187.9J Tornadoes of Kansas and Missouri. 617 
Centralia, Blue Rapids, and Waterville received some 
damage. 
I give some singular incidents of the tornado, as related on 
good authority : — 
Mr. Fitch’s son was blown across a ravine, over trees and 
fences, and landed unhurt on the door-step of a house half-a- 
mile distant. When asked how he came there, he replied, 
“ I do not know !” Mr. Yawger found one of the wheels of 
his waggon 2 ,\ miles from home. A tire was blown off a 
waggon wheel and straightened out as well as a blacksmith 
could do it. The body of a lady was driven into the ground 
head foremost, covering head and shoulders. A coat was 
torn from one man, divided in the centre, the halves being 
driven in opposite directions. Some of the fowls were 
picked clean of their feathers. On Snipe Creek, large elm, 
oak, walnut, cottonwood, and sycamore trees were twisted 
off and torn up by the roots, leaving a fine forest a scene of 
desolation. 
The number of killed and injured have been variously 
estimated. At Irving and vicinity, thirteen were killed and 
fifty wounded. At Frankfort and vicinity, five were killed 
and forty injured. At Delphos and other places large 
numbers are reported killed and injured. The people along 
the route of the tornado were engaged in little else for 
several days but in burying the dead and caring for the 
wounded.* In Marshall county alone the damage to pro- 
perty and crops is estimated at 150,000 dollars. 
On May 29, 1879, occurred a destructive tornado in 
Andrew and Nodaway counties, Missouri. A correspondent 
says, on that calendar day, at Bolckow, Andrew county, a 
hot wind blew from the north-west for several hours. The 
skies had been overcast from early morning with clouds, 
which frayed off and separated into light-coloured masses 
and drifted away, and finally dissolved in the atmosphere. 
About three o’clock clouds banked in the west and north- 
west in heavy black masses, and a current of hot air from 
the south-west appeared to hurl them in wild wreaths like 
battle clouds on one another. About four o’clock the 
citizens were startled by seeing a wild funnel-shaped cloud 
appear in the west, and sweep onward as if to doom their 
town to destruCtiom Its muffled thunder-roar was soon 
distinctly heard, and immediately it swept by the town upon 
* Immediately after the occurrence of the Irving tornado, Governor St.John 
issued a proclamation calling on the people of Kansas to render assistance to 
the sufferers, heading the subscription himself with a liberal contribution, and 
all has been done that is possible to relieve the sufferers. 
