The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-26
| TORNADO'S AWFUL WORK.
Many Children Killed or 1n-
jured in Kansas City.
The Court House and Other Build
ings Demolished.

Kansas City, No., has been visited by q
storm which caused the loss Of many lives,
principally children, and the destruction
Of prominent buildings, including the Court
House. Details as given on the night Of tho
calamity in dispatch are as follows:
A fearful storm of wind and rain swept
over the city to-day, continuing from eleven
o'clock until noon. The Court House on I
Second street was totally demolished above
the second story. The Lathrop school
wrecked, many children were caught in the
ruins, and eleven Of them were killed. A.
manufactory Of overalls on Second street was
blown down, and five deaths are reported
from there out of the fifteen girls at work IN
he-hilding, while nearly all the others are
wounded. The old water works building
near the Court House was blown down, and
one or two persons there are missing. @
Frank Smith, Of Smith & Moffat, owners
works building, was killed. Deputy Sheriff
Dougherty was buried in the ruins Of the
Court House and taken out dead. OF the.
unsound. The school building has been
twice condemned, and the Court House by
many was considered unsafe. 81.
The storm was violent wind accompanied
by flood Of water and some hail, which 7
turned many streets into rivers. Signs, shut
ters, chimneys, etc., were blown with the
gale, and number of vehicles were over
turned in the streets. The black clouds that
rolled over the city created almost the dark
ness Of night, and made the timid ones
crouch in terror in cellars. The streets
were entirely deserted, and In some
instances horses were seen wandering about
attached to vehicles and seeking refuge from
the pelting storm.
TIE Lathrop school consisted Of main !,
building, to which an art wing had been
added. The building was surmounted BY g
cred uusafe. The building was crowded
with children, many Of whom went nearly
frantic with fear over the appalling darkness
and the stiffness which preceded the tempest.
The wind seemed to concentrate its force
upon the tower, which yielded with crash,
and, carrying down the heavy bell, ;'lunged
through the Intervening floors to the base
ment. The main building is a mass Of ruins,
within shattered walls, which still stand:
The wing was comparatively uninJured: ana
the scholars there were unhurt.
In the main building the effect was awful.
The falling floors precipitated the terrified
children to the basement, where masses OF
brick and beams crushed them to the ground
and buried them from view. Owing TO-
the excitement 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 Nata-
torium, adjoining, which was turned into
O hospital. Here the parents and friends
of the little ones soon gathered, uttermg
heartrending cries as they recognized IN the
MANNED and bleeding forms those whom they
loved. Among the first taken outseveral were
dead and one or two mangled almost beyond
recognition, their clothing torn and their
bodies covered with dust and mortar. Many
heroic scenes were enacted during the rescue,
and some Of the wounded children seemed 70
have greater control than their elders. One,
little girl half buried in the debris, over
whom rescuers were busy, begged them to
leave her and help boy because, she said,
he was only five years old. Eleven dead
were taken out during the day and the
bodies were sent to the houses Of sorrowing
families. Several Of the children belonged
to prominent families in the city.
In the overalls manufactory conducted by
Haar Brothers were twenty-five employees,
chiefly girls When the storm began they
started for the cellar. The building fell with
a crash, being RACED entirely to the earth, and
most of the girls were caught in the ruins.
The county Court House was erected nearly
twenty years ago for hotel purposes, bu5
when complete was purchased BY the county
for s2OO, 600, and converted into Courp
House. =
The second span from the north end OF
the long bridge across the Missouri, Opposite!
the city, was blown into the river, the piers
being left apparently uninjured. The dead
numbered about twenty, and some OF the In
iured were expected to die.