Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-07-13
DEATH IN THE STORM.
Fearful Havoc Wrought by the . n
rrIly Elements.
Tornado at Baxter Springs, Kan, At
tended by Many Fatalities-Eleven
Killed at WinOna, Mo-, bya
WaterspOut.

BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan, July s.
Baxter Springs is in ruins, five people
killed and about twenty others
wounded, a result of a tornado or
twisting cyclone that struck the town
Friday evening about o'clock. The
dead are: Sallie Webster, Florence
Webster, Ralph Webster, H. Hibbs and
the infant child of Thomas Shields.
The seriously injured are: Mrs. Neal,
both collar bones 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
juries; Eta Smith, internal injuries;
George A. Dicker, head wounds; A. G..
Hanback,, serious head wound; Mrs
Thomas Shields, fatal internal in
juries, and three members of A.
Sharpe's family.
There seems to have been two cur
rents of wind which struck the town,
one from the north and the other from
the west, and they met near the NJ. E.
church, joined forces and turned east,
doing serious damage to property be-
fore meeting, but after coming to-
gether the destruction of property was
complete.
The NJ. E. church was the first
building struck and was totally de-
stroyed. Then ]. M. Cooper's store
building and the Christian church were
| destroyed. Mr.. Cooper also had seven
other houses damaged, and the resi-
dences of Col. March, A G. Henbeck,
Mr.. Childs and Ira Perkins were
ruined.
The Memphis railroad depot was
badly damaged and goods stored in it
we're flooded Twenty freight
cars were thrown from the track and
damaged.
The damage to property west of Bax-
ter 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.
Forty miners at work in mine No. A
Of the Kansas 81 Texas Coal Co., at
| Weir City, had no knowledge of the
storm until the mine was deluged with
torrents of water from above. All
were narrowly saved, but every mule
in the mine was drowned.
LIVES LOST AT wINoNA, MO.
WINoNA, Mo-, July 8.-A storm awful
in it's terror and total in it's work of
destruction wiped out the town of
| Winona, on the Current river branch
of the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Mem
phis railway, in Shannon county, at
1920 o'clock Friday night. Eleven per-
sons are known to have lost their lives
and eight men are missing. The dead
are: Rev. c. w. Duncan, Mrs. G. G..
Duncan, Matte Duncan, Mrs. Craw-
| ford, a married daughter of G. w.
Duncan, Crawford Cert, George Nevins,
Norma Nevins, little daughter of
| Lloyd Wright, Maggie Cannon, John
| Morris and Mrs. Nevins.
It was like a shipwreck on land.
Cries of terror, shouts for help from
struggling people clinging to pieces of
tim Der made the scene one that bafhed
intelligent effort to save the helpless.
The strong current rushing down the
ravine or valley carried many to higher
land and places of safety.
When the torrent had in degree su b.
sided, the men who had seen to their
own families, turned their attention
to others, and by o'clock in the
morning the worst was over Those
who had escaped the sweep of the de-
VISITATION stood shivering without
an opportunity to dry themselves.
When day dawned there was nothing
of their homes in the town. There
was no shelter, no food, no clothing.