The state herald., 1891-06-26
GREAT sfoRM IN KANSAS.
Loss to Property and Growing Crops
Estimated at Half a Million.

Estimated at Half a Million.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-. June 20.-The
southeastern corner of Kansas WAS Wis
tied by atorrihc storm last night, causing
some loss OF life, much damage 10 property
and enormous damage to growing crops.
The STERN was Of different natures at
different points.
AT Fort Scott II took tho form OF n
cloud burst, at Arkansas City u cyclone
and 1t Emporia tornado. Its effects
fury was felt Towns were flooded, houses
blown over, barns demolished, fences
swept a-ay and crops washed out and laid
low.
Al Fort Scott the water poured down
for an hour and fifteen minutes, tho storm
having the appearance Of a cloud-barst.
The dams OF Mead and Hartman and
Lumb. in Buck run, which flows through
the center Of tho city, were washed away,
and the creek was swollen TO vast propor-
tions, flooding the bottoms four or five feet
deep and endanIering the lives Of the
many families vino reside there. Tho
occupants Of tho houses escaped a. best
they could. Some climbed trees and were
rescued by relief parties In boats.
One Of the relief boats was manned by
John Connalin, Jr., Joe Cusmsn and W.
B. bowman, members OF the fire company,
who bravcly went out Into the surging
torrent to save lives. Their boats proved
lcaky and had to be abandoned, two Of the
to trees. Connalin caught hold Of limb
which gave way, und he was lost In the
darkness and has not since been seen.
There is no doubt that he was drowned.
Ho was fine young man Of ~ years, and
WAS the only sou Of John Connalin, one OF
Fort Scotts old and cstimablc citizens.
No other lives were lost but the damage
TO propert, was great Farmers from the
surrounding country report great loss to
standing crops, aggregating not less than
$l5o,ooo. Small bridges on the Fort Scott
Il Wichita railroad We're washed out The
damage done the Kansas City, Fort Scott
& Memphis has been repaired. Al ArGan-
sas City, southwest Of Fort Scott. tho
storm developed into cyclone. Little
damage was done In the city itself, only u
few barns and outhouses, on the southern
edge Of tho town being demolished.
Fifteen miles from tho city, however,
the cyclone destroyed tho bomcs OF John
bowman, NJ. Bennett, Samuel Brown, X.
kcrscy and William Brown. All the In
matss escaped without serious injury ex-
ccpt Mrs. Elizabeth Bowman, mother OF
John Bowman. who was fatally hurt A
daughter Of MIR. Bennett was In the cellar
and was buried under the falling debris
A large number Of barns and granRrics.
were also wrecked.
The damage TO crops In = radius OF
twenty miles from Arkansas City Is esti-
mated at about $4,000. Much OF whca,
there was In the stock md although
drcuched with rain, great part OF II Gao
be saved. Tho principal damage was To
growing crops.
Al Emporia, tho storm was . tornado
accompanied by an extraordinary rainfall
Three aud half inches Of rain foil In u
little less than two hours. Nearly every
cellar In tho city was flooded aud tho
lower floors OF many houses wcro GOV cred
with water, as the rain poured down
faster than It could 10 drained on.
The wind blow q hurricane, but did nc
particular damage In tho city beyond
break Ing down shade trees and shrubs
In the country tho crops wrro lcvcicd :,
tho ground and along tho crooks, whici
ovcrnowed their banks, were washed ou
and ruined. The damage IL estimated NJ
s50,Ooo.
A. ChAnutc, Kansas, tho worst wind
and rain storm ever known struck tn,
town and lasted about forty minutes
Several buildings were badly damaged
About 1900 acres OF wheat near the No.
osho River. cast Of tho city, were ruined,
entailine loss Of about 10000.
AZ osccoia, Missouri, there WAS u terri
bio storm Of wind and rain. About thrc,
inches Of water fell, flooding ccllars In tn,
city and doing much damage TO crops
Wheat was Just ready for the reaper, an,
~ some piaeos had already bocn cut an,
| stacked. Much Of tho crop, where III,
storm ragged. Is total loss and tho rus
has been badly damaged.
Corn hAd Just got fair start and wa
In no condition 10 Withstand n hcav.
storm. Much Of II was washed away an,
much will have 10 DO rcplan,od. Compai
| ativciy few reports have been receive,
from tho country districts where ihclstorm
occurred. Aud u iuli estimate Of tho dam
ago to crops cannot bo made. From th
facts NJ hand. however, II is csti mate
that tho total loss OF full half million O
doilars IL not an over estimate.
| There were 2.2Di immigrants land
1 oil nj Tim hnrua oifirn La Nav York kniur