People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 April 1893 — STORMS WORK RUIN. [ARTICLE]

STORMS WORK RUIN.

Kamm, lowa, Nebraska and Missouri Visited by Wind, Hall and Kain—Several Town* Almost Wiped Out of Existence— I The Los* of Life, It Is Feared, Will Be Considerable. Hiawatha, Kan., April 12.—Meager dispatches received here from the southern part of Kansas say that a cyclone passed over that portion of the state and that three towns, Willis, Everest and Powhattan, were laid in ruins. A* communication with those points is slow it is almost impossible to estimate the loss of life or property. It seems almost certain that some lives were lost and it is feared that but few in the villages named escaped injury. Hail broke hundreds of windows and it is feared spoiled prospects of a fruit crop this year. Near Robinson, the 14-year-old son of F. P. Polton, a wealthy merchan, was struck by lightning and instantly killed. ‘ Kansas City, Mo., April 12.—Parker, a small station on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroad, was struck by a cyclone at 7 o’clock Tuesday evening. The business part of the town is a complete wreck as well as half the residence portion. Several persons are reported' killed and a large number seriously injured. Another cyclone struck Walnut, in the northern part of the state, at about 9 o’clock, and after causing much damage there switched off northward into Missouri and struck successively the towns of Mayview, Page and Hig’g'i ns ville. All along the route houses were blown down, outhouses and fences destroyed and numerous cattle killed. In Higginsville and Mayview the damage was slight, but in Page it is said that the whole town was laid . waste. In the latter place a man named Walker and his two children were ! caught in the ruins of his house and all were killed. Telegraph wires all over the state are down. St. Louis, April 12. Thunder and lightning, hail and wind combined Tuesday evening to form the severest storm this city has had for years. The steamer D. H. Pike, lying at its , wharf at the foot of Locust street, 1 with no steam up and five men on board, was blown adrift, and, as no trace could be had of it, it is feared she is sunk with all on board. The harbor boat City of St. Louis, with a small . crew aboard, was also blown from the same wharf and has not been heard from. Two wharfboats met with a similar fate, but it is believed there ' were no persons on board. ' The later storm created great havoc throughout the city, although at no place was the damage great. Trees, roofs and outbuildings were blown down and several runaways were reported. Several persons have been slightly injured, but none seriously so far as known. At the mammoth store called the Grand Leader, being erected on North Broadway, a portion of the uncompleted structure was blown down, causing 815,000 loss. Sioux City, la., April 12.—The town of Akron, la., on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road, 30 miles north of this city, which has a population of about 10,000 people, was devastated by a cyclone Tuesday afternoon. Houses were thrown from their foundations and overturned and many of them blown to pieces. The damage in the town is estimated at 8-50,000. The streets were littered with bedding and articles of household furniture. Many buildings in the country were damaged, and reports indicate heavy damage all along the path of the storm. The storm followed the Sioux valley south to Westfield. Its path was marked by demolished houses and barns. Two people, a man and his wife, were killed at one farmhouse. Several others were badly injured and many horses and cattle were killed. Omaha, Neb., April 12. —At midnight meager details from the path of the terrible storm that swept the northern part of the state late in the afternoon, indicate loss of life and terrible destruction of property. The greatest interest centers in information from Page. At 9 o’clock a wire was found that worked to Page for a few minutes. Then for some reason communication was again cut off. The operator at Omaha got this much out of a special telling of the awful destruction of the town: “A terrible cyclone struck Page during the afternoon. Mrs. Payne, wife of a local merchant, and two children were fatally injured and many were hurt. The Paynes were blown from their front porch a long distance and Injured by flying debris. Many other persons were hurt, but how seriously cannot be determined at present, though the situation is terrible. Many houses were torn to pieces and the town is in a wreck. A torrent .of rain fell while the cyclone prevailed. Nearly all of the inhabitants of the place were more or less seriously injured, as the storm came up so suddenly that the people did not have sufficient warning to seek places of safety before their homes were torn to pieces by the wind.” Here the wires failed to work longer and no further information is obtains-* ble. It is believed accurate details from the path of the storm will show great loss of life and greater destruction of property. Centralia, April 10. —A cloudburst Tuesday evening caused the entire city to be submerged, dbing thousands of dollars damage. A little river winds through the thickly settled part of the city, along which are a number of cottages with basements, all of which were flooded and the contents totally ruined. The lower floors of over twenty houses were flooded, many to the depth of 5 feet. The electric light company is the heaviest loser.