The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-29


| large frame building with Il seating
capacity of about 700. Farther down IL
| struck the Episcopal church and reduced
1t to splinters. 1t then spitetully went
out OF its way to Harvey avenue, where 1t
| encountered the imposing Presbyterian
| church and crushed that into shapeless
mass. 1t completely destroyed everything
| IN the church Dut the ministers pulpit
| chair, which it picked out from the hying
debris and safely landed without CRACK
or scratch on the lawn. Part OF the
building WAS blown over 10 the side OF the
parsonage but fortunately it did 10 dam
age to that building.
| After venting its wrath on this temple OF
religion, it retraced its steps to its old
| pathway, and with redoubled force, com
| menced carrying every thing before 1t.
| When il reached Washington avenue 1t
| broadened out SO as to catch the two best
| blocks in town on both side of the main
! business street and between Harvey and
Ninth streets Every building on either
side Of the street between Seventh and
| Ninth was turned upside down and re-
| duced to Smithereens, including the old
| stone court house, except little frame
| building, which stood near the latter build
| ing; this il left intact, although Il was the
| ligAtest building in the block. The roof OF
| the opera house caved in, and unrooied
every building on both sides of the street
is singular but it took away the rear walls
OF the building on the east side Of the street
which were opposite from It's course. II
then edged its way southwark. After max
ing TWO livery stables bite the dust. 10 cut
the rear walls out OF the SIX buildings that
composed the handsome brick sumner
County Standard block, except the wall
of the postoflice, which its patriotism al
lowed 1t to overlooked, y company Of
| National Guards was drilling III the next
! building 10 the pOstofiice at the time. Al
ter taking the rear wall bodily before the
eyes of the soldiers: ii seemingly suspend
ed its patriotism towards Uncle Sam and
took the roof from over their heads.
IU next tackled the building at the end
of the row. where tie Sumner County
Standard and Wellington Daily Mail are
printed. 1t played smash sure enough
with this building. taking away the rear
wall and scOoplng out round hole ID feet
in diameter in the east wall. Fred Bo-
hanna, editor Of the Daily Mail, was in
the Office at the time. Hearing the roar,
ne planted himself up in the corner of his
sanctum, where he remained in misery
for about three minutes. 1t had no respect
for the press, for it destroyed every print
ing office in town. The Offices of the Mail,
the Voice and the Monitor are completely
destroyed, while the Standard Office is
badly wrecked. Before il reached the
Standard block it struck the telephone
Office Miss Harp, the operator, jumped
from her revolving chair and went to the
other side of the board stand. She WAS
not a quarter OF a second too quick, for the
brick fire wall overhead came crushing
through the ceiling and absolutely filled the
vacant chair 50 full of bricks that if the
young lady had staId in it she would have
been killed without question. AS 1t was,
she did not get a wound, although the
WI a Stnn1 h4sIIp her rpeaiVaI
a bad scalp wound from falling bricks.
Leaving the Standard block il swept across
the street and reduced the front walls of
the Moore foundry to dust.
The Phillips house was the worst wreck
of all. That building was completely re-
duced to splinters except the mansard
roof, which dropped down on the ruins,
giving the wreck "A peculiar appearance.
The Phillips house was ii frame building
OF about fifty rooms and was the oldest
hotel in the city. The storm struck the
new Sumner county court house with all
its force but did not injure it a particle.
1t also struck the First ward school house.
a very imposing brick structure, and re-
duced all of it above the first story to
spiinters and dust. This building Was
protected by a cyclone policy. Scores of
other houses were completely demolished,
while hundreds were seriously damaged.
AFTER THE STORM.
1t is impossible to describe the wreck
or to locate it, 1t is everywhere, and
the streets in the path of the storm
are like dead, dull Michigan
canals full of raft timbers.
That is not good description of it. either;
the scene looks more like one of the great
big. chOpping, tiemaking. rail-splitting
districts of Missouri, while the places
where the big brick blocks stood look like
deserted brick kilns, crum6ling in ruin
and decay. Piles Of tin sheets are strewa
everywhere and in every direction on the
ground, while strips of it are hanging over
and Tapping against the sides OF stone
walls, making a terrible noise. Then
a gain, sheets of tin are hanging on tele
phone poles and mingling amid the
branches of trees. All the wires in the
city are down and trampled in the mud,
while here and there lamp posts are seen
wrenched from their fastenipgs and
strewn along the streets. Trees! They are
strewn everywhere. Some of them were
picked out of the ground, some of them
were twisted at the base entirely out of
shape. while some of them are actually
cut off at the top rs neatly as if the job
WAS done with knife. Signs have been
scattered in every direction, and wagon
beds, and bugGies, aud wind mills and
well curbings. and hencoops, and stables.
and fences are strewn for miles around.
Beds and bed clothing are hanging on
trees, and so are chairs and tables, and
harness, and, in fact. every imaginable
thing a man can think of.
Everything from the Woods opera
house 10 the court house is "A heap of ruins.
The Cole and Robinson block is complete
ly wrecked This building was occupied
hy the Alliance exchange, 1t cost about
SIS, ,00O aud was a handsome structure.
" hen the building fell it caught fire and
for a moment the uidZe assumed the pro-
portions OF 4 COuIraGatIOn. When the hre
started screams could be heard in the
building, and soon il was observed that
two women were in the ruins and stood in
imminent danger of cremation. These
two women were Mrs. Sasher and her sis
ter, Miss hittie oJrahan.
A FIRE HORROR.
The fire bell rang at the moment the fire
was discovered and both volunteer fire
companies responded promptly They
fought tGe flames like Trojsus and desper-
ate risGs OF lie were taken TO rescue the
unfortunate women, who were beneath
the wreck. from ne fierce flames that were
gradually reaching them. Their;cries and
screams We're simply terrible, and pierced
the hearts Of every one present Mr.
Sasher was frantic spectator of the horri-
bic scene. He wrung his hands and
moaned piteously, and at one time made
desperate effort TO jump into the raging
flames to die by the si4e Of the woman
whom he led to the altar blushiag bride
four months ago.
The fire began to wane. the crying and
moaning ceased, and al intuitiYely felt
that the spirits Of the two ladies had aS-
cended like the smoke Of their funeral