The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1892-06-04
ACITY DESTROYED
Fearful Destruction and LOSS OF
Life by a Cyclone at Will
ington, Kan.
Hotels, Filled With Guests
Churches and Business Blocks
Demolished.

has had n visitation tonight from the Jun
mel SHAPED cloud which p%loushed lis oev'
asta,inr track through this part OF the
state with immense destruction OF property
and some loss ofli:e. just how much II Is
impossib!e to tell at this wr''lhs'
A heavy storm of wind and rain preceded
the cyclone about half an hour. There
we're no prcmonition signs. Everybody
was indoors and the cloud passed with us
destructive rush and awful roar unseen.
Washington avenue, the principal ousl-
moss street, is lined on both sides or blocks
with ruins. 70 add to the horror, fire broke
out among the debris of Col. Robinsons
blocks and a M Mrs. Susan Asher, IS
supposed to have persisted i'll the flames. "A
solid block Of brick buildin:s containing a
half-dozen stores and tine Monitor, Press,
and Voice printing offices lies a tumbled
heap oil 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
in the ruins. Hundreds OF dwellings are
totally destroyed or more or less damaged
The city is in darkness, as broken "!alns
made it necessary to shut down the gas
works and save
DESTRUCTION FROM FIRE.
Hon. James Lawrence, candidate Tor al
tornev general, had an arm broken. Waiter
Forsyth was taken from the ruins badly
wounded. Seven bodies have been taken
out of the Phillips house ruins, and a large
force of men are hard at work removing
the debris. Two members Of the Salvation
Army are expected to die from injuries re-
ceived. At S0Aire Smiths residence seven
persons are more orlessinjured. The street
are Uttered with tin roofing, . clo1l
awnings, broken glass and timbers. Every
body is on the streets carrying l.nl>l. 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 Mai.
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 ~ people were
killed and one hundred twenty-five injured.
but the confusion is to great that the exact
loss Of lie cannot be stated definitely
The Wellington hotel and the Phillips
house, the two largest hotels in the city,
were completely wrecked, and the ruins o.
the Phillips house took fire. Many Of The
guests were doubtless
BURNED TO DEATH.
At11:15 o'clock fifteen bodies had beer
removed and the investigation of the
wrecked buildings had only barely begun.
The cyclone did not do much damage unit
it reached the center of the town. Or
Jefferson avenue it destroyed the Presby,
terrain church. but only unroofed the resi-
dences. Its most disastrous work was don,
in the compass of four squares
bounded by Jefferson avenue, Avenu,
" anu CeNcltH ana MINI streets
Every building in those two squares wa.
demolished and wrecked. Fortunately tn,
residences in tina. locality are not numerous
otherwise the loss of Ii might have bee,
greater than it now appears to be. Tn,
Phillips hotel was demolished and sever
dead bodies have been taken from tn,
ruins. The work Of rescue there has onl,
just begun. The house was wei
filled with guests and the loss O
life in that one house ha
doubtless been great. The Wellingto,
foundry was demolished and Mrs. William
sasscn and her sister. ki,tie Strain, VIII
happened to be passing there u
the time, were buried in it
ruins and killed. Their bodies bav
been recovered. Great confusion prevail
everywhere and the whole facts cannot nov
be learned. Ci'va and Walter FORSYTH
were taken out of the ruins of Conrad
restaurant in a dying condition and bav
since died. Ida Jones was one O
the killed in the wreck of tn
Phillips house. Grand Army hall ha
been converted into a hospital and ther
are now there fifty killed and injured.
Wellington is the county seat of Sumne
county and has a population of 10, 600 in
habitants. 1t is in the center o. a ,hickl
settled district.