The morning call., 1892-05-29
KANSAS TOWNS WRECKED.
beath and Destruction Caused by a
Terrible Cyclone.
FHB HIED FOLLOWED By AWlTERSPOUT.
Fire CsRSHRsS nsly Of The Wrecked Buildings and
Several Persons Burned lliye-LiSt
Of the Casualties.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

WELLINGTON, Kans, May 2S.-Southern
Kansas has again suffered from a visitation
Of the much-dreaded cyclone, which swept
across Harper and Sumner counties. leaving
death and destruction in its track. To add
to the havoc wrought by the cyclone, a
waterspout devastated the northern part Of
Harper County and lightning claimed its
share OF the damage. Whole towns, farm
houses, barns and trees went down before
the terrible force Of the storm, aud human
life wss rutbleSsly sacrificed Fifteen dead
at Wellington. seven at Harper and
Eve at Argana compose the list of the
victims ia towns while from the country
districts come reports Of six killed. The list
viii probably be increased, as complete
details are wanting.
The storm burst with fearful sudden
ness. giving no one an opportunity 10 escape
It's fury. Al Rego the storm took the
nature Of a waterSpOut, but the details of
the damage have not yet been received, and
It is not known whether any lives are lost
At Wellington the Episcopal church was
blown almost to atoms, while the
Lutheran church. directly opposite.
was turned upside down, and is rest
Ing on its roof, but is otherwise
unhuTt. The Wellington sch0olhouse was
completely wrecked, aud on the top OF the
debris sits heavy stove, upright and uL-
injured FTeigntcars were lifted from the
tracks and carried Il long distance In the air
and deposited Oh the ground uninjured. A
horse was carried TO the roof Of a two-siory
house and deposited there, while a baby
was taken from a cradle in the same house,
carried 200 yards and laid gently on the
ground. being only 81 lightly hurt
The Standard block, consisting of six
brick buildings, was completey y wrecked.
The Wellington Daily Mail and the Sumner
County Standard were published in this
block. Their plants are utterly destroyed,
as were the Monitor, Press and the OIce In
the Specknock block. Tbs foundry and
stove works we're leveled TO the ground. On
Washington avenue every house on each
side Of The street was unr0ofed. The opera
house Is wreck and the Phillips Hotel
ruined. a dozen or more bodies will be
taken from its debris.
The following IS an additional list Of the
injured: Fata ly wounded-Charles Adam
sou, Mrs. Captain Dahan, Mrs. J. I. S.
Hannah. Mrs. N. harpy, Charles StOner "a
Santa Fe cOnductOr). little Maggie King,
Ed FoTsythe. sylvia FOTsythe, Walter For
sythe, eX-SbeTiH Ihrelps child. Mrs. Robert
Millard, James Miller (ReDuOlcan candi-
date for Attorney General, leg and arm
bTOkenl Guy Colby, Dick Weaver, Carrie
Mitchell and I. j. FOrsythe
The search for the bodies continued to-
day with unabated eageTness. and at 1
o'clock this afternoon the body Of James
Mayor, plGnO-tuner OF Kansas City, was
found and taken from the ruins OF the Phil
lips House. Beside him was a bible, which
he was reading at the time the hotel was
destroyed. About 30 minutes later the
body Of Hart UpsOn, barber, was found
o-Fr s- f-s oh IA ksf err.r
Hastie when both were killed. Imme-
diately after the body Of UpsOn was dis
covered the body Of Tom Cornell, farmer
Of Belle Plain. was also found. Lieutenant
French Of the Salvation army anc bis COM
Tade, CRGet Simmons, were very seriously
Injured and may die at any time,
At . O'Clock Jesse Bowers, a cOlOred
barber, who was injured, died. L Forsythe
will probably not survive the night. All
the dead 69dies are now at the undertaker's
and will be buried tomorrow.
Wellington is the country seat Of Sumner
County and has a population Of several
thousand inhabitants. It is in the center
Of thIckly settled agricultural district. Il
is the most prominent town IN Southern
Kansas.
The loss Of property in this city alone will
reach S5O0,0O0. Nearly all the large stocks
OF goods in the city were destroyed by
clOudburst which followed the cyclone. Re-
ports from al over the country west are
ve:y discouraging. While there is no
definite news, the Indications are that the
destruction was terrible. Il is safe 10 say
$50 buildings were wrecked and as many
more partially demolished.
The FIRE in The ruins Of the Alliance Ey-
change building has been subdued. Tue
clothing OF one OF the firemen caught fire
while lie was making desperate efforts 10
rescue some unfortunate women while they
we're being cremated, and he came within
an ace of losing his own life. The women
were Mrs. Sacher and her sister, Miss
Strahm They cried pite0usly for aid, and
MTSacheT was 50 maddeDed by their screams
tBst he endeaVO1ed 60 jump into the flames
and die beside his bride of four months
When he heard that the inCiueTated remains
Of his wife and sister-in-law had
been recovered from the ruins his
mind became unbalanced and at
last accounts he WAS absolutely insane.
The City Council and the executive COM
mittee Of the Board Of Trade met TO-DAY
and decided 10 make no appeal for aid,
although the Mayor admitted the need of it
aud said that any assistance generously
and sincerely rendered would be appre-
eiated.
Up to 10 o'clock tonight there is no ad-
ditions to the death list. Faint groans are
alleged TO have been heard tonight under
tia debris Of the Conrad Hotel and 30 men
are tearing up the piles Of brick and mortar
In hopes Of being able to rescue the i'm
Drisoned victims. 1t is said a woman and
her baby were at the hotel last night hRy-
ing just arrived on a train from the West.
The city is still in darkness. but special
policemen were sworn in, and citizens will
be Insured 9R1lnst any species Of outlaWTy.