Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-04-05
LOUISVILLE'S SORROW.
Tho Awful Tornado's Work in the
Falls City.
s0athurst OF Thames Drives on tho Rescusrs
-FrensiOd sccnes Two Hundred
Houses In Ruins-The Fated
Dance Hall.

tornado struck this city from the south
west. extending northeastward, leaving
death and destruction everywhere. Out
side of the clearly defined limits OF the
destruction the people knew only OF q
heavy rain accompanied by high wind.
Soon came the alarm Of fire from q
dozen different stations and the horrors
of the calamity began to dawn on the
people.
Great stone warehouses, halls OF
amusement railroad stations and dwell
ing houses all went down before the
mighty powers of the air. The storm
soon passed on, the clouds scattered and
tho moon cast its light over sorely
stricken city. Relief parties were soon
organized and the whole force OF the
IRE department was put to work.
The wrecked part Of the city lies be-
tween Eighteenth, Broadway, Seventh
and Main streets, the storm passing di-
Agonally across that section, which Is
probably mile square.
At least 200 houses are in ruins.
The buildings on Main street, from
one OF the handsome wholesale houses
being left and all the tobacco ware
houses being swept away.
On Market street, Falls City Hall, q
four-story building, was blown down
while several Masonic and Knights OF
Honor lodges were in session.
One hundred men and women were
buried in the ruins.
Every other house on Market, Jeffer-
son and Walnut streets, from Eleventh
to Sixteenth, is in ruins. Falkland, q
suburb, was swept away.
At the Union Depot, at the foot OF
Seventh street, the Chesapeake & Ohio
train for Washington was just starting
filled with passengers. The building
was Frustrated, crashing in on the train.
All the passengers, however, were
rescued except one newsboy.
Every building, tree and telegraph
pole in the district struck was leveled.
Probably the greatest loss Of life &C.
CURED at the Falls City Hall, which was
the center Of the tornado. In the lower
rooms of the hall were so or IS children,
with their mothers and other relatives,
taking dancing lessons. There were at
least 1876 persons on the Il xer floor, and
rs more attending lodge meeting on
upper floors when the terrible wind
swept down upon the building. The
entire structure, in less than five
minutes, was a shapeless mass Of brick
,Nnd mortar, burying 200 helpless victims,
of which number few escaped uninjured.
Conservative estimates place the loss
of life at this point at 100, while other
reports indicate the number to be nearer
200.
At three o'clock a. m. IS dead
bodies had been taken from this ruin
and 10 wounded and dying. Only those
ON the third floor had been reached, the
room containing the dancing school
pupils and visitors not yet being opened.
Immediately upon the burst Of the
cyclone the fire bells sounded and the
pol ce went to work. In ten minutes a
posse appeared at the Falls City Hall.
The walls of the adjoining house were
first propped up, and then began the
work of cutting through the heavy slate
roof that covered all. At first the work
was difficult and laborious on account
OF the anxious multitude that thronged
the wreck to view the ruin. Women
were found digging at the slate with
their fingers, crazed at the groans be-
meath, each Of which they thought
assembled from their dying ones.
The work of excavating was then
moved from the rear of the building to
the front, where it was supposed the
greater crowd was gathered. As soon
As the roofing was removed and the
mass OF brick beneath, the first sight
that met the eyes was any thing but
hopeful Ten women locked in each
others arms were drawn out Of the de-
bris, all dead but one. James Hassen,
whose wife had been at the lodge meet
1ng, was foremost in the work and the
Mrst person whom he drew out of the
6uflding was his wife, who died in his
arms He laid her by the side Of the
sothers who were dead and continued to
work for the living.
Within the next hour thirty men and
women were drawn out dead but with
no wounds on their bodies, and 1t is
thought that all met their death from
rgnfocation.
At twelve o'clock the opening up Of
sportion of the debris Of the Falls City
Hall caused q draught to penetrate the
ruins, Whereupon the smoldering fire
broke out with tremendous ferceness.
It spread rapidly and forced the workers
20 desert the pile. As soon as the fire.
rmen had been driven away groans from
the imprisoned people became
.nhrielrs, and 30 great was the
Aorror of the moment that the
@ztchers grew frantic and screamed
una ran about like Wild. the terrible
nlGarings which they were unable to
ollegIate driving them 70 despair. Sew
aEnl lines Of men had BEEN throwing
water on the flames, but It was more