Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-05-02

Houses In the Track of tho Cyclone Were
 Completely Wiped Out of Existencc-The
 School Children Had "a Narrow Escape.
 Over Twenty Persons Injured.
 HALsTEAD, Kan, May 2.-A fearful cyclone devasta ated a strip of country sov- eral hundred yards widc and at least It miles in length, killing six persons out right and seriously injuring several oth- CTS. while many havo received slight in- juries.
 Tho cyclone struck the house of Mrs. Frye, widow who lived about nine miles southwest of Halstcad, completely destroying it and slightly injuring Mrs. Frye. It picked up the house of John Schult zback and scattered 1t in every di- roction.
 The fine two story house of Joseph Weir was entirely swept away, killing Mrs. Joseph Weir. Grace Weir. aged II; Herman Weir, aged 5, and a 5-weeks old baby. Mir. Weir he'd previously left the house, and when tho cyclone struck it was about 30 yards away He chung to a trec but was badly injured by flying de bris and will die Joseph Weir, Jr, and sister. Maud Weir. tho only ones in the family who took to the cellar, escaped with only slight bruises.
 
 100 yards to tho west of the Weir home was Unronfed, and ono side was tom away The family escaped by taking to the eel lar.
 The next house in the path of the storm was William Armstrong's which was completely wiped from the face of the earth. Mir. Armstrong was killed, Mrs. Armstrong seriously and perhaps fatally injured. and Grandmuther Chapin, who was there sick in bed, was killed.
 About O-yards east of the Armstrong house tho largo two story residence of E. F.. Fri7zol was picked up, as was also largo two story building uf J. J. Frizzel across tho road, and both together 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 FrizzelS escaped in- jury with the exception of Mrs. J. Friz- gel, who was considerably bruised about tho head
 Houses Completely Obliterated.
 The next place visited was tho home of Captain William White, which was only partly destroyed, one wing of the house ! being torn away. Across the road from Whites the homo of Cyrus Hinkston was entirely carried away. Mir. Hinkston re- CCived painful but not serious injuries spencer Ross house was in tho line of tho tornado and was carried away, as were also tho homes of A. s Powell, J A 1 Conas, Andrew Thompson and Memo Hegc Miss Daisy Netf, at Powell house, was badly injured. was Mrs. J. Comas. At tho Hcgc district school the children had just been dismissed IIege saw tho storm approaching, and fearing its results hurried the scholars to his cyclone collar His foresight prevented an awful dis aster, for just aS the last child had been safety slowed away in the cellar the cy- clone struck the house over them and de- mollshcd it. As it was not one of them was even slightly injured The fury of the storm seems to have dOne its worst nhOut fvo miles west of Halstead where all six of the persons were killed. Near the Frizzel homo dead horses, cattle hogs and chickens are scattered oil UVCr the wheattleld
 Those who first saw the disaster com 1 ing say it made very slow progress, trav- f cling not faster than n person could run IL seemed to wavCr first in one direction, then in HnothCr. A fHr Rs heard from covering a distance of Is miles across the ! country from southwest tO northeast 20 residences, nearly all of them large oncs wCrc completely destroyed. The loss will 1 he not less than S20O, QUO, besides the six dc ,ths and the injured two or threo of whom will probably die
 Physicians from Wichita went to the TO. ! lief of the injured, and local assistance is 1 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.