Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-06-20
DESTRUCTION.
Kansas Visited By Winds and
Floods.


Floods.
Serious Loss of Life-Unionfown, Near
Fort Scott, Destroyed-Wainut River
Over Its Banks-Storms In the
Fort Scorr. Kan, June ia report
has reached here that a cyclone visited
Oniontown Saturday night, leaving death
and destruction in its wake. 1t is impos-
sible to obtain definite information as all
the wires on both sides of the place are
down and it is a matter Of doubt whether
it was a cyclone or a cloudburst 1t Is re-
ported that two women and four children
were drowned, but their names can not be
Iascertained. Houses were blown down.
property greatly damaged and it is feared
that many more lives are lost than have
been reported.
settled and the latest reports are that the
loss of life will far exceed any present
estimates. The whole country seems
to have been flooded. Traffic has
been suspended on the Missouri Pacific
and the Missouri Kansas & Texas. Every
possible aid is being rendered the suffer.
ers. A heavy rain and wind storm passed
over this section Saturday night and yes
terday morning but owing to the condi-
tion of the wires little information can be
obtained.
In this city there was much damage to
property but no lives were lost. A section
of the city known as Belletown, was COM
pletely wiped out and many houses were
carried of by the high waters of the Mar.
maton. The immense dam above the city
| broke early yesterday and the water
IN - H. -
several feet, flooding cellars and causing
great CONSERVATION. People were taken
out Of houses in wagons, and in Belletown
many of the residents were forced to leave
their dwellings in skiffs to escape death.
Uniontown is situated on the Wichita &
Western railroad in the valley of the
Marmaton, fifteen miles from Fort Scott.
1t was organized town in 1865, al.
though post-offics had been established
| there in 1862. About six years ago the
! town contained eight general stores, two
| hotels, a lumber yard, a livery stable. a
| mill and had a population of about 300.
It has grown considerably, however, since
then.
WALNUT RIVER FLOODS.
AUGUSTA, Kan, June 17.-Parties living
north of here on the Walnut river came
| to town yesterday and reported the river
out of it's banks and some places sur
| rounded by water. They procured some
| boats and returned.
| The river here at that time was not un.
| usually high, but as the parties reporting
| the high water above came only about
five miles it was thought it would raise to
| q dangerous point here. In a short time
| it commenced rising about five feet an
hour, and finally began to back up in the
| low places. Soon it broke over the banks
| about one mile northeast of town and
| came with such a rush that the people In
the lower part of town barely had time te
escape from their houses, leaving their
household effects behind. Many had &c
| wade through water waist deep.
While only few buildings in town have
| been taken out there are about seventy
| five houses in water from four to ten feet
deep, which will cause great loss in every
| case and many thousands of acres of wheat
| and other crops are totally destroyed,
while the number of cattle, hogs and
| horses lost will run into the thousands.
Two iron and one wooden bridge have
| gone out and the Augusta water mills
have been swept away. The material IN
| the Santa Fe Company's yards hoated out
| and the Santa Fe depot had to be aban.
] doned.
The passenger train on the Santa Fe
| line got here and could get no further noI
| return by its own tracks and was run into
Wichita over the Frisco track, but the
| here for several hours. Superin tendent
| Wentworth is here attending to affairs in
| person, which ensures the early moving
| of trains.
The damage to crops. stock and other
property is estimated at from $50, 600 to
| sec, 600
Mrs. Graham and child were drowned
and many others are unaccounted FOL
| north of here. Some are still in trees and
| on housetops surrounded by water. which,
| on account of the scarcity of boats, have
| not been reached yet. In some instances
RATS were constructed, but owing to tbs
| strong current they were of NO avail 49,
STORM IN WEST VIRGINIA.
MARTINsBURG, W. Va, June ia very
heavy storm passed over the southwest.
| ern part of Berkeley County yesterday
| morning, a terrific gale of wind that did
| great damage being followed by a terrible
| thunder storm and this by heavy hail.
| The hail stones lay in some places three OF
four inches deep. Crops and trees are
ruined. Livestock was badly bruised and
| in some instances killed. Several houses
and barns were wrecked by the wind. No
loss of life has yet been reported. Owing
| to the lateness of tho hour at which the
| storm occurred, details ara meager.
CYCLONE IN INDIANA.
LIGoNIER, Ind, June ia cyclone
passed through this town yesterday after.
noon tearing down shade trees ana un.
roofing houses along its path. The fine
brick dwelling of J. n. Belts was nearly
destroyed and the new residence Of w. E.
| Harding is a total wreck. The LigonieI
/ Hotel and q number of other buildings
| were unroofed. The bridge across the
Elkhart river was blown down and hun
dreds of shade trees, fences. etc., were De.
| stroyed. The loss will be heavy.
FOREST FIRES.
ELLENsBURo Wash. T.. June 1I.-Heavy
| forest fires on the east side of the Cascade
mountains have destroyed vast quantities
| of timber. Strong winds prevail and the
| fire is extending. The Northern Pacific
line and bridges are in danger.
MOTHER AND CHILD BURNED.
| BALTIMORE, Md. June 1L-Mrs. Eliza
beth Tyler, aged twenty five years, and
| her baby, Benjamin Harrison Tyler, were
burned to death last night by the explo-
| sion of coal oil lamp at their home in
| Raynersville in Anne Arundel County.
/ HIllman Literature.
| LEAvENwoRTH, Kan, June 16.-Peopls
here have little faith in t he putative Hill
| man alleged to be concealed in Topeka.