Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-06-02
SWEPT BY A CYCLONE.
oREArLoss OF LIFE IN. A KAN
SAS TOWN.
fifty Are killed and ieo Others Injured
--Fire In the Wrecked District Adds TO
the Horror of the Dissster-rhe Electric
Light Plant Destroyed.


Wellington (Kan.) special: This city
has had visitation tonight friday
from the funnel shaped cloud which
plowed It's devastating track through the
business part OF the town, with immense
destruction Of property and heavy loss
of life. A storm of wind preceded the
cyclone about half an hour. A few
minutes after o'clock the cyclone
struck the city, coming from the south
west. There were no premonitory
signs. Everybody was indoors, and the
cloud passed with its destructive
rush and awful roar unseen. Jefferson
avenue, the principal business street, Is
lined on both sides for blocks with ruins.
Those known to be dead are: Mrs.
William Asher, Frank ID. Campbell,
Michael Tanning, laborer; Walter For
syth, james 4. HASTE, Ida Jones, dining
room girl at the Phillips house; - Nc
Adams, X. Silva, Mrs. Susan Slasher,
burned; Kittle Strain, two unknown
men, Salvation Army soldiers. The in
jured whose names were learned are:
Edward Forsyth, James Lawrence, can
didate for Attorney General,
The people were thrown into such
state of excitement and the torrent OF
rain which succeeded the cyclone fell so
mercilessly that no organized search
for the dead and dying was attempted
for some time, and the darkness almost
baffled the efforts OF the most earnest.
How many may lie dead In the ruins
of the Phillips House and beneath the
ragged piles of broken brick and splin-
tered timbers everywhere about there
Is as vet no means of estimating.
AS fast as the injured are found they
are being conveyed to the Grand Army
Hall, which serves as q hospital, and
their number is now increased to sixty
three. The number OF the dead Is now
reported as being fifty. All OF the finest
buildings are in ruins, and every news
paper Office In the city is wreck. 1t Is
now estimated that the number OF build
ings destroyed exceeds 200 and the ma
jority of them are business blocks.
While the Ball Was In Progress.
A ball was in progress at the Phillips
Hotel, and the guests were nearly all
there when the storm broke. Seven
bodies, all unidentified, have been taken
from the ruins.
Beneath the ruins imprisoned occu-
pants were calling for aid, while many
| others were beyond earthly assistance.
Some OF the guests escaped as by
proprietor of the hotel says his house
was we'll filled and he does not see how
1t was possible for many OF his guests,
who were In their rooms In the upper
| stories of the structure, to have escaped.
To add to the horrors of the hotel
wreck fire broke out in the ruins, and 1t
Is believed some who might have been
taken out alive persisted In the flames
and smoke. Seven bodies thus far have
been taken from the ruins OF the hotel.
A Woman Burned to Death.
Flames also followed the cyclone in
| the debris of the Robinson Block on
| Washington avenue. Mrs. Susan Asher
was known to be in the ruins. Those
who first reached there heard her call
ing for help. They went TO work with
a will, when the flames, which had al
ready made some progress, seemed to
| gain fresh Impetus A sheet OF fire
swept over the spot where the woman
was pinned down by timbers, and the
rescuers were compelled 10 retreat, leav-
lug her to her fate.
Farther down the street are the Offices
of the Monitor, Press, and Voice papers.
They were completely wrecked. Build
| ings and contents are alike useless.
Across the street were the fragments of
big business block. Here, under
great timber, was found the body of
Michel Tanning, laborer.
The wreck of every business house
was much like those described. All had
occupants. That large number Of these
are dead Is beyond question. 1t was
impossible for them to escape. Among
| the other buildings of prominence de-
stroyed are the Wellington foundry and
the First Ward School Building.
One Hundred Houses Destroyed.
The width of the cyclones path was
| about two blocks. In the residence sec
ton the destruction was nearly as great
as in the business portion OF the town.
Fully 100 residences are practically ru-
ined, and, in fact, the whole north part
of the city is devastated. The Presby-
terrain and Lutheran churches, the old
stone court house, the Wellington Ho-
| tel-all are in ruins.
The streets are impossible. Where
buildings on the edge OF the storms
path withstood It's fury, great trees,
twisted into fantastic shapes, are prone
across the roadway, while entangled In
the branches and trunks is network of
telegraph wires, the whole forming a
thorough bar to progress on sidewalk or
street.
The work Of caring for such of the in
jured as have been extricated from the
wreck is proceeding as rapidly as 1t is
in the power of hundreds of the towns
people to expedite it.
All Sorts of Rumors Prevail.
1t is at this time utterly impossible to
state with absolute certainty the loss Of
life. The excitement is such that II is
impossible to speak with knowledge Of
entire facts as to either loss of life, in
juries, or damage TO property. The
widest rumors prevail, and the estimate
previously given is the most conserva-
tive possible under the circumstances.
That the death and damage are great no
one can gainsay.
Wellington is the county seat OF Sum-
ner County, Kansas. 1t has a popula-
ton of 10000. Thrifty and enterpris-
ing, 1t Is located In the center of q
thickly populated agricultural district,
and Is the most prominent town In
Southern Kansas. This is the first cy-
clone that has ever visited the town.
This and That.
TurpE ara now ailver watohaa mada