The herald., 1895-07-07
THE WORK Of A CYCLONE
Baxter Springs Laid In
Ruins
FIVE PEOPLE killed OUTRIGHT
Two Currents of Wind Strike
the Town
A COMPLETE DEVASTATION
Death Played Havoc With the Webster
Family
Partial List Of Property Destroyed by the
Elements In Kansas Unite AgaInst Man
Causing Loss Of Life and vaiuabIes.
In Their Fury Churches and
peeldrnces Are SvAnt
A COMPLETE DEVASTATION
Death Played Havoc With the Webster
Family
Partial List Of Property Destroyed by the
Twister
Causing Loss Of Life and valuables.
In Their Fury Churches and
Residences Are Swept
Away

6AAIEh 0fhlNVO, AdSss July o.
Baxter Springs was laid in ruins, five
people were killed and twenty others bad
ly wounded by bursting cyclone that
struck the town about O'Clock last eveE-
ing.
Dead: Sallie Webster. Florence Web
ster, Ralph Webster. H. Hibbs, the infant
child of Thomas ShisIds.
Scores Of men. women and children in
the town are more or less injured, some
fatally.
Those reported are: Mrs. Heal, both
collar comes broken and internal injuries:
James Neal. internal injuries; Royal
Webster. right arm and right hip broken
Mrs. Martha Smith, internal injuries
Eta Smith. internal injuries; George A.
Dickey head wounds; A. 6. Hancock,
serious head wound; Mrs. Thomas
Shields, fatal internal injuries. Three
members of A. Sharpe's family ere bad
ly hurt.
There seem to have been two currents
OF wind which struck the town, one from
the north and the other from the west.
and they met near the M. L. church,
Joined forces and turned east. doing seri-
Gus damage to property before meeting,
but after closing together the destruction
was mpiete.
In the track of the current from the
north the passenger depot was the first
thing damaged. Further on much damage
was done TO residence property, shade
trees and everything in its way. The cur
rent from the west seems TO have been the
stronger. 1t struck some of the resi-
dences west Of the freight depot, doing
serious damage. but when it came to the
yards of the railroad twenty-eight cars
were thrown from the track and badly
damaged. The depot was moved off the
foundation, wrecked about the roof and
the goods and other contents badly
flooded.
Up to the point of meeting the other
cur, ent the damage to property was not
30 great. The first object struck after the
meeting was the NJ. Il. church. This was
totally destroyed and it lies in a heap OF
ruins. The current tunred slightly to the
southwest, doing good deal of damage,
until it reached point just west of J..
M. Cooper's large store. where it turned
directly east striking the store building,
caving in the west end and badly damag-
ing the roof. The store was flooded and
much damage done to the goods. The
ola blacksmith shop on the northwest cor
ner of Military and River stree.s, which
was completely swept away. The Chris
tian church was directly in the path. for
it lies like heap of kindling wood. The
Episcopal church was not touched.
J. M. Cooper had seven houses. includ-
ing the one in which he lived, very badly
damaged.
Colonel William March, A. G. Hanback,,
Mr.. Childs and Ira Perkins residences
are all in ruins.
recently frCm Nebraska, the mother aged
GO, daughter aged 20 and son aged A.
were killed by lightning. Another son
had his leg broken and his shoulder dis
located and will probably die.
M. b: Hibbs. aged GO, died from excite
ment, falling dead in one of the stores on
Military street.
The Occidental hotel, now used as an
opera house. was struck by lightning and
somewhat iamaged. -Four large hay
barns in the neighborhood of the freight
depot were completely wrecked. A con-
servative estimate Of the damage places
it at $10O, 900.
There was little, il any, cyclone indica-
ton.
The damage to property west of Baxter
cannot pe fully estimated. It is reported
that fer ma9zymiles in the track of the
storm that fences and barns are blown
down and corps more OF less destroyed.
In the west part of Lyon township the
country seems to have had touch of
perhaps the same twister that the little
town of Baxter had. 1t struck the farm
house Of Thomas Shields of Lyon. Mrs.
Shields and her two children were in the
barn at the time the storm struck, and
one of the children, a 1-year-old baby
girl, was killed. the older child's leg was
broken and Mrs. Shields had bef shoulder
dislocated and is injured in her back and
spine. She Will die.
W. A. LARGER was found dead on his
farm in Sheridan township. He left Nc
Cue yesterday afternoon at O'Clock, whore
he had been on business. 1t is supposed
he was drowned while crossing a creek.
Forty miners ct work In mine No. Al Of
the Kansas and Texas Coal company at
Weir City had no knowledge Of the sto rm
until the mine was deluged with the tor
rents of water from above. All had mar
row escapes and every mule in the mine
was drowned.
The rain was the most violent storm
ever known. resem bling cloudburst, and
the entire country was flooded. Reports
Of further fatalities seem almost certain
: when the roads are opened up.
L.