The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-28
KILLED BYATWISTER
The Ruins of Wellington, Kan,
Contain Many Corpses.
PERIL OF LIFE ON THE PLAINS.
Where Yesterday a Thriving City stood,
To-day Lie Heaps OF Debris, and All
to Furnish Sport for the Wind.

> KANSAS CRY, May PA Journal special
from Wellington, Kan, says: A cyclone
tonight piowed through the business por-
. ton of the town with immense destruc-
ton OF property and some loss of life, just
how much it is impossible to tell at this
writing. A heavy storm of wind pre-
coded the cyclone about half an hour. A
few minutes after o'clock the cyclone
struck the city, coming from the south
west. Washington avenue, the principal
business street. is lined on both sides for
blocks with ruins.
To add to the horror fire broke out
among the debris of Colonel Robinson's
block, and Mrs. Susan Asher is supposed
to have persisted in the flames. A solid
block of brick buildings containing half a
dozen stores and printing offices, lies in a
tumbled heap. Just across the street n
laborer named Tanning was taken out
Of the ruins dead, and it is
thought other bodies are in the pile.
Hundreds of dwellings were totally de-
stroyed or more or less damaged. The
city is in darkness. as broken mains made
1t necessary to shut down the gasworks
and prevent destruction by fire. Hon.
Forsythe were dangerously injured.
Seven bodies have been taken out of the
Phillips house ruins, and large force are
at work removing the debris. Two men,
bers of the Salvation Army are expected
to die from injuries received. At Squire
Smiths residence seven persons were more
or less injured. The streets are Uttered
with tin roofing, cloth awnings and tim
bers. Everybody on the street is carrying
lanterns. 1t 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 were wrecked. The opera
house and dozens of the best buildings
were destroyed, fine school buildings and
churches ruined, and the loss will foot up
many thousands of dollars. Wellington is
the center of thickly settled agricultural
district.
KANSAS CITY, May pa Times special
from Wellington, Kan, says: The cyclone
was terribly destructive. At IL o'clock
fifteen persons are known to have been
killed, and the investigation of the
wrecked buildings is only barely COM
menced. The cyclone did not do much
damage until it reached the GEN.
ter of town. On Jefferson ave-
nue. it destroyed the Lutheran church.
Furious work was done within a compass
of the four squares bounded by Jefferson
avenue, Avenue C, Seventh and Ninth
streets. Every building in those squares
was demolished or wrecked. Fortunately
the residences in that locality were not
numerous, otherwise the loss of life
would have been much greater. The
Phillips hotel was demolished, and seven
dead bodies have been taken from the
ruins. The work of rescue there has only
begun. The house was well filled with
guests, and the loss Of life is thought to
be great. The destruction in the north
part of the city is great. Definite details
cannot now be had, for great confusion
prevails everywhere.
Silva and Walter Forsvthe, taken out of
the ruins of the Conrad restaurant, have
since died. The Grand armory has been
converted into a hospital. and there are
now there fifty killed and injured. The
latest estimates are that fully thirty are
dead and perhaps 100 more or less injured.
Following is complete list of the killed
at 2:30 Saturday morning.
FRANK d. CAMPBELL,
JAMES HASTE.
LEONARD ADAMsoN,
IDA JONES,
Mrs. SAsHER and her sister, KIrTrE STAIN
PROFESSOR MAYOR.
HORT UPsoN.
Lieutenant William French and Cadet
Simms, Of the Salvation army; Mrs. MUIR
ply and child. Matte Hodges. badly in
jured. Charles Stoner, Guy Colly, Dick
Weaver, Carrie Mitchell and Ed Forsythe
each received injuries more or
less serious. The streets are impossible,
and nothing but ruin exists everywhere.
At least fifteen bodies have already been
taken out of the ruins, and something less
than seventy-five injured. Men are work
ing everywhere trying to rescue the
imprisoned ones. No one now can real
ize the extent of the catastrophe,
and daylight will alone reveal the
saddest spectacle of ruin and desolation
ever witnessed in Southern Kansas. The
ruins of the Cole and Robinson blocks
made to rescue the people known to be
buried there.
ST.. LOUIS, May ga Globe Democrat
Wellington special says: The loss
by the cyclone will aggregate $500, 900
Two hundred buildings were de-
stroyed. The house of Squire Smith
was leveled and several members Of the
household mangled, probably fatally. The
fire at this hour ga. M is still raging.
Wellington in 1890 had 1891 inhabitants. It
is situated on Slate creek thirty miles south by
west of Wichita, and is the capital of Sumner
county,
Stoamar SunE in Lake NirhfOan