Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-02
A FATAL CYCLONE.
II Sweeps Over a Farming District in
Kansas.
Twenty People Injured. Three nj
Least of Them Fataliy-ManS
Uomc. Destroyed-Great Damage
Done to Property.

HUTCHINSON, KAN. May l.-Wreck
and ruin and loss Of life were CROWDED
into a brief space OF time by a cyclone
in the farming district twenty miles east
OF this city this afternoon. Ten lives
were crushed out.
About 400 o'clock a twisting, nurhhs
cloud was seen to approach Patterson
small station on the Frisco ROAD ABOUT
six miles from Burton. Those VINO sa"
II say IT resembled great mass OF
aving smoke and dust from a prairie
fire. The air was hot, as IL 1t came
from a furnace. dry. and filled with cleo
triclty. The storm struck about a mile
south Of Patterson. and for sixteen miles
in northwesterly direction lett death
and ruin in a path 100 yards to quarter
Of a mile in width. Ten persons were
killed. as follows:
Mrs. Joseph Wear
Grace Wear; Il years old.
Herman Wear; 10 years Old.
A babe.
William Armstrong.
Mrs. Chaplin.
John Schmidt
Miss Schmidt.
Dora Schmidt.
Frank Schmidt.
Others were Injured, but tnelr hailes
could not be ascertained.
RESIDENCES DEMOLISHED.
The residences OF Cyrus Hinkstein'
William White, B. L. Frizeh ana a. >.
Powell were demolished. and many others
injured.
The pupils OF the Hege District school
In the path o. the storm, were hurtieu
out Of danger by the young lady teaeher,
and she is the heroine OF the hour'
few minutes after the last pupil leit 'hs
building fell. The sky was overspreau
with black clouds. and the storm-cloud
as II approached the town wound ABOUT
Ike the swaying trunk OF giant eIe-
plant. A..
After the cyclone mad swept py
leaving devastation and death in ms
wake. the citizens went TO work caring
for the wounded and removing the dead
bodies from beneath the heaps OF debris
Rain has been falling throughout South
western Kansas at intervals since yester-
dav afternoon, and there was severe
hail-storm in this section tonight
TWENTY INJURED.
or the twenty injured. Mrs. Frye,
.Ioseph Weas. and Mrs. Frizell will die
Among the others injured are Jacob >.
stinchey. cyrus Henson, Mrs. William
Armstrong.
The first house demolished was that OF
Mrs. FRYE, a small structure. Inc
houses of Jake Salmisky and John Shultz'
bach were wrecked. but no one was
killed.
George Wears fine residence was re-
duced TO kindling-wood. His wife and
three children were killed Two Of the
children escaped by going into the cellar
f. c. Caldwelrs house on the west side'
was destroyed The family escaped by
going into the cellar
u. L.. Frizelrs new $500 house vas
wiped out, leaving only the cellar, IN
which were his wife and three children,
uninjured. Across the road was the large
house of Joseph Frizell. which met the
fate OF all those in the tornado's path
way Mrs. Frizell was fatally hurt. VIII
liam Armstrong; house was torn 10
pieces. He was killed and his wife Sc
riously injured. William Morris was Sc
verely injured and Grandma" Chaplin
killed when her house was torn by the
wind.
OTHER HOMES DESTROYED.
The homes OF William White and cyrus
Uansen were also destroyed, and the
latter was injured fatally. IL is feared.
The houses Of A. NJ. Parnell, Spencer
Ray, j. y. tommlngs, ana VI. u f@Se
were demolished. but the only person
dangerously injured is Mrs. Commings.
Jacob StinciIy saw the storm and has
tened from the field where he was
working. He turned his horses In thu
barn and ran 10 the house, taking the
family into the cellar. The storm blew
away the barn, lifted the house from
its foundations and landed one Of the
horses on Mrs. Stnchey. probably in.
turing her fatally. The horse was taken
from the cellar harnessed and unhurt.
The Schmidt family. Of four. were all
killed
PROPERTY LOSS GREAT.
From here the storm lifted. and no
further damage, so far as heard was
done. 4 west-boun1 passenger train on
the Santa Fe was held at Halstead until
the storm had passed Where IT crossed the
track telegraph lines. poles, wires. and
all were swept away. The train would
certainly have been wrecked had IT gone
ahead. In addition to the houses de-
stroyed were barns out-buildngs, orch
ards, etc, while the pathway OF
the storm Is lined with the carcasses
Of horses. cattle. hogs. and other animals.
The loss will be great, as the district