The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-12
Indiana. Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska. Iowa and
Missouri Visited by Storms Yesterday
Afternoon and Last Night.
Half Dozen Towns Reported to BE in
Ruins and q Number of Lives Lost.
Several Boats Blown from Their Moorings at
ST. Louis. and Their Occupants Believed to
Have Perished-The Wires Down.
DESTRUCTIVE STORMS.

Great Damage by Wind and Rain in Six
States. Including Northern Indiana.
Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal.
CHICAGO. April 11.-Severe storms swept
over Nebraska, Iowa. Kansas. Missouri.
Illinois and Indiana. this evening.
doing great damage. the full extent
of which cannot be learned. as the
telegraph wires have been Frustrated In
many localities. A cloud-burst at Ottum.
wa, Ia. caused great damage to property.
At Boston and Columbia. Ind. floods de-
stroyed much property. many head Of cat-
tie were killed and railroads are badly
washed out. A cloud-burst flooded the
town of Centralia. ILL.,. and in some
parts Of the town the water stands nine
feet deep. At Springfield the storm was so
severe that street-car traffic was suspended.
Passengers on incoming trains report the
entire country between Springfield and st.
Louis under water.
A dispatch from Independence. Kan.
says: Southwestern Kansas. and particu-
larry Montgomery county. was visited by
tornado this evening which left a path of
death and destruction behind it. This
city was only OH the extreme edge
of the storm. and suffered little DAM
age. but reports from surrounding country
small towns near here show great destruc-
tion of property and loss of life full par-
ticulars of which it is impossible to get to-
night. as the wires are all down. The lit
tie town of Parkes ten miles south of
here. seems to have got the worst
of the storm. From the most re-
liable information obtainable the
people OF the place were alarmed by
ominous clouds. which gathered just at
dusk. They had hardly time to
realize what was coming before the
storm burst upon them in all its
fury. Coming from q westerly di-
rection from. Oklahoma, the furious
wind which was more like hurricane than
q genuine tornado. struck the town with
irresistible force. The frightened people
were given not moment to flee to places of
safety. The work of the wind was terrible.
OF the business houses situated around
the public square but tw o were left stand
ing, the others being wrecked. Even brick
heASes we're swept away the same as tho
light frames. Every residence in the
town was damaged more or less,
and half of them were destroyed.
1t is known that several persons were
killed and large number injured; but it is
impossible to learn the details and names
of the dead and injured tonight.
Leaving Parker q scene of wreck and
ruin. the deadly wind swept on to the
northeast, 1eveling farm houses, barns and
fences before It. Three farm houses in
the eastern portion of this county are
known to have been wrecked, and it is
certain that this represents but o small
portion of the damage done.
A dispatch from Hiawstha save: A re-
port has reached here that Willis and
Powhatan, small towns south of here.
OF about five hundred inhabitants each,
were destroyed by tornado which passed
through that part OF the country late this
evening Nothing authentic can be
with dust almost as dense as
cloud, although Hiawatha was visited
by o heavy rain. about O'Clock this after
noon. 1t began to fall In torrents and was
swept along by high wind. 1t was fol-
lowed by hail, which has done considerable
damage to fruit In this vicinity,
and trees which were leaved out almost
entirely stripped. The ground was white
with bailstones. Near Robinson the four
teen-year-old son of f. p. Hollen, wealthy
merchant was struck by lightning aud In
stantly killed.