The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-20
A STRICKEN CITY.
Kansas City Visited by a Terrible
Hurricane.
School Building Blown Down With Fear
full Loss of Life-Factory and Mil De-
stroyed-SPan of the Big Bridge
Blown in the River-Court
House Demolished
Heavy Damage.

KANSAS CITY, No.. May 11.-Shortly
after eleven O'Clock this morning a
terrible wind and rain storm, caus-
ing great loss of life and property,
occurred in this city, Just before the storm
burst the sky became densely clOudod. Ii
was impossible to read without light, and
the buildings throughout the city we're
lighted as though it was night The sky
darkened rapidly and in a few minutes
the clouds burst letting down shower
of hail and rain. This was imme-
diately followed by a terrible wind
storm. which sent the rain and hail against
the windows, breaking them in many in
stances. AS the storm increased sidewalks
were torn up, fence. blown away, lamps
broken, chimneys demolished, and the
streets were strewn with debris. Heavy
frames were blown from their places and
carried blocks away. Bricks and shingles
filled the air and fell in every direction.
THE BRIDGE WRECKED.
The bridge over the Missouri river lost its
north span, stoppin. much of the the rail-
road traffic. The loss VAS estimated at
$4,000.
THE SCHOOL HOUSE DISASTER
A terrible disaster happened i'll the blow
ing down of the Lathrop school building,
corner of Eighth and May. The children
were buried in the ruins, ten of whom were
taken out dead and fifty or sixty wounded.
FACTORY BLOWN DOWN.
At twelve O'Clock, during the heaviest
part of the great storm, the overall factory
of Thomas Herr, 10 West Third street, Was
completely destroyed and razed to the
ground. 1t was soon found that twenty
five employees, made and female, were
missing. and Eearch was Immediately
begun BY one o'clock five bodies and
fifteen dying and wounded people had been
removed from the ruins leaving five still
missing. As they were at the bottom OF the
building it is almost certain that they will
never be gotten out alive.
COURT HOUSE DEMOLISHED.
The whole third story of the county court
house at Second and Main streets was blown
i'm while the storm was raging. The build
ing was crowded with people at the time,
but everybody escaped being buried under
meath the ruins. The prisoners confined in
the Jail went frantic with excitement, fear
ing that the whole building was about to
tumble down, and it was some time
before quiet could be main
tanned among them. Deputy Sheriff
DOugherty has been missing since the
building fell. A few minutes before that
time he was seen standing at the front
door, and it is supposed that when he
heard the cracking of the timbers he
started to run but was caught underneath
when the material fell into the street. A
large force of men was put 10 work imme-
diately clearing away the debris, but up to
this writing his body has not been recov-
cred. DOugherty was single MAN.
SPICE MILLS GONE.
The old building on the northeast corner
of Second and Main streets, opposite the
court house, also came down during the
storm. The building was occupied by
United States Engineer Corps, and as
coffee and spies mill by Smith &
Motfat. Men were put to work to dig for
the bodies as fast as they could be pro-
cured. About twenty people were in this
building at the time it fell, but al escaped
with the exception of about eight who
were in the spice mill. F. o. Smith, one of
the proprietOrs of the mill, was dead when
found. 1t is supposed that Smith was the
only man killed at that place.
OTHER DAMAGE.
About one hundred other buildings were
demolished or partially demolished. Glass
was blown in every where. The roof was
bOwp off the Central Presbyterian Church,
Eighth and Grand avenue. Merchants
suffered considerably from damage to their
goods, the drenching rain pouring into the
stores after the windows wero blown in.
The loss must be in the neighbOrhOod of
$780, ,OOs.
THB DEAD AND INJURED CHILDREN
The following is a list of the dead and !
wounded taken from the LathrOp school |
building: Dead-Nelle Ellis; May Bishop |
BOB West Twelfth street; Bessie Tusco:
Nellie Curry, S33 Seventh street;
Joseph Mastin; Mertie Moore; Rich |
ard Terry, aged II, Ninth and JEFF |
fersoH street5; unknown boy. dark hair and /
eyes, dressed in black jacket and pants and |
gray stockings. The injured - Mamie |
Hauser, age IL; - Master (girD; Katie
Smith, age 10, 1919 Broadway; Beatrice
Terry, age 10, 900 Jefferson; frankie
Penn; Edna Evans; Eva Haslett, age 13.
T35 Washington; Martin Jones. age IL, S11
West Eighth; Mamie Askew; Frank Smith;
The janitOr OF the building, name unknown;
Miss Juba Carvey, one of the teachers,
;aid to be badly huSt: Robert Sprague, aged
I3, 1918 Washington street; l.. L. Moore,
lged IL, son of L. I. Moore, Jr; Edith
Patch; Ruth Jameson; child named Whit
lev, dead or missing.
The storm was the worst ever expert
.nced in Kansas City, not excepting the
Ornado of May Is, 1883. The wind came
rom the northwest and its force was Ter
life, though it lacked the distinguishing
of tne tornado of 1883. The
treets are strewed with telegraph and teIe-
,hone wires.
LATER.
KANSAS CITY. Mo-, May 12.-The list of
ead reported now is distributed as follows:
-athrop school, 15; Smith Il Moffati's mill,
court house, 2; Overall factory, 5 Others,
A.; making a dreadful total of %. Others
70 SO badly wounded that they can hardly
ecover.