Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-06-02
DEVASTATING STORM
Terrible Work of a Tornado in
Southern Kansas.
Wellington, Harper and Argonia In Ruina
Many Lives Lost-Scores Fatally I'M
Jured-The Damage Immense-List
of Some of the Victims.

WELLINGTON, Kan, May 30.-Death |
dealing tornado swept down upon this
city and vicinity Friday night without
warning from the signal service, and
when it had passed on it's fearful way it
left at least ten dead and scores of
wounded and $500, 600 damage in its
trail in this city alone, while at the
towns of Harper and Argonia almost as
great disaster is reported, and in all
the surrounding country there is every
reason to believe that there is death
and ruin.
1t was just o'clock when the storm
descended from the west upon this city.
1t came in a manner that no two can
agree in describing. Some say it was
in the shape of twister, while others
say it did not have the characteristic
funnel shape Of the tornado, while 9th
ers say that it simply descended in the
shape of a storm cloud and then sud-
denly lifted. sucking everything be
meath it with it, and then as suddenly
dropping it.
The loss to property alone in this city
will be 100000 dollars. as nearly all of
the large stocks of goods in the stores
were destroyed by the cloudburst,
which followed the tornado after it had
taken all the roofs away. It is safe to
say that $50 buildings are complete
wrecks, while $50 more are partially
wrecked.
All the casualties are not yet known,
but the following list of the killed is as
accurate as it can now be made: James
HASTE, unmarried; killed in barber
chair in the Phillips house while being
shaved Frank Campbell, married;
killed in the Phillips house. James
Mayor, piano tuner of Kansas City;
killed in his room in the Phillips house
while reading his Bible. Mrs. Sasher,
recently married; crushed and burned
to death. The shock has affected the
mind of her husband. Miss Strand,
Mrs Sashers sister; crushed and
burned to death. Henry Adamson, q
laborer; pierced by heavy fragment of
plate glass James Weaver, occupation
unknown; crushed beneath the walls
Ida Jones, waiter; crushed to death
beneath a falling wall. Hart Epson,
still missing.
Fatally wounded: Charles Adamson,
unmarried; Mrs. Capt Mahan, badly
crushed; Mrs T. j. Hanna, crushed:
Mrs. Murphy, skull fractured; Charles
Stoner, Santa Fe conductor; Maggie
King, young daughter Of the late L. n.
King, wounded: Ed Forsythe, a printer,
bones fractured and internal injuries;
Silva Forsythe, printer, skull frac-
tured; Walter Forsythe, a printer, in
ternal injuries; child of ex-Sherif
Thrall, internal injuries; Mrs Robert
Willard, internal injuries; James Law
IL 70 att
| ney general, arm and leg broken; Lieut.
Summons, Salvation army: Matte
Hodges, Guy Colby, Dick Weaver, Carrie
Mitchell and E. j. Forsythe.
Between forty and fifty more are in
jured. but none seriously.
A ball was in progress at the Phillips
| house when the storm burst. The
dancers were given little opportunity
to escape from the topping structure.
AS the building began sway1ng the peo-
| pie in the crowded ball room made a
! frantic rush for the door. The stair
ways and halls were at once filed by
the crazed men and women, who tore
| at each other in their mad rush for the
| open air. With the crash of the walls
about and over them there arose great
| cry of misery. As the timbers crushed
down upon the struggling people their
cries were throttled by the weight OF
the mass Of timbers above them
4 large portion of the city was com
| pletely devastated and the entire com
munity, consisting OF between 5000 and
5000 people, were thrown into a state
! of CONSERVATION. The wind finally sub
sided, and in a brief time every avail
able man in the city was engaged in the
| work Of rescue, conducted under the
leadership of George Whitley, president
OF the council, and order was SooI
| brought out of chaos
LATER PARTICULARS
HUTCHINSON. Kan, May 3o.-At T:st
o'clock Friday night terrible tornado
burst upon Harper. A cloud from the
east and one from the west seemed *
meet directly over the city. accompanied
by deluge Of rain and hail.
Nearly all the business houses Of the
city were either totally destroyed OF
badly twisted Both the Santa Fe anC
Atchison & Southern dspots were en-
tirely blown away.
Patterson's hotel was blown dowI
and the opcrs house and roller mill de
stroyed.
Will Stevenson had his neck broker
and up to date seven deaths are reported
and many badly injured
All communication was cut of TO
twelve miles and wires are down yet
messages being sent from Cleveland
twelve miles north
ii Cars were blown from the track am
railroads torn up.
/ The track of storm was from q mil
to mile and half wide.
Il At Rago. nineteen miles north o
) Harper. there was a damaging waite
: spout The lightning was terrific am
struck many objects
: Raising the British Flag.
LONDON, May SO.-The news from
America that the authorities at New
York refused to raise the British flag o,
the queens birthday has caused de
, dided sensation, as it is generally consid
t cred in England as reflection not S
i much on the queen as the English pee
{ pie. In view Of the fact that other for
: eign flags are said to be freely exhibite
on the public buildings It is said tina
, the conservatives will make free an
l effectivs use OF the incident as indicai
o ing a distinct unfrierdliness TO the Er
gllsh people where ever the Irish hav
8 political control and as an argumen
against granting home rule for lrelane