Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-03
FREAKS OF THE WIND.
Not Enough of Houses Are Left to
Mark Their Location After
THE KANSAS TWISTER PASSED BY.
A Baby Is Decapitated as Neatly as With
Sharpened Knife.
The DEATH ROLL NUMBERS ABOUT so

| KANSAS CITY, April Mot until to-
day was telegraphic communication re-
stored with that district of Southern Kan
sas which was visited by the terrible tor
nado. The incidents of the disaster at vari-
GUS points present many strange and some
horrible features, such as that which over
took the family of Albert Eggers, who
lived on farm near Wamego.
The family had retired for the night when
| tho storm struck the house. The force of
the storm frsl moved the house from the
foundation and dashed it to piece on
the ground, over 100 feet from its
original position and then carried away the
debris so that it was nearly impossible to
tell where its destruction had taken place.
Fragments of the house have been found as
far as mile from its foundation, and pieces
of the furniture are scattered all about the
place. One chair, but slightly damaged,
was found nearly half a mile away from
the site of the house.
Victims Faces Look kPowdsr-Burned.
Mr.. Eygers was the only member Of the
family of fsur who escaped death. Mrs.
Eggers. who had been sleeping with her
two children, was found nearly quar-
ter of mile from the location. Clasped
in her arms was her 6-months-old
babe. Both had apparently been dashed
to death on the ground. and were crushed
and mangled in a horrible manner The
faces of both presented the appearance of
having been powder-burned. Examination
showed that the force of the wind had
driven into their faces and under the skin
small particles of sand and dust.
Mr.. Eggers was found the morning after
farm, oblivious of the injuries he had sus-
tanned. His right arm was broken
and he was badly bruised. He
was made as comfortable as possible by
those who escaped injury. and soon re-
covered consciousness When told of the
fate of his wife and children, his mind wan
dered again, and finally gave way under the
terrible intelligence. 1t is not believed that
he can recover, and even if he does his rea-
son will be gone.
James Taylor's house is near that of Mr..
Eggers He had been but recently mar
ried. The storm destroyed his home and
carried himself and wife a rod from it. The
force of the wind stripped them of every
vestige Of their night clothes.
A Baby Neatly Decapitated.
They were obliged to gather from the
fields what remained Of their clothing, and
nearly as destitute as themselves and every
store In the town had been destroyed.
At Towanda the baby of James Blake was
one of the victims. It's body was not found
until Friday noon, and the searchers found
it without head. Il had been decapitated.
but how has not been determined. The head
was found fully 100 yards from the body.
Guillotine never made a neater decapi-
tation. In the temporary morgue the
head and body were laid together and a
narrow ribbon tied about the baby's throat
wound. The parents of the infant were
both among the very seriously wounded.
Near Strong City, James Gordon, an
old recluse. farmer, lived alone.
His house was two roomed hut. The front
room served as bed chamber. The cyclone
lifted this shell of the building from the
ground, leaving the floors still
firm upon the foundation. leav-
ing the body standing in its usual position
and its occupant unhurt. When Gordon
realized what had happened he departed
pany of his neighbors
Not Telegraph Pole Is Standing.
Along the line of the Northern Pacific
Railway for three miles east of Bismarck,
n D., not single telegraph pole is stand
ing. The line of poles is very substantially
built to withstand strong prairie winds. but
were all snapped off and torn out of the
ground like pipe stems.
So far as known the total number of lives
lost in Kansas is about 30. 1t is believed
that most of the worst disasters have been |
but there are still to be heard |
from New Kiowa and De Giraffe and the |
country districts where the storm created |
greatest havoc. Mary isolated fatalities |
will doubtless come to light within the |
next few days, swelling the death list to a
extent