
bridge across the Missouri opposite the city, was
blown into the river, the piers being left appar-
emily uninjured. A great number Of telegraph
wires were carried down with the broken span.
workmen are busy tonight raising wires from
the wreck, and it is hoped that communication
in that direction will be restored by tomorrow
morning. The bridge is owned by the Hannibal
and st. Joseph Company, and Is used by that
road tho Wabash, the Rock Island, and Kansas
| City st. Joseph and Council Bluffs. The bridge
| owners say that they expect TO repair IL In ten
| days Meanwhile the roads will make temporary
| arrangements for transporting passengers and
| freight. The Wabash will send its trains over
| the Missouri Pacific line via Sedalia aud
| Moberly.
SO far as can now be ascertained, twenty-five
persons were killed instantly or have since died
| of their injuries, and twenty were wounded,
| numbers Of them so badly that death is likely
are little school children who wero caught In
| the falling walls Of the Lathrop Building and
/ horribly mangled by the heavy timbers and
| broken iron work that crashed down upon them
as they sat terrified at their desks, while others
are young women employed at the overall fac
tory, whore, Of twenty girls at work at the time
! Che st1rm began, four were taken out dead and
the others are dangerously hurt.