The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-05-02
SIX INSTANTLY KILLED
And a Number Injured, Some Fa-
tally, by a Kansas Cyclone.
SWEPT EVERYTHING BEFORE IT.

II Swept Over n Narrow Strip of Land
for Sixteen Miles, DemoIishinE Every
House In Its Path-Foresight Saves Many
School Children.
WICHITA, Kan, May "a special from
Halstead, Kan, says: About o'clock yes
serday afternoon fearful cyclone devas
tated a strip OF country several hundred
yards wide and at least sixteen miles in
length, killing six persons outright and
severely injuring several others, while
many have received slight injuries. The
cyclone struck the house of Mrs. Fry, q
widow who lived about nine miles south
west of Halsted, completely destroying it
and slightly injuring Mrs. Fry. 1t picked
up the house of John Schultzback and
scattered 1t in every direction.
The fine two story house Of Joseph Weir
was entirely swept away, killing Mrs Jo-
seph Weir, Grace Weir, aged IL; Herman
Weir, aged 3, and 5-weeks' old baby. Mr..
Weir had previously left the house, and
when the cyclone struck 1t was about hfty
yards away. He clung to tree, but was
badly injured by flying debris, and will
die. Joseph Weir. Jr, and his sister,
Maud Weir, the otay ones in the family
who took to the celler, escaped with only
slight bruises.
The home of Il. G. Caldwell, which was
100 yards to the west of the Weir home,
was nroofed and one side torn away.
The family escaped by taking to the cell
lar. The next house in the path Of the
storm was William Armstrong;, which
was completely wiped from the face of the
earth. Mr.. Armstrong was killed, Mrs.
Armstrong seriously and perhaps fatally
In, nd n1. ,hn WIND
there sick In bed, was killed. About q
hundred yards east Of the Armstrong
house the large two story residence of B.
e. Frizzel was picked up, as was also the
largo two story house Of ]. Il. Frizzel,
located Just across the road, and both, TO-
gether with the outbuildings, were COM
pletely swept away, leaving only enough
debris to show that house stood there.
The families of both the Frizzels escaped
Injury with the exception of Mrs. ]. f.
Frizzel, who was considerably bruised
about the head. ..
The next place visited was the home of
Captain William White, which was only
partly destroyed, one wing of the house
being torn away. Across the road from
Whites the home of Cyrus Hinkston was
entirely carried away Mr.. Hinkston re-
ceived painful, but not serious injuries.
Spencer Ross house was in the line of the
tornado, and was carried away, as were
also the homes of A. S, Powell, j. A.
Comas, Andrew Thompson and Menno
Hege. Miss Daisy Neff, at Powells house,
was badly injured, as was Mrs. j. Comas.
At the Hege district school the children
had Just been dismissed. Mr.. Hege saw
the storm approaching, and fearing its re-
suits hurried the scholars to his cyclone
cellar. His foresightedness prevented an
awful holocaust, for just as the last child
had been safely slowed away in the cellar
the cyclone struck the house over them
and demolished 1t. AS 1t was not one of
them was even slightly injured. The fury
Of the storm seems to have done its worst
about Eve miles west Of Halstead, where
all six Of the persons were killed.
Those who first saw the disaster coming
say 1t made very slow progress, travelling
not faster than person could run. 1t
seemed to waver first in one direction,
then in another As far as heard from,
covering distance of eighteen miles
across tho country frem southwest to
northwest, twenty residences, nearly all
Of them large ones, were completely de-
utroyed The loss will fall not less than
toO0, 600, besides the six deaths and the
injured, two or three Of whom will prob
ably die.
Physicians from Wichita went to the re-
lief Of the injured and local assistance is
given to the suffering families Every
body in the track OF the storm lost every
thing and outside aid will probably have
to be called for.