The record-union., 1895-05-03
The Most Disastrous Which Ever
Visited the State.
TWELVE PEOPLE KILLED AND MANY
MORE INJURED.
Everything In the Path Of the Tor
nado for q Distance OF Twenty-Five
Miles Demolished-The Town of
Mound Ridge Filled With Debris
and Dead Cattle.

Special to the RECoRa-UNIoN.
WICHITA (Kan.), May "A special te
the Eagle from Halstead. Kansas. says
The cyclone which passed through the
west portion of Harvey County, killing
seven persous near Halstead and seri.
ously injuring several others, was one ol
the most destructive that has ever visited
Kansas, with the exception of such az
may have taken large towns in their
sweep.
A line beginning in Sedgewick County
at the mouth Of the brigde. within
gunshot of the old Carlisle ranch
and drawn straight in northeasterly
direction to a point little to the south
east OF Mount Ridge, twenty-five miles
in length, and by actual and careful
count there is, or were, upon this line an
average of one farm to the mile, every
one of which was either totally demol-
ished or so nearly so that in most cases il
might as well have been.
Deputy Hall is able to give an exact ac-
count of the beginning of this terrible
catastrophe. He resides five miles east
Of Mount Hope, and was returning with
his wife from Mount Hope, when, just
after crossing the mouth OF the bridge
over the Arkansas. they observed signs
of clouds suddenly thrown into violent
commotion, and after few moments as
descend rapidly to the earth few
hundred yards in front and to the north
of them.
At the same time observers at Bentley,
ten miles due east of the bridge. were
watching the display at slight distance
and hence also obtained more compre-
hensive view OF the process OF the
cyclone formation. Theodore Wise
Postmaster at Bentley, described the
cloud pile in the west as composed of a
more distant rain cloud and nearer
and more southerly BORDER" cloud, as
he terms it; that is, heavy cloud
elongated, but with its lower edge, abb ve
the horizon; projecting from the southern
extremity OF this cloud was prong
from its upper margin.
AS far as known the dead are: -Four
members OF the Smith family-father
mother, son and daughter, Mrs. Joseph
Cora 5. Netf, William Armstrong
Grandma A. Chaplin. Farmer Bachman
Among the injured are Joseph Wear
and child, dying; the widow Frye, in
formally injured, recovery doubtful
Mrs. j. A. Cummins, seriously; j. X.
FriZZell; Jake Salinskl, internally in
jured on head, unconscious; Mrs. Arm
strong; William Morris seriously; Cyrus
Henson, fatally.
The storm lifted and passed directly
over Mound Ridge, doing much damage
there, filling the town with debris and
dead cattle.
A peculiar feature of the storm was the
fact that it rained heavily east OF the
path of destruction, but not west OF it.
The funeral of the Wear family took
place At Halstead to-day, as did also the
funeral of Miss Neff. The city is in deep
mourning, and the funeral was attended
by people for miles about. The funeral
OF Mr.. Armstrong and Mrs. Chaplin took
place at Burton. and there was also 9
large crowd and general mourning.
Crowds Of people visited the scene from
Hutchinson. Newton, Wichita and other
places.
ssThe doctors says that Mrs. Coates and
Mrs. Armstrong, whose husband was
killed, cannot recover. Mr.. Wear, who
was reported fatally injured. was able tc
attend the funeral of his wife and chill.
dren to-day.
The neighboring farmers and citizens
of Halstead held a public meeting to-day
to devise means to get relief for the in
jured people.