Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-06-02
CITY
Fearful Destruction and Loss of
Life by a Cyclone at Will
ingtOn, Kan.
Hotels, Filled With Guests,
Churches and Business Blocks
Demolished.

WELLIYGToN, Kan, May 2S.-This city
has had a visitation tonight from the fun
mel shaped cloud which ploughcd its dew
astating track through this part of the
state with immense destruction OF property
and some less of life. just how much it is
impossible to tell It this writing.
4 heavy storm of wind and rain preceded
the cyclone about half an hour. There
were no premonition signs. Everybody
was indoors and the cloud passed with its
destructive rush and awful roar unseen.
Washington avenue, the principal bust
ness street, is lined on both sides or blocks
with ruins. To add to tho horror, fire broke
out among tho debris of Col. RObinsOn's
blocks and a woman, Mrs. Susan Asher, is
supposed to have persisted in the flames. A
solid block of brick buildinss containing a
~half-dozen stores and tine Monitor, Press,
and Voice printing offices lies a tumbled
heap OF brick, sand and mortar. Just
across the street a laborer named Fan
ming was taken out Of the ruins dead,
and there are supposed to be other bodies
il the ruins. Hundreds OF dwellings are
totally destroyed or more or less damaged.
The city is in darkness, as broken mains
made it necessary TO shut down the gas
works and save
DESTRUCTION rom FIRE.
Hon. James Lawrence, candidate for at
torney genera, had an arm broken. Waiter
Forsyth was taken from the ruins badly
wounded. Seven bodies have been taken
out ofthe Phillips house ruins, and u large.
force Of men are hard at work removing
The debris. Two members OF the Salvation
Army are expected to die from injuries re-
ceiveI. At Squire Smiths residence seven
persons are more or les sInjurcd. Tho streets
are Uttered with tin roofing, cloth
awnings, broker glass and timbcrs. Every
body is on the streets carrying lanterns, and
it is utterly impossible to get at the exact
facts. The destruction is simply awful,
and every minute adds to the horror
OF the situation. The Standard and Mail
offices are wrecked. The opera house and
dozens of the best business build
ings are useless. Fine school build
ings and churches are ruined.
The entire northern portion of the city
was destroyed. About Fl y people were
killed and one hundred twenty-five injured.
but the con ussion is TO great that the exact
loss Of Ii e cannot be stated definitely.
The Wellington hotel ard the Phillips
house, tho two largest hotels in the city,
were completely wrecked. and the ruins Of
the Phillips house took fire. Many OF the
guests were doubtless
BURNED TO DEATH.
AtIl:15 o'clock fifteen bodies had been
removed and the investigation of the
wrecked buildings had only barely begun.
The cyclone did NO! do much damage until
it reached the center o: the town. On
Jefferson avenue it destroyed the Presby-
terrain church, but only Unroofcd the resi-
dences. Its most disastrous work was done
in the compass OF four squarcs,
bounded by Jefferson avenue, Avenue
c and Seventh and Ninth streets.
Evrry building in those two squares was
demolished ano wrecked. Fortunately the
residences in th~atlocality are notnumerous,
otherwise the loss of Ii e might have been
greater han it o appears to be. The
Phillips hotel was dem olished and seven
dead bodies have been taken from the
ruins. The work o. rescue there has only
just begun. The house was well
filled with guests and the loss Of
lie in that one house has
doubtlc ss been great. The Wellington
foundry was demolished and Mrs. William
Sasson and her sister. Kittie Strahn, who
happened TO be passing thefe ut
the time, were buried in its
ruins and killed. Their bodies have
been recovered. Great confusion prevails
everywhere and the whole facts cannotnOw
be learned. CT "a and Walter Forsythe
were taken out OF the ruins of COnrad's
restaurant in a dying condition and have
since died. ida Jones was one OF
the Killed in the wreck of the
PHILLIPS house. Grand Army hall has
been converted into a hospital and there
are now there fifty killed and injured.
Wellington is the county seat of Sumner
county and has a population of 10000 in
habitants. 1t is in the center o. a thickIy
settled district.