Cyclone of 1 June 1878 and I. P. Bisbee DeathHistory of Ray County, Missouri, Missouri Historical Company, St. Louis, 1881 |
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A TERRIBLE CYCLONE |
page 3 |
The above were all one and two-story buildings, and were a total loss. In this were located the African M. E. Church, and the school-house of the colored people, both of which were torn to fragments.
On the street leading northward from the public square, and which is west of the buildings last mentioned, the residences of Mrs. Mary Brown, Thomas D. Woodson and W. A. Donaldson were greatly damaged; Mrs. Brown's residence being blown to the ground.
The following business houses on the east side of the public square sufferred material damage, viz: The three story brick dry goods store of S. R. Crispin & Co., at the southeast corner of the square. The Masonic hall was in the third story of this building, and was completely destroyed, as the third story was blown off, as well as part of the second story; the house occupied by C. Sayre; W. R. Jackson & Co.'s furniture store; Jackson & Asbury's saloon; boot and shoe house of William Marshall; drug store of Taylor & Smith (now Smith & Patton); and the store house of Monroe Bros. All of these, except the first mentioned, were two story brick buildings.
Just north, and across the street from the last mentioned^ the lumber yard of Jackson & Patton, and the wagon manufactory of Powell & Son, were destroyed.
South of the public square the business houses of J. P. Quesenberry, Dr. M. C. Jacobs, and Kiger & Wertz were partly unroofed; and the same is true of Mosby & Son's drug store and the Ray county savings bank.
The post office was literally blown away. The court house was unroofed and otherwise damaged. The livery stable of C. W. Schweich & Co. was considerably injured.
Thus have we given a minute description of the entire devastated portion of the city, which included fully one-third of its area. The total loss of property was estimated at over $200,000.
This devastating wind current was a genuine cyclone, its motion being rotary and irresistible. It was funnel-shaped in appearance, resembling a water spout.
It is said that during its passage through the town, not a drop of water fell. There were ascending and descending currents, and flying fragments darkened the earth. After the cyclone had passed, its desolated pathway presented the appearance of having been deluged with muddy water. This was owing to the fact that a heavy rain preceded the cyclone a moment or two.
On leaving the town, the cyclone veered sKghtly to the east; thence north, striking Crooked river; thence west, demolishing the residence of Thomas J. Bohannon, and carrying down the iron bridge at that point; thence its course was northeast, to Hiram Settle's, seven miles from Richmond; there it rose from the earth, and moved directly east, passing over Morton, a small village in the eastern portion of the county. It again descended to the earth at Highsinger's, a point twelve miles from where it arose, at Settle's; thence taking a northeasterly direction, it lay waste everything in its course.
The storm is estimated to have been three minutes in passing through the city. It swept over that portion of the city in which were located most of the mechanical shops and factories.
The destruction of property was great, indeed, but that was not irreparable. The energetic and enterprising citizens have so repaired and rebuilt the desolated district, that now (1881) scarcely a vestige of the great cyclone of 1878 remains. The buildings which were destroyed . have been replaced with new, more costly and more substantial ones. The loss of human life makes the saddest recollection of this terribly destructive cyclone. The following persons were either killed outright, or died from injuries received:
Captain William M. Jacobs was caught in front of C. D. Sayre's, by the falling debris from the store and the Masonic hall, and completely buried, and was not found till eleven o'clock the following day (Sunday).
Owner of original | Ray County, Missouri Historical Society |
File name | exhibits/clippings/bisbee/iram_packard_9196/p003.html |
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Media ID | 1732 |
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Folio version | v13.0.0.31 (B230715-103546) |
Linked to | Iram Packard Bisbee |
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