The Butler weekly times., 1897-07-01
THE HURRICANE.
Terrible Destruction by Wind
in West and South Bates.
Towns Wrecked, Farm Dwellings, Barn,
and Outbui'dngs Demolished.
Orchards Destroyed and Shade and 0rns-
mental Trees Broken off or Taken
up by the Roots.
Wheat Shocks Scattered to the Four Corners.

The terrible wind storm which
passed over a portion of this county
| Thursday evening late, last week,
! was one of the most severe and de-
vastatipg that has ever visited this
| locality of the state. The damage is
spread over quite large scope of
country, and it is almost impossible
| to get at anything like true synop-
sis of the real loss.
The wind came from the northwest
and was described as being in the
nature of hurricane. The clouds
were black as ink, and the roaring
noise of the wind, deafening peals of
thunder and constant flashes of fork
ed lightning, gave the people ample
warning that the elements were
greatly disturbed and that something
out of the ordinary line of a gentle
rain storm was approaching.
| 1t was probably from this warning
that people took the necessary pre-
caution in protecting themselves in
cellars and other places of safety that
there were no lives lost in the house
smashing, barn-wrecking confusion
which came with the advance guard
of the inky clouds and forked- -tongued
electricity. While the storm was
pretty general the material damage
was to the western and southern part
of the county. Among the towns
caught which suffered were Amoret,
msterdam, Foster and Virginia in
the Western part, and Rich Hill in
the Southern part of the county.
The following is a partial list of
damage at Rich Hill, as CLEANED from
the Review of that city:
One-half of the Rich Hill lead and
zinc smelling plant was razed to the
ground and afterward consumed by
, fire which broke out during the
storm. This plant cost 500, 900 at the
, time Of its construction.
i. The canning factory, a large brick
; building, was demolished.
The alnphitheatre, floral and agri
, cultural hall, judges stand, 100 horse
: stables and all the outbuildings of thu
! Rich Hill Fair Association were des
troyed, but all will be rebuilt.
The r. E. Buckeridge brick bloch
was unroofed and metal cornice de
molished and its contents, a larg
line of millinery and dress goods OF
the first floor, as we'll as household
goods on the second floor, badly dam
:; aged by water
The grocery department. OF tn
Ithree-story brick block of the N.
e Cowles Mercantile company was dis
mantled and its contents badly dam
IS aged by the rain, which fell in toi
- rents.
:, The Talmage house, three-stor
II brick, was unroofed and fire wal
- blown down.
u A part of the cornice and roof {
y al l,o II Ia fXy0-Srnrv hfIrk
were carried away by the wind.
o The high steeple on the Walnu
Street Methodist church was crack
v ed on four sides and SO badly dan
aged that it has been condemned.
Is will be rebuilt.
The Episcopal and Cumberlar
~ Presbyterian churches were bot
:" somewhat damaged.
The fire walls of the Daily Revie
III office were blown asunder
The new Calvary Baptist churc
In course OF erection, was bad
Id sprung.
N Two school buildings sustain,
- partial damage.
"' The Memphis round-house W
Is wrecked.
lg Numerous plate glass windo'
a were broken, fiues blown asunder al
~ trees by the hundreds uprooted
~ broken down by the storm. Thou
TO ands of dollars worth of minor dal
age was done in the town and 81
rounding country. Grain and GO
fields were leveled and orchar
ruined, several barns and small cou
-, trv houses were wrecked.
VI The miners houses in the subur
VI III of Rich Hill, which are mostly sm'
= structures, Jared badly, many bell
{! wholly destroyed. The villages
- Shobe and Sprague, from three
i;s six miles north and west of Rich hi
az Sustained severe damages, but most
~. of a minor nature, because so even
"' distributed. The storm was more
the nature of a gale than cycloI
though trees ten and twelve inch
= in diameter were uprooted. L
total loss will amount TO many thol
" u ands of dollars, but will not f
~ heavily on any one individual, a
~ damages will be promptly repaire
"a Not one person was seriously
II jured.