The Topeka state journal., 1899-04-29
FRANKS OF THE WIND.
Horrible Deaths and Miraculous Es-
capes at KirksviIle


capes at KirksviIle-
KirksviIIe, Mo-, April 29.-The wind
played many pranks and there were
some miraculous escapes during the
great storm
J. T. CoonfeId and his family were
eating supper when the tornado struck
their home. The house was picked up
and carried across a slough and dumped
up against a hill. The building was not
completely wrecked, and the family es-
capped without anything worse than a
severe shaking up
Houses on both sides OF the residence
of W. NJ Hull were blown into splinters,
but the wind was content with twisting
his house off its foundation and leaving
it intact The house was in the center
OF the district and it was used as a hos
pital after the storm.
P. J. Riger, prominent attorney, ran
right into the path of the storm to save
fear. Dashing into the house he car
ried his wife and children into the Gel
lar. AS he stumbled into the place Of
safety the building was leveled to the
ground He was just in time to save
his loved ones and is happy. although
his loss by the cyclone amounts TO
So, 600.
Among the first of the buildings
dence of Mrs Mary E Hensley, in the
southeastern part of the city. Not
vestige of it is left
The Catholic church, fine brick
structure in the northeastern part, was
unroofed and otherwise damag
The large dwelling of Judge Andrew
Ellison, in the same locality was
stripped of its second story. He and his
family and John E. Donegy took refuge
in the cellar and were saved.
The residence of H Lowell, just out
side of town, was twisted into a heap
of ruins and three OF his family killed
and burned in the debris.
Other large residences were lifted
from their foundations and literally torn
into kindlfng wood.
The scenes that met the gaze OF the
rescuers were hOrrifying. An aged man
and his wife had evidently been eating
the evening meal when the cyclone
struck and carried their home away.
They were found dead on the ground
claSped in each others arms No trace
of their house has been seen since.
Several of the dead were found in
spots which would have been the cen
ter of the house had the building not
been blown to splfnters. This was the
case with Mrs. Panschott, who suf-
fered a most terrible death. Her head
less body, with its arms clasping her
lifeless babe, was discovered on the floor
Of the house, which was left as a raised
platform in an open field The head
was as nicely severed as if it had been
done with a knife and was about twenty
feet distant.
Two children had been lying in cot
in one of the destroyed homes The
house was carried away, but the floor
of the first story and the foundation
were left, the wind lifting the house
from the sills and tumbling it a long
distance The cot on which the little
ones lay was lifted up with them on it
and carried fully a block and a half
and set down on the ground. Neither of
the children was hurt.
Along the railroad track between the
depot and Kellog's crossing, a distance
of half a mile, was a. mass of debris.
The wrecks of many homes were scat
tered along there and the trees were
filed with bed clothing and other house
hold goods
One of the strangest occurrences was
the finding of a grooming baby out in
field far from any house. The child
was scarcely scratched. No one has
called for the baby and it has not been
identified.
Another baby was found where it had
been bruised to death by the violence
OF the wind This baby has also not
been identified
Among the horrors of the storm was
the finding of the corpse Of a 16-year-
old girl with a two-by-four scantIing
driven through her body.
The body Of a little child was found
with the limb Of tree sticking through
its back
A citizen was found after the storm
standing over the body of his dead wife
The head had been crushed and severed
from the body
Every member of an entire family.
with the house they dweIt in, are un-
accounted for. and it is believed they
have all been killed They are Franklin
McClay, wife and daughter and Miss
Cora Miller of Brashar, Mo-, who was
boarding with the McCIays