Omaha daily bee., 1895-05-03
SWEPT THE COUNTRY CLEAN
Every Building in the Path of the Halstead
Cyclone Was Destroyed.
TwElv: PEOPLE KILLED AND MANY INJURED
Funerals of the Victims Attended by Large
Concourse of People-Mauy Coming
from Other Places to View
the Wreck.

WICHITA, Kan, May "A special to the
Eagle from Halstead, Kan, says: The cyclone
which passed through the western part of
Harvey county killing twelve persons near
Halstead, and seriously injurng several 9TH
ers, was one of the most destructive that has
ever visited Kansas, with the exception Of
such as may have taken large towns in their
sweep. A line, beginning in Sedgewick
county at the Mount Hope bridge, within
gunshot Of the old Carlisle rancho and drawn
straight in a northeasterly direction to
point little to the southeast Of Mound Ridge
in Mcpherson county, is not far from twenty
five miles in length, and by careful count
there is, or was, upon this line, an average
Of one farm house to the mile, every one of
which was either totally demolished or so
nearly so that in most cases it might as well
have been.
Deputy Hall is able to give an exact ac-
count of the beginning of this terrible catas-
trophe. He resides five miles east of Mount
Hope, and was returning with his wife from
Mount Hope. Just after crossing the Mount
Hope bridge over the Arkansas they OBJ
served some tail ends Of a cloud suddenly
thrown into violent confusion, and after a few
moments they assumed the regulation fun
mel shape and descended rapidly TO the earth
a few hundred yards in front and to the north
Of them. Clouds of dust arose from the earth
along its pathway.
LIST OF THE KILLED.
So far as known the dead are:
FOUR MEMBERS OF THE SCHMIDT
FAMILY father, mother son and daughter.
MRS. JOSEPH WEAR AND THREE OF
HER CHILDREN.
MISS CORA SNEFF.
WILLIAM ARMSTRONG.
GRANDMA CHAPLIN.
FARMER BACHMAN.
Among the injured are:
Joseph Wear and child, dying.
The Widow Fry, internally injured recov-
cry doubtful.
Mrs. ]. A. Cummins
]. r. Frizzol.
Jake Sallnski, injured on the head, un-
conscious.
Mrs. William Armstrong
William Morris, seriously.
Cyrus Henson, fatally.
A complete list of places totally destroyed
by the cyclone is: Gsorge II. Keener, Mrs.
Gus Fry, Mike Salinski, John Welding,
Joseph Wear, Mark Chapman, William Arm
strong Bert Frizzol Cyrus Hnkson, j. II.
Hammey, A. F. Pawnel, Mrs. Coates. Spen-
Ger Roy, Andrew Thompson, NJ. S. Hege
and c. Bachman.
The storm lifted and passed directly over
Mound Ridge, doing no damage there, but
filling the town with debris and dead cat
tie. A peculiar feature of the storm was
the fact that 1t rained heavily east Of the
path of destruction, but not west Of it.
! The funerals of the Wear family took place
at Halstead today, as was also the funeral
of Miss Neff. The city was in deep mourn
ing and the funeral was attended by people
for miles about. The funeral of Mrs. Arm
strong and Mrs. Chaplin took place at Bur-
ton, and there was also a large crowd and
general mourning Crowds of people visited
ita and other places.
SOME OF THE INJURED WILL DIE.
The doctors say that Mrs. Coates and Mrs
Armstrong, whose husband was killed, can
not recover. Mr. Wear, who was reported
fatally injured, was unable to attend the
funeral today.
The neighboring farmers and citizens OF
| Halstead held a public meeting tonight to
| devise methods to get means for the relief OF
the injured people. One curious incident &C.
| CURED at the home of Cyrus Hinkson. The
family went into the cellar, and a horse
was picked up from somewhere and thrown
among them, after which the house was torn
| away without iniuring any of them