The Indianapolis journal., 1895-07-07
ELLA SMITH. internal injuries.
GEORGE A. DECKER. head injured.
A. G; HANBACK,. head injured.

IDIeIndl
GEORGE A. DICkER. head injured.
A. g. HANBACK,. head injured.
A. SHARP and FAMILY. three persons,
MRS. THOMAS SHIELDS. living nine
miles south, fatally injured
There seems to have been two currents
OF wind which struck the fown-one from
the north and the other from the west
and they met near the Methodist Episcopal
Church, joined forces and turned east. do
ing serious damage TO property before
meeting, and completing the destruction
after coming together. In the track Of the
current from the north the passenger depot
was the first thing damaged. Further on
much damage was done to residence prop
erty and trees. The current from the west
seems to have been the stronger. 1t struck
some of the residences west of the freight
depot. doing serious damage, and when
IL came to the yards of the railroad twen-
ty-eight freight cars were thrown from
the track. the depot moved on it's founda-
ton, and its contents were badly flooded
by the downpour OF rain which closely fol-
lowed the wind
IS From the railroad track at the point OF
meeting the other current the damage TO
property was not so great. The first OBJ
ject struck after the meeting was the NJ
z. Church. This was destroyed and IL lies
in a heap of ruins The current turned
slightly to the southeast, doing good deal
OF damage until it reached a point Just
west of j. NJ. Coopers large store where 1t
turned directly east, striking the store
building. caving In the west end and badly
damaging the roof. The store was flooded
and much damage was done TO the goods
The Christian Church was directly in the
path; it lies like a pile of kindiing wood
The Episcopal Church was not touched
but the storm struck further up the street
on the south side. and from there on not 4.
residence escaped
The members of the Webster family, re-
Gently from Nebraska. the mother aged
sixty; daughter. aged thirty. and the grand
son, aged four, were killed by lightning.
Another son had his leg broken and shoul-
der dislocated and will probably die NJ. 3.
Hibbs. aged sixty. died from excitement.
falling dead in one of the stores on Mill
tary street The old Occidental Hotel. now
used as an opera house, was struck by
lightning and badly damaged Four large
hay barns in the neighborhood OF the
freight depot were wrecked A conserva-
tive estimate of the damage places IL at
100000 There was little if any, cyclone in
surance.
The damage to property west of Baxter
Springs cannot be fully determined II is
reported that, for many miles in the track
OF the storm. fences and barns are blown
down and crops more or less DESTROYED.
The west part of Lyon township seems to
have had a touch of perhaps the same
twister that struck Baxter 1t struck the
farmhouse Of Thomas Shields OF Lyon. de-
molishing his house and barns Mrs Shields
and two children were in the building at
the time of the storm. One of the children.
two-year-old babe, was killed; the other
child's leg was broken, and Mrs. Shields
had her shoulder dislocated and Is injured
in her back and shoulder. She will die One
or two, other farms in the immediate vicin-
ity OF Mr.. Shields's were damaged, fences.
trees, ETC., being blown down. w. l.. Arch
er was found dead on the Nolan farm, in
Sheridan township. He left McCune yester-
day afternoon about @ clock where he had
been on business. 1t is supposed that he
was drowned while crossing creek.
Forty miners at work in mine No. AZ. of
the Kansas e Texas Coal Company. at
Weir City, had knowledge of the storm
until the mine was deluged with torrents
of water from above All had narrow es-
capes from drowning, but every mule in
the mine was drowned.
The rain the most violent ever
known, resembling cloudburst, and the
entire country was flooded. Reports of
further fatalities seem almost certain when
the roads are opened up.