The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-29
Special DIsnatch to the Daily Eagle.

Special Dispatch to the Daily Eagle.
WELLINGTON, May 2S-If all the artill-
cry in the national arsenals had been firing
grape and canisterinto Wellington Cor the
past forty-eight hours the wreck and ruin
could not be SO complete as it was this
morning when the gray streaks of the
dawning day shed sufficient light on the
scene of devastation to reveal, through the
eye, to the senses, the full measure Of the
ruin that had been wrought by the en-
ragged and ferOcious elements. 1t is inn
possible for the brains of those who have
not seen the wreck to conceive its extent
or to form an idea Of the peculiar seusa-
tions it inspires.
The scene was peculiarly impressive this
morning at o'clock, when the special
train bearing fifteen doctors came in from
Wichita. A mantle Of appalling darkness
overspread the city and lanterns dimly
burning were seen fitting about, as
though floating in mid-air or carried by
invisible hands. A fire was lighting in
the middle of the street, in front Of the
fated Phillips house, and as the gaunt
shadows of men hoped about the circular
edges of its halo no one could fail to re-
member the ghosts and goblens that filled
his youthful imaginatiOns. Every now
and then a quartette or a siXtette of silent
men would solemnly and suddenly wind
around a corner or emerge from the dark
ness bearing a stretcher with a prostrate
form upon II, and you would involuntarily
halt and shudder, and shy away from it
and try in vain TO force your flesh from
creeping aud crawling and wriggling from
the soles of the feet to the crown of your
head. The majesty of DEATH as it appears
in form suddenly stricken from the roll
of the animate, is truly awe inspiring, and
fills the soul with Il seriousness that is be-
yond description, particularly when this
form-wrapped in ghostly white sheet
emerges suddenly from darkness OF
Egyptian density. The genius only Of
Poe could do justice to such subject.
When the eastern sun gradually lower
ed the veil of the horizon from his face
and showed to the world "A cheerful coun-
tenance-for beautiful sun arose this
morning, as if in mockery of the dismall
pail that overhung this part Of the world
the women and chidaen timidly ventured
out, the latter clinging tenaciously to the
corners of the aprons of the former, to
view the wreck. Every woman had 4 tear
in her eye and burden of sorrow in her
heart. They met on corners in groups,
with faces blanChed with some peculiar
nervous dread, and there they talked in
subdued tones, as If they were afraid Of
awakening the dead. Every sigh and sob
that escaped them sank into the little
souls of their Ilittle offspring and made
them cling closer TO the maternal apron.
Poor Wellington, the beautiful city that
stood yesterday in the middle of an emer-
aid ocean of bilowy prairie, a monument
to the enterprise of her energetic and pro-
grcssive children, is today partially buried
in her own ruins Some who feign wis
dom may say that she viii never recover
from the blow the elements dealt her. bat
these people do not know the spirit OF the
men of Wellington-they do not know the
acknowledgement of the capital of
grand Old sumner, with an annual wealth
producing power of an empire The fiery
God decended on Wellington a few years
ago. with fury equal TO last nights tor
nado. aud reduced great part OF it to
ashes. But Wellington rose from the
ashes. She was borne up by the enter
prise of her citizens, and stood forth. the
next dsy as it were, ten times finer city
than it was before.
Yes, Wellington will rise from her ruins
as she rose from her ashes; she will be
borne up by the grit and mettle of her
children, and a year hence she viii be a
more beautiful city than she was yesier-
day, when she was blooming like the rose
that bedecked the soft verdure Of the T0a,-
600 acres OF land OF which she is the capi-
tol. This is a prediction based on the rec
ord Of her psst. Her generous bosom will
yield as good brick as that which has
been crumbled into dust and the grit Of
her sons and the genius Of her fair daugh-
tiers will build and beautify as many fine
homes as she prided herself in possession
of yesterday.
THE STORM
The storm commenced its work of ruin
and devastation at a few minutes after 9
o'clock. Its course was from the west and
its roar was terrible to hear The noise
Immediately ceased, and a momeut's dead
calm followed. Then the roar commenced
again, and for three minutes everything
was chaos. There is high ridge in the
western part Of the city, which is occupied
by palatial residences. Immediately east
of this. and between the opposite hll
where the main part II The cily stands,
there is Il deep draw about 500 yards in
width. The Rock Island road runs down
this little valley. The wind never touched
the western hill. but dipped down in the
valley, took two heavy freight cars from
the switch, and the Office of the Rock
Island elevator, and pitched them 2}0 feet
from the place where they stood. Il raised
from the valley to the top OF tse mex hIll.
and then il swept que north between
Seventh ana Ninth streets aud took every
thing NaN. took me Et Inc
recently occupied by Banker Speers and
completely turned IL around /, then
swept on and took every house it struck