The Indianapolis journal., 1895-07-07
Little Town Of Winona Almost Wiped
Out by a severe storm and
cloudburst Friday Night.
ELEVEN PEOPLE DROWNED
VILLAGE OF BAXTER SPRINGS
STRUCK By A sTwIRLER.,
Five People Killed and Twenty
Rise Of Streams aud Rivers.

awful in its terror and total in its work
of destruction, wiped out the town of WI
mona, on the Current River branch of the
Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis rail-
road, in Shannon county, at half-past 10
o'clock last night. 1t is known that eleven
persons lost their lives and eight men are
missing. The dead are:
REV. G. w. DUNCAN.
MRS. G. w. DUNCAN
MATTE DUNCAN
MRS. CRAWFORD.
HRIWE6hS MAKTF6 dsqE55sF ghET of G. v. Duncan.
GEORGE NEVINS.
NORMAN NEVINS.
alls.as MAGGIE fEuea.St eASNoN. 8 .0s0 "''sn''
JOHN NORRIS.
MRS NEVINS.
The bodies of Rev. g. w. Duncan, his
wife and daughter: George Nevins. Norma
Nevins and the Wright girl were recovered,
but the others have not beer found.
A rain, preceded by a fierce wind, set in
at o'clock last night While the wind
ceased the rain increased intensely until
at 10 o'clock it became a warning tumult.
At 1O:I5 four feet of water was the
streets, and fifteen minutes more buildings
could no longer stand the strain and began
to careen and go to pieces in the waters.
Vivid flashes of lightning pierced the tor
rental downpour of water. Houses were
smashed, and in the water were hundreds
of men, women and children, dashed about
| like corks. 1t was like a shipwreck on
land. Cries Of terror and shouts for help
| from struggling humanity clinging to pieces
of timber, made the scene one that baffied
intelligent efforts to save the helpless. The
strong current rushing down the ravine or
valley carried many to higher land and
places of safety. When the torrent had to
a degree subsidized, the men who had seen
| 10 their own families turned their attention
toaothers, and by o'clock in the morning
| the worst was over Those who had es-
| capped stood shivering. without clothing or
without opportunity to dry themselves.
When day dawned there was nothing of
| their houses in the town. There was no
| shelter no food, and no clothing. AS soon
as the destroyed telegraph communication
was restored, Mayor B. f. Evans tele-
graphed to this city for aid. Tonight the
| inhabitants of Winona are scattered among
| farmhouses or have gone to neighboring
| towns. . sss5....
| in all thirty buildings were destroyed.
| Among the losses are A c. Carter's lum-
/ Der building, $3,000 Mrs. A. G. Scranton,
| millinery, building carried away, $1,000; j.
| j. Bowen, three buildings carried away, 81
600; Church, Kissell & Co., lumber, Sl,5OO.
| The Barr Hotel, Petts House, Lewis House
| and Sills House were all carried away. The
| following individuals lost houses: Thomas
| McCord, William Howell, George j. Jordon,
7 Wilson Randolph, John Norris, George Hay
| den, -four houses, James Henley, Jacob Hill
bert, Thomas Gailbreth, Lloyd Wright,
| Grandall Roberts, George Farris, Joseph
| Miller, Rev. w. Duncan, d. W. Van and
| Daniel Holmes. The total loss is not less
than 100000.
| Rev. G. w. Duncan, who lost his life,
was pastor of the Winona circuit, and was
but recently ordained. He was formerly an
| engineer on the Iron Mountain railroad.
| The bodies of Miss Matte Duncan and Mrs.
| Crawford were found at o'clock this morn
| ing. The others were recovered long after
! daybreak Some had fioated three miles
down Pike creek towards the northeast, in
| the direction of Current river. In places
| the water was twelve feet deep in Winona.
| 1t is now known that Birch Tree, eight
miles west Of winona, had its worst storm
| at the same time last night. No lives were
lost there. however. Cortez Fisher. lum-
| ber dealer, lost 1000 by the destruction of
buildings. Other buildings were slightly
damaged there.
Winona, in point of population and busi-
| ness was the most important town in Shan
/ non county. Surrounding it are the finest
of the great pine trees of Shannon county
| To the north, eight miles. the Current
river flows northeast and then bends to
| the southeast, touching the Current River
| branch of the Memphis railroad at Chicope,
| a dozen miles east of Winena. Northeast
| and southwest of the town are hills. The
| railroad follows a valley east and west,
| and a deep ravine goes out northwest to-
wards the river. Along the sides of this
| rayine or valley were clustered houses oc-
| cupied by the families of the men who had
been employed in the Ozark Lumber Com
| pany's sawmill. When the clouds opened
on the hills the water rushed down this ra-
vine, carrying all before it. The railway
| was on a slight grade, but the track was
| torn up and residence houses and business
| buildings were swept along with it into
| the torrent Church & Kissel had the larg-
est general store, and the Missouri Land
Company had one of their buildings near
the railroads. Both suffered from the rush
of the water. Winona, at the last town
census, had COS people.
Eight niles west of Wlnona was situated
| Birch Tree, next In size in the county, with
500 inhabitants. 1t had similar timber in
terests and was a thriving place. On the
| morning Of July this town suffered from
a downpour that was almost equal to a
cloudburst. Great preparations had been
made for celebration. and mammoth din
ner was spread under the trees. The storm
swept everything away. and many had mar
row escapes from drowning. Again, late in
the evening, there came another flood that
was most disastrous in its results.
|