Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-06-20
WIND SWEPT.
Portions Of Kansas and Nebraska
Visited by Mid Tornadoes-
Several Persons Injured but Nc Fatalities
Observation-Disclosures Were Wrecked
and a Portion of Country Laid
Waste by the Storm.

HARTFORD, Kan, June 18.-AbOut
o'clock yesterday evening a tornado
struck this place, coming from the
southwest, and swept everything clean
from it's path, which was clean cut and
about so to 100 feet-in width. No one
so far as known was actually killed.
although several persons were injured
SO badly they are not expected to live
The wounded are: Mr.. Lawson, viii
die; Mrs. Lawson, serious; Mrs Mary
E. Rawson, probably fatally; Cora
Rawson, severely hurt; Ola Rawson,
badly cut about the head; Mrs III.
X. Smith. severely About twelve
houses were totally destroyed, and
many barns and outhouses. Among
the houses totally destroyed were those
of Judge w. j. Combs, Mrs. Rawson,
Stuckey's barn and mill, Clarence
Cooley, L. F. Dudley, ]. A. Thompson,
w. 6. Root, Godfrey Schwartz and sew
eral smaller residences. The roof of
Clarence Cooley's house was lifted off
as clean as if the house had been put
up and the roof left unfinished. Many
other houses are more or less damaged.
as they were more or less within the
edge of the twister. The total loss is
estimated at all the way from $40, 900
to $50, 900.
An eyewitness of the storm, F. b.
Tucker, travelling man from EN-
poria, says: II was on the incoming
Missouri, Kansas & Texas train, due
at Hartford at $50. Just as we were
stopping 1 and other passengers
noticed to the southwest a peculiarly
shaped white cloud, shaped nearly
like balloon, but little more taper
L
tracted our attention. In a few
moments it seemed to stretch ont its
neck to the ground, turning darker.
Then clouds from all directions
seemed to cluster around the top,
and as the small end struck
the earth, trees, fences, everything
it struck were torn up and lifted into
the air. The first house it struck
seemed to be bodily lifted up into
space, and in a second beams, furni-
ture, bedding and all kinds of material
were shooting in every direction up in
the sky. By this time the passengers
were beginning to notice that the fun
mel shaped cloud was coming straight
for the car in which we were and in
quiries began to be made as to what was
best to be done. Suddenly Methodist
preacher q wish I could remember
his name) solved the question by shout
ing, Here goes for the PRAIRIE and
rushed to the door followed by every
one in the car. None, however. were
"a BILE to catch him. The run, however,
was not necessary, for when about 100
feet from the car the storm center
took a sudden turn eastward and
swept past the rear of the train with
out touching it. The storm after pass
ing through the town to the east
seemed to jump the Neosho river and
then rise and disappear in the upper
air"
A TwIsTER IN NEBRASKA.
: STELLA, Neb., June 15.-One of the
worst cyclones that ever visited Rich
ardson county, struck the home of
William Stoltz. miles southwest of
this place at $3.50 yesterday afternoon.
The storm was first seen when about 1
mile south, where three funnel-shaped
clouds came together and formed one.
It did not strike the ground until
within few rods of the west side of
Mr.. Stoltz's grove. From there it
moved east through the grove and
into the yard and out-buildings,
which are situated just south of the
residence. 1t took everything in it's
path and after the storm had passed
nothing could be seen of the barn, two
corn cribs, windmill and granary, ex-
cept pile of broken timbers. A mule,
which was standing in the barn, was
picked up and carried 80 rods and dis
emboweled. A fine mare was injured
so badly that she had to be shot, about
600 bushels of grain was scattered to
the four winds and 200 chickens were
killed. One live chicken and six dead
were found after the storm, 4 mile
east of the farm. Three wagons and
one buggy were entirely demolished,
and not enough could be found to
make one vehicle.
Mr.. Stoltz, his wife and six children
were in the cellar when the storm
struck the house. The shingles were
torn off and all the windows on the
east side were broken. The fine or
chard is total wreck and all the fenc-
ing and other improvements are en-
tirely wrecked.
The cyclone passed east from Stoltz's
through the field of Adam Gebhardt,
moving down strip of corn and oats
about 400 feet wide and Is mile in
length, in some places following out
the ground. At the edge of his field it
rose and broke soon afterward, only
running on the ground about mile.
= Tornado Near Denison, Ia.
DENIsoN, Ia. June 1s.-About