Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-06-29
A KANSAS TWISTER.
Death Dealing Tornado in the Kaw
Valley.
Ten Persons Killed and Many Seriously In
jured Near Wnliamstown-Terrib
Destruction Wrought In
Few Minutes.

PERRY. Kan, June ga cyclone,
which followed zigzag course for a
distance of four and one-half miles from
Perry to eight beyond Williamstown.
laid waste strip of country varying in
width from 100 yards to half a mile,
killed ten people, RACED houses and
barns to the earth, butchered stock and
poultry, destroyed farm implements,
tore up forest trees and Uttered the
highway with debris of every descrip-
ton. 1t began its terrible work at
Perry at 6:15 o'clock Wednesday night
and in five minutes it had spent its
fury.
The dead are: L. +. Evans, Emery
Evans, Mrs. John Hutchinson, Samuel
Kingcade, Mrs. Clara Kingcade, Sadie
Kingcade, Walter Kingcade, Eva King
cade, William Kingcade, William Stew
art. Mrs. Sallie Evans, fatally, and
John Hutchinson probably fatally in
jured; Tommy Goepfert will probably
die: Rose Goepfert is seriously injured.
At o'clock gentle rain began fail
in the vicinity of Perry. 1t came from
the east, and had laid the dust well
when a heavy wind from a little south
of west met similar one from the
southeast, and quickly the heavens
were Overhung with a cloud of lnky
blacl1ness, entirely obscuring the light
The three opposing winds appeared to
meet over the Kirby house, which is
large two-story frame building standing
on the southeast corner Of the business
portion of the town.
This house was moved from it's foun-
dation and the demon then lifted for
nearly a mile when it again struck
the earth and commenced its work
of destruction. The barn and dwelling
of John Goepfert, the dwelling and
houses of William Goepfert were COM
pletely destroyed also the farm house
and buildings of William Baker. Here
the cyclone divided, one fork moving
southeast, the other southwest. The
southeast fork destroyed several
housed, but no one was injured.
The other part of the storm was more
successful in its search for victims for
it scored ten deaths and thousands of
dollars worth of damage. 1t first visit
ed the home of Zachariah Michaels
afther scattering every vestige OF it
over broad acre. Then going south
east it invaded the premises of Zacha-
riah Evans, tearing three small dwell
ing houses into an infinite number of
~
ings SO far away that they have not yet
been found and killing Frank Evans,
Zachariah's brother, who was paving
him a brief visit from Williamstown,
and his son, Emery Evans. His wife,
Mrs. Sallie Evans, cannot recover.
\ short distance east of the Evans
place was the house of Horace Gray.
1t was torn to pieces. Mrs. Gray was
seriously in ured. One horse was killed
outright. From this point the cyclone
took nOrtheasterly shoot until it ar
rived at the Joseph Hurd homestead,
which was occupied by John Evans, a
son of Zachariah. The house and barn
shared the fate of all the others, and
every living thing on the premises
horses, COWS. sheep, chickens and hogs
were killed with the exception of Mr..
Evans, his family and one small pig.
Farm implements were broken in
pieces and tires We're blown from the
wagon wheels and twisted in fantastic
shape.
Again going east a tenant house on
the Hurd homestead lay in the storms
pathway. 1t was the home of Samuel
Kingcade, his wife and seven children,
all OF whom were there except the
oldest daughter, who was visiting a
neighbor. The frail house was soap
bubble in the hands of child. 1t fell
at the first breath, and its ruins, with
the human beings which had become a
part of them, We're picked up by the
twisting clouds and whirled away to
death. Adjoining the premises is a
graveyard, and in this the five bodies
Were dropped. Two OF the children es-
capped death.
The storm had one more errand OF
death to perform. After laying the
bodies of the Kingcade family on the
ground, which covers them tonight, II
spent it's fury on the two dwelling
houses of Mrs. NJ. E. Hutchinson. Both
Were soon in splinters.
The smaller one was occupied by
john, the son of Mrs. Hutchinson. His
wife was carried a quarter of a mile,
where her leg was caught IN a tree
thirty feet from the ground; the body
was torn from the limb, which
remained suspended in the foliage
stripped branches. the trunk being car.
ried several rods further. Mr.. Hutch;.
son was in the barn when it was
raised il the air, and mechanically
Craspe& 4 beam. He sailed through
the heavens like witch on q broom
stick, finally striking the ground as
he claims, uninjured. He was hard hit
by falling debris, however, after land
ing safely and may not recover.
William Stewart, a farm hand on the
Hutchinson place, was instantly killed.
Mrs. NJ. E Hutchinson and her twin
daughters. Grace and Viola, took ref
uge in the cellar and escaped. East of
the Hutchinson home is high bluff.
The cyclone moved directly toward it,
struck it and appeared to glance up
ward more into the air This was the
end of its course on the earth.
The Cholera.
LONDON, June 23.-Cholera report.
from Mecca sho.x that from June I6 to
June 20 there were $50 deaths from
chOla,-.a IT, that oitv