The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1895-07-11

RUIN IN THE STORMS TRACK.
Appalling News From Points in Mis-
souri,, Kansas and the Indian
IrrrifurV

souri,, Kansas and the Indian
Territory.
Reports of devasting storms dur.
ing the past three days come from
points covering large territory and
show that the entire eastern water
shed OF the Rocky Mountains, from
the Nebraska and Iowa lines to Tex
as ~.,e swept by wind and rain.
FRIDAY nis 1T tue severe st blow came.
Reports oi luss life aud destruction
of property caue with every tele-
gram to the Post Dispatch, and the
downpour, first regarded as a bless,
ing, grew into wave of devastation.
Fields of grain that promised the
most bountiful yield in many years
were swept bare Of vegetation. In
several instances the seas of rain
were abetted in their work of des-
tuction by tornadoes. It is too early
yet to sum up the loss, but the total
is appalling. and those to whom the
angry elements spared life have little
left to sustain it. The stories OF
storm are so similar that statistical
summary is all there is left to tell.
The storm focus embraced an
area of 200 square miles, with the
southwestern corner of Nilsson as
the center. The greatest loss OF
life is reported from Winona, Mo-,
where eleven corpses have been
found. with as many more missing.
At Baxter Springs, in Southwest,
ern Kansas, five were killed aud
eleven seriously injured by Cyclone
that accompanied the storm.
One person was drowned at Co.
)umbus and two at Ottawa, Kan.
At Van Buren, Ark, q mother and
her babe were drowned.
A family of five was encamped on
the bank of Fish Greek in the Indian
Territory. Nothing of them or
their belongings was found, except
part of their wagon on q pile of
drift wood.
At Thomasville, Mo-, where~~the
rainfall was four inches in one hour
five persons were lost. Unconfrmed
reports are received of loss of life as
follows:
Three at Fayetteville, Ark, l at
Paola, Kan, l at Richards. Kan.
and 6 of a hunting party in the In
dian Territory. This gives known
and probable loss of forty-three
lives
This total will be increased when
the receding water permits
thorough search.
The loss in property can be placed
in the millions. Dwellings, fences
and farm buildings were carried off
and highway and railroad bridges
swept away.
Thirty of the eighty buildings in
Winona succumbed.
Five residences, church and a
warehouse went down at Baxter
Springs. Six bridges went out in
Russell County, Kan.
About Jefferson City, Mo, many
square miles of grain were destroy
ed.
Traffic on the Ft. Scott & Memphis
Railroad is temporarily suspended
Reports of damage to property
other than above noted cover five
points in Kansas, nine in Missouri,
six in Arkansas and two in the In
dian Territory.
The storm spent itself in Illinois.
but having lost its force, proved a
blessing to crops.
The above summaries are only 9
fraction of the loss in property. The
greatest burden falls upon the farm
ers. as the season is too far spent te
plant new crops, and suffering viii
surely follow in the storms wake
The country's granary has beer
cleaned out. Details of individual
suffering and experinces would FL
volumes and recall the horrors of the
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