The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-30

learned from passengers On the east-bound
train this evening that the destruction
wrought by a tornado at Cisco, Tex, last
night is simply appalling. There are not
more than twenty-five or thirty houses
left standing, and up to the time the train
passed there (about 2 O'Clock this after
noon) twenty-one dead bodies had been
recovered from the ruins, and there were
yet ten or twelve persons missing. Strong
one-story buildings with walls two feet
thick, were leveled to the ground. A
heavy freight engine and a whole train of
cars were blown from the track and de-
molished, and several hundred feet of side
track of the railroad torn up. The num-
Der of injured runs up to something like
one hundred. The building which Frank
Hickman occupied was blown down, and
live children killed.
Late this evening Mayor Levy received
the following telegram from Messrs. Bell
and Coleman. two citizens of Weatherford,
who went TO Cisco this morning:
Town nearly all demolished: twenty
killed and one hundred and twenty five
injured; hundreds without food or shelter.
Raise all the relief possible and send to
John f. Patterson, chairman of the relief
committee
The following telegram was also received
by Mayor Levy:
"Cisco has been destroyed by the most
destructive cyclone that has ever visited
Texas More than four-fifths of the people
are without houses. Many are killed and
wounded. Help is needed to bury the
dead, take care of the wounded and to re-
iieve those dependent who lost everything.
ISIgned. "W. G. DAVENPORT,
County Judge
sc. w. GRAVES, Mayor"
Mayor Levy has called a meeting of the
citizens of WeaGhorford to take measures
Tor the relief of the sufferers.
GAINESVILLE, Tex, April 29.-Mayor
Rollins received message this afternoon
from County Judge Davenport of East
land county and Mayor Graves of Cisco,
appealing for aid for the storm sufferers
at Cisco. Mayor Rollins at once issued an
appeal to the citizens of Gainesville for
Contributions
A message from Valley View states that
{, severe storm passed over the town at
$50 %. NJ, blowing down several houses
and doing much damage to property. No
pne was hurt.
At Rnggold, Montague county, the
storm unroOfed the house of Mrs. Berge, |
blew several freight cars off the side |
tracks and caused the terrorized people to |
take refuge in n large cellar, where they |
suffered greatly from lack OF air. None |
were seriously injured.
Among the dead at Cisco are Daniel |
Cameron, II. NJ. Whitesides, Sims, a /
Texas Central brakeman; Mrs. Charles |
Jones and child; Mrs. j. L. Thompson, |
and the five children of Mr.. Hickman, |
vino were in bed asleep and were crushed |
10 death by the falling house. Mr.. Hick-
man and his wife had gone outside 10 see
what the roaring noise was. and were |
blown off their feet. Mr.. Hickman is |
badly injured.
The following additional bodies have |
been recovered at Cisco: A child Of NJ. E. |
Owens Mrs Morton and Mrs Knight.
A conservative estimate places the num-
Der of wounded at about $50 OF these its
feared that many will die. The dead and
inj jured are being cared for as best as can
he under the circumstances. Everything
IS in such state of confusion that it is
almost impossible to obtain the names
The tornado Travelled northeast, tearing
flown everything i'll its path. Houses
were blown down too numerous TO men
tiop. East of Eastland Mrs. l.. ID. iadd
was killed and her husband badly in iured
West of Cisco a Mr.. Ferguson was killed
communication is practically
shut off.
The most conservative estimates place |
the property loss at over y. 0o0, 900. I'm
mediately after the tornado had passed
flames were seen issuing from several of
the wrecked buildings 1t is possible
were cremated. Several streets
of the city ale so full of debris as to
prevent the passage of foot passengers
For miles around the city the ground is
covered with wrecks of brick and frame
buildings, household furniture and uteu-
siis, trees, fences, telegraph poles freight
cars, etc