Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-04-05
The Most Terrible Loss of Life by Cyclone
Ever Known

Ever hhpNh.
LOUISVILLE, n.y., March 31.-The storm of
the evening of the 9th entered the south
eastern portion of the city, at Eighteenth
street, and swept south five blocks diagon-
ally reaching in a ragged line to Seventh
street, leveling every building in its path,
probably $50 houses.
A rough estimate places the killed at 500,
with thousands injured.
The city is filed with a craZed mass of
people wildly seeking friends.
The buildings on Main street, from Eighth
to Fourteenth streets are in ruins, not one of
the handsome wholesale houses being left,
and all the tobacco warehouses were swept
away. On Market street, Falls City hall, a
several Masonic and Knights of Honor lodges
were In session, and 100 men and women
were buried in the ruins.
Every other house on Market, jefferson
and Walnut streets, from Eleventh to Six
teenth streets, Is in ruins. Falkland, a sub
urb, is swept away. At the union depot, at
the foot of Seventh street, the Chesapeake d
Ohio train for Washington, was just starting
out filled with passengers. The building was
Frustrated, crashing in on the train. All the
passengers, however, were rescued except
one newsboy.
The district laid waste comprises an area
of thirty-three miles long and nearly half a
mile wide.
Probably the greatest loss of life occurred
at the Falls City hall, which was in the center
of the tornado. In the lower rooms of the
hall were seventy-five children with their
mothers and other relatives taking dancing
lessons. There were at least lbs persons on
the lower floors and seventy-five more at
tending lodge meeting on the 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
and mortar, burying 200 helpless victims, of
which number few escaped uninjured. Con-
sentative estimates place the loss of life at
this point at 100, while other reports indicate
the number as nearer 200.
Immediately upon the burst of the cyclone
the fire bells sounded and the police were at
work. In ten minutes a posse appeared at
the Falls City hall and went to work, and the
walls of the adjoining house were first
propped, and then began a work of cutting
through the heavy slate roof that covered all.
AT tirst 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 beneath, each of
which they thought assembled from their dy
ing loved ones.
1t took an hour to reach the first victim,
who was alive
As soon as the roofing was removed and
the mass of brick beneath, the first sight that
met the eye was anything but hopeful. Ten
women locked in each others arms were
drawn out of the debris, all dead but one.
James HasSan, whose wife had been at the
lodge meeting, was foremost in the work and
me person whom he drew out of the ruined
building was his wife, who died in his arms.
I6e pathway of the storm extended from
pl1 1S1 TO Eleventh streets, and from Seventh
70 Eleventh streets not single building was
4eit standing. Occasionally a massive stone
or IRON front still stood intact, while the en-
ure structure proper had been swept entirely
away. Inns morning it presented the most
stapenaoos spectacle of disaster and ruin
ever witnessed In the course of the storm
w Sne pnoed tobacco market of the city.