The 1879 Cyclone of Lee’s Summit

The cyclone struck Jackson county about two miles south of Lee's Summit. For about a half hour it had been raining and hailing from the northwest when another cloud came up from the south bearing a deep dark color. At once wind changed and blew furiously from the south and when the two clouds came together it formed a figure in appearance to that of an inverted funnel the upper end of the funnel shaped cloud reached far up in the heavens while the lower or larger end rested on the ground and as it advanced seemed to drive the clouds right and left as a steamboat ploughs through the water. The cyclone was now organized and took a northeasterly course in the direction of Dr Dunnington's residence. At that time the family were in the basement at supper the cyclone seized the house as with the grasp of a giant and scattered it furniture clothing etc in fragments all over the surrounding fields but none of the family were hurt. When it passed the Missouri Pacific Railroad it twisted off the telegraph poles at the surface of the ground as if they had been pipe stems and scattered them in fragments over the plain as it had done the house of Dr Dunnington. Proceeding on its way it mowed its course through crops fences hedges etc on a line about halfway between the residences of Mr Goodman and Mr Reeder drawing the house of the latter off its foundation about ten feet but leaving it whole and not injuring a single member of the family of whom there were several but seriously frightening them. Just opposite to Reeder's and a half mile away it destroyed Mr Goodman's barn but doing no further damage. Its next pranks were concerned with Mr Watson's nursery buildings which it damaged somewhat moving one of the buildings twenty feet in its course without otherwise damaging it. Passing along three or four hundred yards further it entered the orchard of Mr John C Howard and ploughing its way through it at about two hundred yards in width uprooted and tore off at the surface large numbers of trees destroying at least two thirds of the orchard thence it proceeded carrying away fences pulling posts out of the ground transferring them and the rails and planks to various distances from one hundred yards to a half mile. When it reached the residence of Mr Cushenbary on the farm of John R Blackell it did its work more completely even than before whirling the house around tearing it literally to pieces carrying most of it for several hundred yards. The family consisting of Mr Cushenbary, his wife, and two children were taken with the house into the air and borne along in the wind. When they fell to the ground they were more dead than alive, having been dropped down from the clouds head foremost, for their hair was all matted with mud and their clothing was torn in shreds. Mrs C and one of the children were thought to be fatally injured but Mr C and the other child were uninjured. It seemed a miracle that any being could live through such an experience. Everywhere were scattered pieces of lumber, fences, furniture and debris covering the ground. Here more damage was done to the crops than anywhere else on the route of the storm, even the young corn being torn to tatters. On it went reaching and unroofing the house of JA Scruggs and the family escaping unhurt except Mrs Scruggs whose collar bone was broken, just how no one could tell. Next the residence of Mr T Constable was demolished and everything it contained, the family escaping with nothing left but their lives. Then the district schoolhouse yielded to the unceremonious visitor and was numbered with the things that are past. The fine two-story residence of Mr John Hutchings was next swept away, hardly leaving a vestige to tell the tale of destruction but all the family part above and part on the ground floor escaped unhurt. It was by Divine intervention that their lives were preserved. The residence of Mr Thaddeus Warden built of large, heavy logs was taken to pieces in an instant and scattered, the family of six or seven were hurt, but none fatally. Thence the destroyer tore Mr Black's residence to pieces and proceeded on its way to Blue Springs.

The little boy Frank Harris who was present and saw the terrible catastrophe says that the first Mr Harris and family knew of the approach of the cyclone was when it reached the railroad about three hundred yards south of the house, Believing it was coming directly toward the house, Mr Harris seized the babe and bade the others to follow and with his wife started west and went thirty or forty yards from the house, then saying to his wife “It is coming right here,” they reversed their course and ran back to the house and twenty five yards east to the straw stable. Here they were overtaken by the cyclone at about its center, the western part sweeping away the house but not extending as far west as the parties had gone on their first attempt to escape. The boy, who was a bright little fellow of nine years of course knew nothing of what occurred after the cyclone struck the family but was himself thrown into the straw rick and covered over with straw and was there quite a while before he could get out. He was not seriously hurt, only bruised or burned about the face. When Mr Mallory Smith, who was the first on the ground arrived, the boy had in his arms the babe which he had picked up from the ground where it had been thrown literally stripped of its clothing. The boy stated that when he got out of the stack and saw first his mother that she ran toward him, which with her wild and strange appearance frightened him and he ran from her, but she soon fell to the ground. When Mr Smith reached the place, she was still prone on the ground but conscious. She spoke to Mr Smith telling him she was killed. Leaving her, Mr Smith went in search of the others. He passed along the course of the cyclone and in about thirty or forty yards found the little eight-year-old girl dead, and going still farther at about three hundred yards in the corn field, he discovered Mr Harris struggling to rise and when he reached him he found him unable to rise and though trying to talk was unable to do so by reason of the mud in his mouth. He assisted him as best he could and amongst the first things said by Mr H was that he was killed. His clothing was literally torn into tatters and rolled in the mud, his leg broken, and his ribs and other parts of his body seemed to be crushed. Other help coming up the entire family dead and alive were taken to Mr Smith's, the wife dying on the way and Mr H dying about 12 o clock that night. The tornado after leaving the Harris place kept on in the same general direction but did no damage of consequence until it reached the residence of Mr Underwood, half a mile away, which it also completely demolished. The family saw the storm coming and saved themselves by running out of the house lying flat on the ground and clinging to the shrubbery. The next place the storm struck was the residence of Martin Gore, one mile farther on. The gable ends of his dwelling were torn out leaving the sides standing and the roof on. After this the storm did no further damage of consequence and after pursuing its course for three miles further it seemed to scatter and was seen by ex-County Judge AG Williams to rise directly in front of his residence and disappear into the clouds with a loud noise like the roar of artillery. Mr Williams and family were preparing to vacate their dwelling when the storm disappeared.

All along the whole path of the tornado trees were uprooted and the leaves were scorched and blackened as if a fire had burned them. The general appearance of the storm was very much like that of the cyclone which passed over Richmond, Ray county one year before. As above stated this cloud from which the wind and rain seemed to come was in the shape of an immense inverted funnel of a dark bluish cast and seemed to be continually whirling and grinding within itself. The funnel seemed to float along with the bowl part close to the ground but frequently bounding up and almost disappearing in the air for a space of several seconds when it would again drop to the earth. The storm was accompanied by a heavy storm of rain, and in the vicinity of Blue Springs the rainfall was accompanied by a large shower of black sulphureous mud.

The storm was plainly visible at Independence, Buckner and other adjacent points, but no effects of it were felt It was upon the whole the most terrific, as well as most disastrous storm that has ever visited Jackson county and one which will long be remembered and talked of. The damage to life and property was very great.

Mr Cushenbary was in bed sick and by his side lay a little babe He was carried one hundred and fifty yards from the house and was found sitting in the corn field holding the babe in his arms. At the same time a dog was blown about same distance and found near Mr C in a hole scooped out apparently for him. On the line of the storm at one place a mule was caught and carried off. At intervals he would reach the earth and plant his feet in it ploughing it up with the vain endeavor to hold his own - failing he would sail on with the storm, and then stop again in the same way, but there was no use Mr Mule had to yield up his own preference and obey the exigencies of the master that had him. The same facts are predicted of the horses belonging to Mr Scruggs, but only two of which were as unfortunate as the mule. A rock two and a half by six feet was pulled out of its bed, turned over and whirled about like a plaything.

At Mr Samuel Constable's house a bedstead was taken from under a bed on which two ladies were resting and carried a half mile, and the house scattered in all directions, the occupants of the bed being left intact on the bed on the ground beneath where the floor had been. Several persons report having seen a ball of fire, some say as large as a bushel measure, others like a barrel in size moving in front of the storm, and leading it whithersoever it went.

Mr Harris's little son mentioned above was lifted up, deposited in a straw stack near by, and covered over entirely, thus escaping without much injury. Persons carried up compare their sensations to what would be felt in sinking into a snow bank, or in some yielding substance thicker than water. All speak of a sulphureous odor. The storm dispersed when it struck the elevation in the neighborhood of Judge Williams farm, thus leading many to the conclusion that high localities protect against the cyclones.

Taken from The History of Jackson County, Missouri: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc.: Biographical Sketches of Its Citizens, Jackson County in the Late War, General and Local Statistics, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men, History of Missouri, Map of Jackson County, Miscellaneous Matters, Etc., Etc.  Union Historical Co, 1881.

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