The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-11
DID QUEER THINGS
CoIdwater Cyclone and Its
Freaks of Force,
WICHITA MEN WERE IN IT
Miraculous Escape of Mr.. Sui
Iivan of Jett & Woods.

One of the railway mail clerks on the
Coldwater branch last night came in with
the first particulars of the cyclone which
visited Coldwater Tuesday night at 10
O'clock
The cyclone played havoc with the town.
wreolzing over twenty buildings and per-
forming startling freaks of destructive
ness, but miracuIously sparing al but one
man, Mr.. Joe Bowers. prominent cattle
man Of Camanche county. who lived at
CoIdwater.
c. T. Sullivan of Jet & Wood, this city,
a commercial traveller, was the first man
in town to notice from the hotel a large
back cloud coming from the northwest
and another similarly large and black
one coming from the southwest and he
remarked that they looked to him like
they were coming together. He stood
and watched them still longer and sud
denly he noticed in the calm starlight that
almost the same instant both began to
roll and eIongate. That was enough for
him and he rushed into the hotel and
notified the guests and travelling men sit
ting about the Office that he believed they
were going to have a cyclone. He also
asked where the cyclone cellar was. The
guests al laughed at him and told him
he was frightened without cause. There
was a cyclone cellar attached to the
house, but no one would tell Mr.. Sullivan
where 1t was, and the cellar consequently
was unused that night. In a very few
minutes after Mr.. SuIivan's warning to
the guests in the hotel, the wind began
10 get very strong, and the doors TO slam
and people began to prick up their ears
and investigate. The storms had Joined
and the rustling twister first gave evil
dence Of its presence by sending a ter
rife blast Of wind up the street carrying
everything away that was loose. The
tw1ster proper struck the south part of
town, first slightly damaging a few
buildings, ripping off roofs and demolish-
ing chimneys. The storm Immediately
swung around and went TO the west part
and took path up the principal business
street, called Main street, and blew down
the south end of two-story brick block,
occupied by J. o. Leonard, who ran a
restaurant on one side and on the other
side occupied by DR.. Langhead. drug and
furniture business. All the plate glass
windows were blown out at this time.
The next building in the storms path was
the large building of the city, the prin-
cipal hotel where the storm had first
been noticed. The twister wrenched in
the wash-room and turned the kitchen
building around and doubled up a steel
windmill in the rear Of the hotel, and
without further injuring the hotel, passed
on to a large livery stable owned by
Billy Rimple, and completely demolished
IT, distributing portions Of it over the
prairie for rods. The storm then struck
the residence occupied by Joe Bowers and
MS wife and their child. The Eagles in
formant had a conversation with Mrs.
Bowers and her daughter. and obtained
from them the manner of Mr.. Bowers
death. The occupants heard the coming
storm and listened to the windows rat
ting. Mrs. Bowers told her husband 10
go and put the windows down. as there
was a terrible storm coming. She waited
FOR his return for a few seconds. and be-
Ing badly frightened. picked the little
girl up in her arms to go to her hus
bands side, he being in an adjoining
room. The next thing she remembered
was the cold rain pouring down on her
face. which revived her from her stunned
condition, the cyclone having struck and
demolished the house completely. She
ran for assistance, the child stiIl in her
arms, and when a search was made the |
body of her husband was found in |
ditch 900 feet away from the ruins of the |
house, Mr.. Bowers bones were appar-
ENTITY unbroken and the immediate cause !
or his death is not known. The bed from |
which the storm had aroused Mrs. Bow
ers was found 100 feet away.
The next thing the tRister did was r.
play havoc with another livery stable and
a mouse occupied by the depot agent and
the santa Fe depot, which were all more
or less damaged.
The t~ister then followed Up Main
street lifting the roof off the Comanche
state bank and carrying it an eighth Of
a mile away. It then crossed TO the other
side Of the street from the bank and
Struck the largest mercantile house in
that part Of Kansas. owned bv Scbustfra
A-derdice & Alderdice The storm crushed
ms building, raised the roof straight in
me air and then dropped it on the de-
iro.ished building. In this store at the
time was Nj Aiderdice and a travelling
salesman named L. IT. Thompson. NJ
thompson had just a few moments he
fore started 20 81 ~ the hotel. and dis
covering the threatening weather vss
called back by Mr.. A'6er6ice to vrai+ nm
q the storm had passed. They next SAW
the front window bulge In suddenly and
Mr. Thompson took refuge under n heavy
oak counter IN the store. having bes,
warned by Mr.. Alderdice that a -,--r7,,,
must be coming. After the crash Th,--~,-
son noked his head out and yelled Alder
nee. Alcerdice was safe across The s---,-
ana answered. and both men were soon
together. badly scared but unhurt EXCEPT
t2r a few scratches. The twister then
lacked The Presbyterian church carried II
81 feet ana turned IL completely INSIDE
Gown Tn al there were twenty buildings
oio"n down. The damage IS estimated m
between $l5.aao and S25.0aa in destruction of
oul-o-nss and hurt 20 stock. 4 terrific
AIN storm accompanied With hal, followed
me tWlster. which lasted 7bau- FEN min
l'ss' and IN twenty minutes from rhe f~s-
''lo-oaiions of the tv+-iir- storm. The s-a-s
"el+ si'inlnS reS7len55-t.v and Dascs-
tul-E- There Vas no perca--fb,e roar
:. NJ. Jackson. postmaster. his wife ard
h'le sirl We're in the Coma-rhe -
oH'latnE few moments before The r-ssb
ana saw the storm coming. They -r,srs7
put ~ the building to sex 10 their home
Nj AaNson ana the little siri Were caught
Il the vortex of the twts-er. TAev sol
perfectly s'i-l for 3 moment and seemed 10
ne III Tacaan and perfectly und.s.,r5.s
TRY ALIENS F00T-EASF.