Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-05-15
WINDS TERRIBLE HAVOC.

KANSAS Cry, Mo-, May H.
Heavy masses of black clouds dark
ened the city like midnight pail
to-day about eleven o'clock. The
clouds hung low. and were swept
along by furious wind that wrought
terrible havoc. From eleven o'clock
to noon the wind blew a hurricane,
and the rain came down in sheets.
The courthouse on Second street
was totally demolished above the
second story. The Lathrop school
building on Eighth street was par
TALLY wrecked, and a number of
children killed and injured. Sever
al other buildings we're blown down.
1t is believed that twenty persons,
in all, were killed and many injured.
For a while the air was full of flying
signs and debris. Hundreds of
houses were unroofed and trees torn
up by the roots. An overall factory
on Second street succumbed to the
fury of the storm. Fifteen girls
were at work on one of the upper
floors when the walls collapsed. The
old water works building was also
demolished, including the spice mills
of Smith s. Moffet. Frank Smith,
of the firm, was killed. One span of
the North end of the railroad bridge
across the Missouri river was blown
into the river, blocking the Hanni-
bal and st. Joseph, Rock Island and
Wabash and Kansas City, st. Joe
and Council Bluffs roads. Eight
girls have been taken out of the ov-
erall factory, four OF whom are dead.
Many others are in the ruins, but
there is scarcely a hope for their
lives. In the confusion it is impos-
sible to ascertain definitely the ex-
tent of the calamity, but it is said
that over twenty employees are i'm
prisoned 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. At
Lathrop School eleven children are
reported dead.
The Lathrop School building was
crowded vita children, many of
whom were nearly frantic with grief
over the appalling darkness and the
stiffness which preceded the temp
est. The wind swept madly across
Broadway from the west, and seem
ed to concentrate it's force in a de-
scent upon the tower, which yield
ed with a crash, and carrying down
the heavy bell plunged through sew
eral floors to the basement. The
main building is mass of ruins, on
ly scattered walls still stand. The
wing was comparatively uninjured,
and the scholars in there unhurt. In
the main building, however, the eff
feet was awful. The falling floors
carried with them to the basement
the terrified children, and there
masses of bricks and beams crushed
them to the ground and buried
them from view. Persons near hear
ing the crash, made their way as
best they could against the beating
storm to the scene. The gale quick
" subsidized and the work of the res
cue was begun by eager hands. Ow-
ing to the prevailing excitement,
the first work was not very effec-
tive, but the fire department and
police soon arrived and an organ
lied search was commenced. The
dead and wounded we're taken out
as rapidly as possible and carried to
the Natatorium adjoining, which was
turned into a 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 recognized in
the manned and bleeding forms
those whom they loved. Among the
first taken out several were dead
and one or two were mangled al.
most beyond recognition, their cloth
ing torn and their bodies covered
with dust and mortar, the deathly
pallor of the skin showing in pain
full contrast against CRIME and blood
stains. Many other injuries and
deaths are not reported, and there
is great damage to all kinds of prop
erty. One little girl half buried in
debris, over whom the rescuers were
busy begged them to leave her and
help boy beside her, because, she
said, he was only five years old.
The scenes in the Natatorium as the
little ones were brought in and laid
upon improvised cots, the dead
placed together on one side, were
pitiful beyond expression. A doz-
en- dead were taken out during the
day and the bodies sent to the
homes of sorrowing families. Sew
eral Of the children belonged to
prominent families in the city.
CINCINNATI, May 13.-The storm
of last night did fearful work in
Xenia, o., and other parts of this
state. Hundreds of houses were
washed away in the torrents of wa
ter that rose rapidly. Such down
pour of rain was never before seen
in this section. The same storm ap-
pears to have passed through Iii
nois, Indiana and Ohio, and touched
at Winchester, Va. The loss of life
by flood and lightning has been
great.
At Lebanon, Ohio, the Methodist
Episcopal Church, the Lebanon
House, grist mill, warehouse and
several residences were unroofed !;
shade trees were nearly all uprooted,
and nearly every railroad across the
state was crippled some will require
several days for repair.
From Dayton, o., comes the re-
port that railroad travel is stopped.
The terrible rainfall caused the small
streams to become rushing torrents