The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-07
BAXTER SPRINGS LOSS.
Five Persons Killed and Over
Twenty Are Seriously
Injured.
LIVES LOST AT wINoNA. MO.
BY a CIoudburst and Torrents the
Prosperous Town Is Wiped
Out of Existence.

BAXTER SPRINGS, KANs., July g.
Baxter Springs is in ruins. Five people
were killed and about twenty others
wounded as the result of a tornado or
twisting cyclone that struck the town last
evening about o'clock. The dead are
SaIlie Webster, Florence Webster, Ralph
Webster, H. B. Hibbs and the infant
child of Thomas Shields.
Scores OF men, women and children in
the town are more or less injured, some
fatally. Those reported are:
Mrs. Neal, both collarbones broken and
internal injuries; James Neal, head wound
and internal injuries; Roy Webster, right
arm and right hip broken Mrs. Martha
Smith, hip dislocated and internal in
iuries; Eta Smith, internal injuries
George A. Dicker, head wounds; A. G.
Hancock, serious head wound; Mrs.
Thomas Shields, fatal internal injuries.
Three mem bers of A. Sharpe's family were
badly hurt.
There seems to have been two currents
of wind which struck the town, one going
north and the other going west, and these
met near the Methodist Episcopal Church,
Gus damage to property before meeting,
but after coming together the destruction
Of property was complete.
In the track of the current going north
the passenger depot was the first thing
damaged. Further on much damage was
done to the residence property, shade trees
and everything in its way. The current
going west seems to have been the stronger
1t struck some of the residences west of
the freight depot, doing serious damage,
but when it came to the yards of the rail-
road twenty eight cars were thrown from
the track and badly damaged. The depot
was moved from its foundation and
wrecked about the roof and the contents
were badly flooded. From the railroad
traek - ~ he point of meeting the other
current the damage to property was not
great.
The first object after the meeting was
the NJ. E. Church. This was totally de-
stroyed and lies in a heap of ruins The
current turned slightly to the southeast,
doing a good deal of damage, until it
reached point Just west of J. NJ. Cooper's
large store, where it turned directly east.
striking the store building, caving in the
west end and badly wrecking the roof.
The store was flooded and much damage
was done to the goods. The next object of
the storm s fury was the old blacksmith
shop on the northwest corner of Military
and River Streets which was completely
swept away. The Christian church was
directly in the path. It lies like a pile of
kindling wood.
The storm struck further up the street
on the south side, and there was not a
residence that escaped being badly
wrecked. ]. NJ. Cooper bad seven houses,
including the one in which he lives. very
badly damaged. Colonel William March.
a. A. Hanback,, Mr.. Childs, Ira Perkins
the residences Of all these people are in
ruins and untenabe.
Three members of the Webster family.
recently from Nebraska, the mother, aged
60, daughter, aged 80, and a son, aged 4,
were killed by lightning. Another son had
his leg broken and his shoulder dislocated.
and will probably die. H B. Hibbs. aged
about So died from excitement, falling
dead in one of the stores on Military street,
The Occidental Hotel, now used as an
opera-house, was struck by lightning and
somewhat damaged. Four large hay-barns
were completely wrecked.
A conservative estimate of the DAMAGE
places it at about 100000. There was little.
if any, cyclone insurance. The damage to
property west of Baxter Springs cannot be
fully determined. 1t 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 touch of the twister. It
struck the farmhouse of Thomas Shields of
Lyons, demolishing his house and barns.
Mrs. Shields and her two children were in
the building at the time the storm struck
it. One of the children, two-year-old
baby girl, was killed. The other child's
leg was disiocated and it was injured in
the back and spine. It will die. One or
two other farms in the immediate vicinity
OF Mr.. Shields were damaged, fences,
trees, etc., being blown away.
w. L. Archer, better known as "Lute,"
was found dead On the Noolan farm in |
Sheridan Township. He left McCue yes
terday afternoon about o'clock, where he |
had been on business for his employer, A. |
Hood. 1t is supposed that he was drowned |
while crossing a creek.
Forty miners at work in mine No. At, of |
the Kansas and Texas Coal Company at |
Welr City, who had no knowledge of the |
storm, were deluged with water All mar
rowly escaped, but every mule in the mine
was drowned. The rain was the most vio-
lent ever known. resembling cioudbur
and the entire country was flooded. Re-
ports OF further fatalities seem almost GER
tain when the roads are opened up.
WINOHA Is WIPED OUT.
Many People Perish During the Great