The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1893-04-15
A Tornado Sweeps Over the
Finest Portion of Lafayette
County and Strews its
Pathway with Wreck
and Ruin.
SIX KILLED, MANY INJURED
The family of William Walker,
of Page City, the Worst
Victims of the Storms
Wrath-Many Par
ticulars of the De-
structive Work.

From Intelligencer extra of Wednesday.
Yesterday evening at $3.50 o'clock a tor.
nado of unusual destructiveness struck in
the vicinity of MAYHEM, and for twelve,
miles or more continued its course. of
death, destruction and ruin.
Up to this writing five persons are
reported to have been killed, and half q
score or more badly injured.
The killed are:
Mrs. John Lucke and her brother.
Anna Mary Walker and her two-year
old brother, Farris, children of William
Walker, OF Page City.
A negro child at..Capt. Todhunter's.
The injured are:
VIII Walker, wife and child.
Mrs. John Lucke, living near Dover.
w. s. Fountain and wife, both badly
cut and bruised.
Christ Meyers, wife and five children.
Mrs. Meyers seriously.
Mrs. U. j. Hutchinson, cut about head,
and shoulder crushed. Died from her in
juries this morning.
Miss Mabel Hutchinson, leg and arm
broken,
AS far as we can learn at this writing
the wave of destruction first struck the
house of Mr.. Keller, who lives one-fourth
of a mile northeast of MAYHEM.
His house was directly in the line Of
the whip-like point of the storm, which
whirling and roaring like a cataract,
seemed to lick up everything Units course.
For a moment only the house withstood
It's pressure, then reeling and cracking
gave way in ruins.
With a bound and a scream the mad
i monster swept on, sucking up fences;
outhouses and trees as it went. 1t en-
countered the house of Mr.. Stone, the
old Pool farm, and swept it to ruins.
1t gathered the house OF John Roach in
its powerful grasp and literally demolish-
ed it. Hugh McElroy's home suffered a
like fate, together with fences trees and
barns. AS the house crumbled to ruins
the fire from the cooking stove ignited the
timbers and the horror of a confiagration
was added to that of the storm. At Christ
Meyers it struck with full force, n the
house was destroyed, and every member OF
the family was more or less hurt.
The house of Mr.. Williams was the
next victim and the family was made
homeless in an instant.
Right down the pathway OF the storm
was the five room house of w. s. Foun-
tain. Here the insatiate demon of de-
struction fell, and left two bleeding
bodies mingling with the debris of house,
stable and fences. Mr.. Fountain was
badly lacerated about the head and his
wife more seriously hurt. Scarcely a yes
tige of house, fence or stable was left and
the orchard is a wreck.
The house of w. Weltman was struck
and demolished, but the family had es-
capped to the cellar. At j. Wolfe's the
house was destroyed but the family es-
capped unframed.
On, on the grim monster rushed. Will
Walker and his family, consisting of a
wife and three bright, beautiful children,
heard the roar and saw its demon force.
They started to flee to their cellar but
were caught up and forced back into the
house. With a loud crashing sound the
house was crumbled to atoms and the
family buried in the ruins. Mrs. Walker
extricated herself but husband and little
ones were under the mass OF debris and to
her thought, lost forever. John Walker,
living one-fourth of a mile away, fearing
disaster to his brothers. house, took his
hired man and hastened over there. They
soon rescued Walker and his youngest
child, but before they could rescue the
others their little spirits had flown and
| nnlu fhafr lffaIaaa loI,oa -.... II -
the cruel mass. Mr.. Walker and his wife
were seriously injured and the child was
so cut about the head that its death
Is apprehended. Andy Ramey, in the m
ploy OF Will Walker was also caught i IN
the ruins, and very seriously injured.
Over at U. j. Hutchinson's, one and
one-half miles northeast Of Page City,
the family hastened to the cellar. Think
ing the storm had passed they returned
to the dining room just in time to catch
its full force. Tit house was ruined and
Mrs. Hutchinson was so severely injured
that death resulted about 2 O'Clock D. m.
Miss Mabel Hutchison was blown some
fifty yards and suffered serious cuts and
bruises. Mr.. Hutchinson and his son Were
not badly injured.
At Nettlewood, the home of Capt. Tod,
hunter, the roof was blown off an out
house and a negro child killed by being
struck on the head with a brick.
The barn of James Winn was blown
down.
M. z. Vaughn's house was struck by
the storm and turned around, the edge OF
the wall showing the earth away like {
road scraper
Henry Corbin's barn received the full
force of the destroyer and was demolished
There were seven horses inside but al
escaped.
The above was printed in the form Of
an INTELLIaENcER extra, Wednesday
afternoon, and given as wide a circulation