The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-30
THE TORNADO IN KANSAS
100000 Worth OF Property Destroyed In
flnrper-Freaks of the Storia.

HARPER. Kan. May 2a-Thcro is scarcely an
uninjured building in tho city. and some of tho
| best buildings and blocks are totally demol-
ishcd SO far. five deaths are known to huvo
occurred.
These buildings were completely wrecked:
Tho Masonic Temple block two stories. orcu-
pied by the HARPER Mercantile Comrauy; G. c.
felzePs cigar factory; tho Thompson block.
two stories. occupied by Moore's Hotel and
Galloway & Refers implement store: Nc
Kutcheons brick block. Prisons foundry. Oil
yer Bros lumber yard. the Opera House Jlock.
and tho Queen City block. Thirty residences
were almost completely destroyed.
Offers OF aid have been sent from IIutchin-
| eon. Kngman. Anthony. Medicine Lodge. and
Attica. From Anthony 100 men organized
into squads OF ten mon each to work among
the ruins to-day. The relief committee have
organized and opened an Office for contrbu-
tions. Tho city is full of visitors from near
! and far. Special trains have been run on the
Santa F6 and the Houston and Texas Railroad.
The loss is estimated at 100000.
Many families are homeless. without cloth
ing or food. heavy black cloud now hangs
over tho city. and a heavy rain is imminent.
which would be an additional misfortune to
the many whose houses are unroofcd.
WELLINGTON. Kan. May 2a.-lti is known to
n certainty that twenty lives were lost in
Friday nights tornado in this city. and the
fatally injured list is adding hourly to the list
OF tho dead. There are n half dozen persons
known to be missing. but no trace of their
bodies can 10 found until the wrecknye OF the
Phillips House and the stores on WASHINGTON
avenue have been removed. The Phillips
House register cannot be found. and the clerk.
Henry h aaam + nnc1nSel9ns The dead who
are thirty-two injured persons. some of whom
I
the reception Of the Injured. Tho country poo CO.
pie are beginning to come in to administer to
t!he wants Of the sufferers. A special train
from Wichita yesterday morning brought
physicians. and late last night Il relief corps of
workers arrived from the same place to relieve
the tagged out men who worked all Friday
The bali that was in prorrcss at the Phillips
~ struck up when the storm: came. Ladies in
evening dress He'd terroc-stricken into tho
was falling. Strange to say. not one Of those
who thus ran out of the hote! was XII led out
right. although nearly all were injured. Where
the ballroom stood is n bile OF brick and lun,-
ber twelve feot high
Two hundred men worked at tho ruins oil
day fcscuing ono man Henry Smithers who
WAS found in n boy.where he had taken refuge.
There, were two feet of brick above him int
he was badly frightened
A"the Of r bs Of ra hS S 10 its
Bowers, Bowerss house was, unrooied
and the baby. taken from its cradle was car
ried four blocks and laid on tho grass in tho
Mayors yard. whore it WAS found. crying in
the heavy rain storm early on Saturday morn
ing. unhurt 1t did not even have q cold. and
does not seem at all hurt from its all might
exposure on tho wet ground. with chill wind
blownG regular gale until dnybrcak.
twenty freight cars were standing in tho
Rock Island yards. Ten of them were taken in
one direction and ten in another the two
punches being found mile apart smashed t"
smithereens. 1t was in one OF these cars that
Henry James. the hoy TRAMP was found.
Stoves were lifted until they finally landed in
the upper floors OF the ruins. How this was
done IS beyond explanations but it is fact. In
one instance Il horse was taken from his stable
and dumped on top OF Il two-storv building.
The Lutheran Church. frame building. was
taken IN. turned completely over. and now
stands with the floor upward. as solid. an
parently. as If it had been built in that way. 1t
had a seating capacity of 100 peoplc.
The old Court House. solid two story stone
structure. was reduced to gravel and splinters.
with the exception of ono little frame Office
that q pair OF donkeys could drag from its
foundation. which WAS lett standin. intact by
the sido Of the ruins.
HARPER. Kan. May 2o.--Thc tornado that de-
yastated Wellington ached this town about
md all electric communication with the ont
side world cut off. At present nine people arc
dead and many moro are not accounted for.