Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1892-05-28
HORRORS OF THE CYCLONE
TWENTY OR THIRTY PEOPLE
KILLED OUTRIGHT.
A Hotel FaI y HI On a Dancing
Party killing several Persons
Members of tile salvation Army
Struck Down While Praying.

WELLINGTON Kas., May 2S.-A cy-
clone, terribly destructive i'll its effects,
has visited this town.
At II o'clock fifteen persons arc known
to have been killed and the investigation
Of wrecked buildings has only been barely
commenced. The cyclone did not do
much damage until it reached the center
Of the town On Jefferson avenue it de-
stroycd the Lutheran church, but only
unroofcd residences. 1t most furious
work was done within compass of
four squares, bounded by Jefferson ave
nue., Avenue c and 7th and 9th streets.
Every building in those two squares is
demolished and wrecked.
Fortunately residences i'll that locality
are not numerous, otherwise the loss OF
life would have been much greater than
it now appears to be- The Phillips house,
a hotel, is demolished and seven dead
bodies have been taken from the ruins.
The work OF rescue there is just only be-
gun. The house was we'll filled with
guests.
The Offices of the tour local news
papers, the Monitor, Press, Voice and
Mail were destroyed. The Wellington
foundry was demolished, and Mrs. vii
liam Asher and her sister, Kitt;e Strahan
who happened to be passing there at
that time were buried in its ruins and
killed. Their bodies have been recovered
The destruction in the northeast part o
the city has also been great.
Following is complete list of the
killed: Frank D. Campbell, Jas. Hastic
Leonard Adamson. Ida Jones, Mrs
Asher and sister Kittie Strohn, Prof
Mayor and Horton Upson are missing
and are probably killed. Liut. W. Frcncl
and Cadet Samms of the Salvation army
Mrs. Murphy and child named Matti,
Hodges are badly injured. Cas- Stoncr
Gus Colby, Dick Weaver, Carrie Mitchell
and Ed. Forsyth each received injuries
more or less serious
Streets are impossible and nothing bu
ruin exists everywhere.
At least ~ bodies have already beer
taken out of the Iuins and somcthin!
less than 75 are injured Men are work
ing everywhere, irving to rescue the i'm
prisoned ones.
The day light revealed sad scene q
ruin and dcsolation. Cole and Robin
block, in ruins, took fire and Stlcnuoll
efforts were made to rescue the pcopl
known 20 be buried there. 1t is now be
| hn list ,I n
between twenty and thirty.
a Terrible Scene.
The most appalling scene Of the hou
was that at the Phillips house where
ball was in progress when the cyclon
burst. The dancers were given little OF
portunity to escape from the toppln
structure. AS the building began sway
ing i'll the terrific gale the people in III
: crowded ball room made frantic rus
for the doors. The stairways and hail
were Immediately filled by c-azed me
and women who tore at each other
their mad rush for the open air. Wit
the crash of walls about and over then
there arose great wall of despair trol
the imprisoned and doomed people A
e the timbers crushed down upon Il
struggling men and women who ha
y been merrymakers but a few moment
, before their hoarse cries were throttle
by the weight of the mass of timber
above them.
o Then came the silence of death and III
y sensibllity only to be followed momcl
later by the shrill blasts of the tempe
as it rushed on to other Obstructive wor
and agonizcd shrieks of the injured or d
Z ing who were pinned down in a mass
debris.
Those who escaped from the buildr
began the work Of rescue. Some oftho
!, who fled from the building left wives at
sweethearts, husbands or brothers L
= hind. These they sought in the pile
bricks and timbcrs. As fast as bodi
:, were taken out they were surrounded
, crowd of anxious people who vain
tried to identify their mangled remain
A meeting of the Salvation army W
in progress in the hall near the Robinst
block. The falling walls of this buildi>
crushed the hall and it is known tn
two were killed. 1t is probable tn
J when the wreck is cleared away the
will be found many more dead.
KiIledlwhile.at at PRAYER.
1t was past time for the army to q
iourn. but the storm kept the meeting
One of the members was engaged
prayer when the cyclone struck the Rob
son block. Before any of the soldit
- could rise from their knees the walls
the building gave way with era:
How any of them escaped alive is
marvel.
" Seven persons were in the residence
Squire Smith and the whole number m
at any time be added to the list of de;
Walter Forsyth, one of those rescr
from the debris, has died.
The scene at the temporary hospi
was one such as is rarely witnessed
ccpt upon battlefelds. The floor "
saturated with blood, which gusf
from the wounds of many persons W
NJ were taken there as soon as they co,
be extricatcd from the wrecked buildin
There was little effort at order. Ev,
one was too excited for that. The
iured were carried in and placed in
9 first vacant place that could be tor
- upon the floor. Then the rescuers h
ried away to renew their efforts in bel
of those still in the ruins.