Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1894-06-30
A FEARFUL STORM !.
Ellsworth, Overwhelmed With Tor
rents of Water.
Wind, Lightning and Hail Add to
the Devastation.
From the Ellsworth Reporter.


About o'clock p. m. Monday, during
the prevalence of high east wind, the
clouds that had been scurrying over the
city were seen to thicken and bank up
in the western horizon. At first everyone
supposed that the blessing of good rain
was about to be sent upon the section
of the county west of us. while Els
worth was doomed to another disap-
pointment. 1t was not long, however,
until the clouds assumed a green and an
cry look, and were noticed to be return
ing on their track towards the city. This
time they came in solid, threatening
mass, the edges white and foaming, fly
ing swiftly upward, while dark masses
rolled in beneath, turned white and
sped upward in their turn. Those who
observed the coming storm closely, say
that the meeting of the east and west
winds was marked as plainly defined in
the clouds as it might be marked upon
map. Bye o'clock the rain began to
pour down upon Ellsworth. while the
the wind and lightning were frightful in
the extreme. The rain came down in
sheets, and near the ground drifted in a
horizontal direction, sitting into and
through every crack and crevice on the
exposed sides of buildings. The hail,
light at first, gradually increased in di-
mansions until the average hailstones
were the size of walnuts; they bounded
upon the roofs and siding like rocks, and
crashed through glass and screens like
bullets. No glass was thick enough to
turn them, even the splendid plate glass
in the banks being smashed to pieces.
In the course of thirty minutes the
water from. the hillsides came rushing
through the streets and soon rose high
enough to sweep horses off their feet.
Barns, outhouses, sidewalks, and avn
ings were swept away and carried against
the railway embankment southeast of
town. Every cellar in the business por-
ton of the city was filled, water spurted
out through cracks and forced it's way
through doors until nearly all the first
floors were covered, sometimes a foot in
depth.
At the Ballou house the whole force
gathered in the office and sat perched ON
chairs, tables and counter. as the house
was flooded. Many fine tres were de-
stroyed and immense damage done to
gardens, as well as to carpets, plastering,
etc, in all parts of the city.
But the most serious loss of the storm
was occasioned by the collapse of the
two brick buildings of R. w. Long and
R. Ruehl. These two buildings were on
the corner of Doughlas avenue and End
street, and together occupied frontage
of of fifty feet and a depth of sixty feet.
The two houses were two stories in
height and were practically one. The
corner room was occupied by r. W.
Long, grocer, who carried stock of no
less than 1000 in value. Mr.. Ruehl
occupied the next room with butcher
shop and store room. Both families oc-
cupied the second stories of their re-
spective buildings for residences. With
the rush of water down the streets and
into the cellars, supplemented by the
fierce wind, the houses went down like
paper, Ruehl's first and Longs in few
seconds afterwards. Fortunately the
preliminary swaying and cracking
warned the inmates and they were ena-
bled to escape, yet as by hairs breath.
Little Ralph Hissem was in Mr.. Longs
store, and Mr.. Long seized him together
with his son and hurried them into the
alley. Later Ralph was found up a tree,
safe, sound and undismayed, not even
frightened.
The worst of the storm was from two
to five o'clock in which time it was alb
solutely at the peril of drowning that
anyone ventured into the streets. By
eight O'Clock the water had subsidized
and the streets were filled with sight
seers and laborers, the one curious to
see what damage had been done, and
the other as ager.to repair it. A large
force of men volunteered to aid Mr..
Long in the rescue of such goods as were
savable. Of course the loss is practically
total.
Most of our citizens suffered more orless
loss, but these petty losses are lost sight
of in the universal sympathy for those
whom misfortune has SO grievously in
jured.