The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-04-04
THE KANSAS STORM.
The Sows First ltocelved Not Exnggeru
ed-Oypr Fifty Liycs LosL

. 81 ------
The Nows First ltccelved Not Ixnggernt-
ed-ovor Fifty Livcs Lost
KANSAS CRY, April 3.-Not until Sat-
urday was telegruphic communication
restored with that district OF Southern
Kansas which was visited by tho terri
bio tornado. The incidents OF the dis
aster at various points present many
strange and some horrible features, such
as that which overlook tho famiy OF Al.
bert EsGcrs, who lived on farm near
Wamego. ,;@
h The family had retired for tho night
when tho storn struck tho house. The
force OF tho storm first moved the house
from tho foundation md daahed it to
pieces on the ground, over 100 feet from
its original position. and then carried
away the debris SO that 1t was nearly
impossible to tell whcro its destruction
had taken place. Fragments OF tho
house have been found Us far as mile
from its foundation, and pieces OF the
furniture are scattered all about the
place. Ono chair, but slightly damaged,
was found nearly half 4 mile away
from the sight OF tho house.
VICTIMS FACES LooK powDER.Ev RNED.
Mr.. Eggers was tho only member OF
the family Of four who escaped death.
Mrs. Eggers, who had been sleeping
with her two children, WIS found near.
ly a quarter 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 munsled 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. .-.
James Taylor's house is near That OF
MIR. Eggers. He had been but recently
married. The storm destroyed his
homo and carried himself and wife a
rod from it. The force Of the wind
stripped them Of every vestige Of their
night clothes. 4 =
A BABY DEcArITATEp. y
They were obliged to gather from the
fields what remained OF their clothing,
and make the most OF it. Their neigh
bors were nearly as destitute rs thom.
selves, and every store in the town had
been destroyed.
At Towanda the baby OF james Blake
was one OF the victims. Its body was
not found until Friday noon, and tho
searchers found it without a head. It
had been decapitated, but how has not
been determined. In the temporary
morgue the head and body were laid to-
gether and narrow ribbon tied about
the baby's throat would have entirely
concealed the fatal wound. Tho par
cnts OF the infant were both among the
very seriously wounded Near Strong
City, james Gordon, an old recluse, a
farmer, livod alone. His house was a
two roomcd hut. Tho 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. leaving the body stand
ing in its usual position and its occu-
pant unhurt. When Gordon realized
what had happened he departed from
his usual habit and sought the company
OF his neighbors. i-
So lar rs known the total number Of
lives lost in Kansas is about fifty. It is
believed that most Of the worst disas-
ters have been reported. but there are
still to DO heard from New Kiowa and
Dc eirade and the country districts
where the storm created greatest havoc.
Many isolated fatalities will doubtless
come to light within the next fcw days,
swelling tho death list to a considerable
extent. sst1 w gtsl4!. .'l@{