St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-27
Many Human Lives Lost in
the Cyclone in Okla
hOma.
Thirty-One People Killed in
the Little Town Of
Norman.
All the Living Engaged in
Rendering Assistance to
the Unfortunate.
Many OF the Injured Impris-
oned All Night in the
Ruins.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla, April &c.
Two distinct cyclones. terrific hail
storm and waterspout combined to
wreak awful destruction in the newly
built towns in Oklahoma last night. 1t
is reported that sixty-two human live;
were sacrificed. 1t is positive that forty
were killed, while several were fatally
and scores seriously injured. The dam
age to property is inestimable. Orders
fOr thirty-one cOffins have been received
here and at Norman, and supplies have
been telegraphed for from other points.
The brunt of the storm was laid upon
the prosperous little town of Norman,
OH the Santa Fe railroad, about twenty
miles south of here. At that point
thirty one people were killed, dozens
injured, and the town almost COM
pletely destroyed. There a pail has
overspread the town, business is sus-
pended, and everybody able to render
any assistance to the poor unfortunateS
or toward removing dead bodies is out
searching along the track of the cy-
clone.
People Are Frenzied
and cannot give any estimate of their
loss. and know nothing except to care
for the dead and injured. Oklahoma
City has responded nobly. and the
mayor and principal citizens organized
relief corps and are at the scene of
destruction. Further on the towns of
Downs and Keokuk Falls Jared but
little better. The towns were nearly
devastated, and scores OF people injured
fatally and otherwise, though the loss o
lives here, if at all, will not be as seri-
Gus as at Norman.
The first signs of the impending
danger were seen late yesterday after
noon in heap of black clouds over
shadowing the northwest for miles
around, whilefurther away to the west,
rushing across the horizon, could be
seen the cyclone Men left their bust
ness places and hurried to their homes,
where all who could quickly sought the
cyclone caves. At 7:30 O'clock the mon
ster from the west reached its antago-
MIST In the northwest. and with
their combined strength SwoOped down
oD the town of Moore. Houses, with
precious lives. were caught up and car
ried before the angry torrent, great
Trees Were Twisted Off,
and barns, fences and everything in its
path was laid low. Passing along for
eight miles. it struck the town of Nor
man, where the damage was repeated,
and then on to Downs and Keokuk
Falls and through PottawattOmie coun-
ty, where thousands of dollars worth OF
property was demolished.
The house of j. OConnor, near
Moore. was destroyed, and OConnor
and his wife and three children and five
neighbors who had sought shelter in
the building were crushed to death.
The frame house of John Bnks was
torn to pieces and he was killed. while
others of his family of six were badly
injured, three children and Mrs. Banks
fatally. The home of Henry Dyer was
demolished. West of Norman eight
houses were demolished and five people
badly injured. East of the stricken
town two men and two women were
killed. Around Norman, after the cy-
clone, fearful hail storm started in,
and after it violent rain storm. 1t was
too dark to search out the dead, and to
most of the injured and dying who were
successful in making their voices heard
above the storms roar there came but
feeble relief. The would-be rescuers
could hear the pitiful cries of the un-
fortunates and here and there locate
The Imprisoned Victims,
but help in most cases was out of the
question and several of the unfortunates
were compelled to lie buried beneath
the debris of their homes. Men and
women and children by the score spent
the dismal night in the rain in an en-
deavor to find their loved ones. Their
search was generally fruitless and when
morning came it found little children,
crying for their mothers, wandering
around wet to the skin and nearly ready
to drop.
As soon as it was light enough the
men got quickly to work and COM
bioaced the rescue. The poor victims,
who had been imprisoned all night.
were carefully carried to lmprovised
hospitals. But few saved more than
what they had on their backs. Help
from neighbOring towns soon arrived,
and before DIghtfall something like COM
fort was provided. Everything, how
ever, is in confusion, and it will be i'm
possible to gain a correct list of the
casualties before tomorrow. In Payne
county, fifty miles north and near the
territory line, waterspout struck
about the same time as did the cyclone,
nd oil icl hat