The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-02


from Halstead, Kan, says:
At 4:3O o'clock this afternoon a fear
full cyclone devastated a strip Of coun-
try several hundred yards wide and at
least sixteen miles in length, killing six
persons outright and seriously injur-
ing several others, while many have
received slight injuries.
The cyclone first struck the house OF
Mrs. Fry, widow lady who lives
bout nine miles southwest Of Hal
s,ead. completely destroying it. but
only slightly injuring Mrs. Fry.
Dashed to Pieces.
It next picked up the house of John
lltzback and scattered it in every di-
Re, lion.
The fine two-story residence of
Joseph Weir, which had but recently
been built at a cost of over $1,000, was
entirely. swept away, killing Mrs. Weir,
Grace Weir aged II, Hermann Weir
aged 5, and a five weeks old baby. Mr..
Weir had left the house, and when the
cyclone struck 1t was about fifty yards
away, and he chung to a tree. He re-
ceived injuries which the physicians
say may prove fatal. Joseph Weir, jr.,
and sister, Maud, were the only ones
in the family who took to the cellar,
escaping with only slight bruises.
The home Of E. C. Caldwell, which
was a hundred yards to the west of
the Weir home, was unroofed and the
south side torn away. The family eS
capped by taking tC the cyclone cellar.
The next house in the path of the
storm was that OF William Armstrong,
which was completely wiped from the
face of the earth and Mr.. Armstrong
was killed, Mrs. Armstrong seriously
and probably fatally injured, and
Grandma Chaping. who was there. sick
in bed. was killed.
Two More Vanish.
About two hundred yards from the
house the large two-story residence of
B. e Frizzell was picked up, as was
also a large two-story house of J. R.
F'riZzell, across the road. and both, to-
gether with all the outbuildings, were
completely swept away, leaving only
enough debris to show that a house
had stood there. The families of both
the Frizzells escaped injury, with the
exception Of Mrs. J. R. Frizzell, who
is considerably bruised about the head.
The next place visited was the home
of Captain William White, which was
only partially destroyed, one wing of
the house being torn away. Across
the road from Whites the house of
=
Ddr. Hinkston received injuries. but he
is not considered seriously hurt.
Many Children Saved.
Spencer Ross house was in the line Of
the tornado and was carried away, as
were the homes of A. S. Powell. J. A.
Hege. Miss Daisy Neff, at PowelIs
house, was considerably injured, as was
ldrs. ]. A. Comas. In the Hege district,
school had just been dismissed and
through Mr.. Hege's foresight the chill
dren were out of the path of the storm,
along with his family. Had they not so
been great loss of life. The fury of the
storm seems to have done its worst about
five miles west of Halstead, where all six
OF the persons We're killed near the Friz-
Zell home. Dead horses, cattle and hogs
and chickens are scattered all over the
wheat fields.
Made Slow Progress.
Those who first saw the fearful disaster
coming say it made very slow progress,
travelling not faster than a person could
run. but il seemed to waiver first in one
direction then in another. Had it not
been so. the Weir family could have gone
TO the orchard east Of the house where
they would have escaped.
The cyclone could be plainly seen from
town and the Santa. Fe passenger train
No. waited in the Halstead yards until
IL crossed the track. 1t blew down several
telegraph poles in its wild career across
the country; as far as heard from COW
the country from southwest TO northeast,
twenty residences, nearly all of them
large ones, were completely destroyed.
The loss will fall not less than 5000 900
besides the six deaths and the injured,
TWO OF three of whom will probably die.
Physicians from Halstead went 10 fhe
relief of the injured and local assist
ance is being given to the suffering fami-
lies Everybody in the track of the storm
lost everything and relief will probably
nave to be called for, although only as a
last resort.
Later-NIiss Daisy Nef, aged about 1S,
has since died from her injuries.
Loss Almost Total.
The storm crossed the Sanre Fe rail-
road about three miles west of Halstead
The engineer of a west bound through
Pacific express saw the twisting tornado
coming from the south and stopped his
train and backed up This prompt action
prevented wreck for the train would
have certainly struck the storm had it
proceeded. The pathway is streWn with
the WTeckage Of houses, barns and out
buildings, cattle. and swine Orchards
were ruined, trees torn up by their roots
of the cyclone telegraph poles and wires
were broken and twisted in every shape
imaginable, rendering Geographic COM
munication almost impossible. The
storm lifted about three miles northeast
Of Burton and no further damage was
done, though pieces of timber, clothing
and other signs of the wreck can be
path of the cyclone lies through rich
farming district and most OF the build
ings destroyed were of a substantial
character. There is little or no cyclone
insurance on any of them, and the loss
will practically be total.