Omaha daily bee., 1892-06-05
MANY CHILDREN INJURED
Business Portion Of MoCook Devastated by
aCyclone.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH DESTROYED
Fifty Little Ones Caught in the Debris and
Dangerously Hurt-Heroic Deeds OF
Nine-Year-Oid Dan McAlJinc--
List of the Victims.

McCooK, Neb, June Especial Telegram
TO Tus BEE. E.l-McCook was visited today
with a terrible cyclone. Considerable dam
age was done and number OF people seri-
ously injured. II had been a nice day, clear
and bright, with tho wind blowing from the
southwest. About O'Clock In the afternoon
IL clouded up In the east, although there
IEas no perceptible change in the tenn
Deraturc. At 4;15 p. m, without
moments warning small, writhing cloud
was seen approaching from the east. 1t
passed over the city and crossed the Ropub-
lican river, where 1t turned aud came back
over the city from southwest to northeast.
At that time the streets were crowded with
people and many farmers were getting ready
to go home after dny's shopping.
AS the huge funnel shaped cloud passed
over the q. g. M. shops and roundhouse 1t
seemed to suddenly drop down TO the ground,
first striking the business building owned by
II. w. Cole and with its awful power raised
!, ,the metal roof clear off Of the one-story
part In the rear. whrliug 1t around,
bringing 1t down with terrible force in
almost Its former position upon the
heads of the cigarmakers who were at work
there. All escaped except one VINO received
several cuts on the head The thick brick
, walls alore saved them from most serious
injury This building is occupied by Joseph
Reizensten as q cigar factory and his damage
TO stock is not very great.
Alarmed the Citizens.
"a BY this time the streets were thronged by
terrified occupants OF the buildings who
hastily rushed out of their various places OF
business. The storm center seemed to raise
up iu the air and again drop to the ground
al,n thraa M pkQ In n m n
air was filled with flying timbers and the cry
was raised that the Congregational church
was In ruins and hundreds of children buried
in the ruins. Some one had presence of
mind enough to turn In a general alarm, and
the fire. department responded nobly. Amid
the screeching OF whistles OF the engines in
the railroad yards and the din OF the fire
bells the crowd rushed towards the fallen
edihce.
The children Of the city were rchearsing
for Cfildren's day at the Congregational
church and that edifice was packed TO its ut.
most capacity with the little folks.
But two minutes before the cyclone struck
the building about 200 of the smaller chill
dren had finished their exercises and had
just gone home
The church was raised from Its foundations
as lightly as il it had been an egg shell
and then crashed down with q dull thud
<<ike the booming of a cannon In one mass Of
f ruins. burying about sixty children, to-
/ gether with the pastor OF the church and
first left the building ran screaming with
terror to their homes. Many were hurt by
flying tlmbers, but so Tar as known none
seriously.
With willing hands the fallen timbers
were removed from the ruins and it was
scarcely thought that any would be got
out alive.
All Released from tho Debris.
Tho work progressed rapidly, men work
ing with that energy that danger alone
brings, and soon all were released from their
Imprisonment. Tho timbers, in falling, bad
formed an arch over the heads of those who
were in the building, and some were
unintured. None Of the injured have died.
Seven of the children are seriously injured,
and IT is feared that several cannot live but
few hours.
MAUD PERRY, DAN McALpINE, HARRY
CAMPBELL, RUTH CREsswRLL and her little
sister are among those most seriously in
jured. Maud and Laura McMillan were
badly bruised about tho head and back and
the pastor, Rev. w. Stevenson, is seriously
sviniured. beng buried under the church
organ, and 1t Is feared he is hurt internally.
Dan McAlpine, although lad of soma or
9years, was one OF the heroes of the hour.
Although seriously injured, he was pulling
away the rubbish and helping others out
when the people reached the ruins, when he
fell over and IL was found he was badly cut
md is now lying IN a critical condition.
Another little boy was caught up by the
wind and carried safely out OF the falling
walls and set down on the ground some dis
tance away, more scared than hurt.
- Maud Cresswell has her face badly
rSshed and her lower jaw broken. and also
ose leg. Others have legs and arms broken,
and .,,l stu others hers seem s;1 To- te nur,
numbers about fifty and as many
were carried homo at once II Is impossib
at this hour TO get the exact number. Had
tho cyclone struck the church five minutes
LII IA