New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-08
A WATE OF DEVASTATION.
AWFUL STORMS SWEEP OVER MANY
STATES.
MORE THAN FORTY PEOPLE PERISH AND LOSS
ESTIMATED AT MILLIONS. CAUSED By
WINDS AND FLooDs-FIELDs OF

GRAIN SWEPT BARE.
st. Louis. July 7-Thursday morning last tele-
graphic reports began to arrive in this city Of
rains at Western points. These reports grew in
numbers Friday. and covered a large territory,
indicating that the entire eastern watershed of
the Rocky Mountains. from the Nebraska and
Iowa lines to Texas was swept by a storm. Fri
day night the severest blow came. Reports Of
loss Of life and destruction Of property with
every telegram and the downpour. which at
first regarded as blessing, grew into wave Of
devastation. Fields Of grain that promised the
most bountifu yield In many years to-day
swept bare of vegetation.
In several instances the seas Of rain were
abetted in their work Of destruction by torna-
does. 1t Is too early yet to up the loss, but
the total must be appalling. and those to whom
the angry elements spared life have little left to
sustain it, The stories of storm are similar
that statistical summary is all there Is left to
tell.
The storms focus embraced an area OF 200
miles square, with the southwestern corner OF
Missouri as the centre. The greatest loss Of life
is reported from Winona. Mo-. where twelve
corpses have been found. and many more per-
sons missing
At Baxter Springs. in Southwestern Kansas.
I'VE were Kliled an0 eleNen seriously lHJureu Dy d
tornado that accompanied the storm One was
drowned at Columbus and two at Ottawa. Kan.
At Vanburen, Ark, a woman and her child
were drowned.
A family of five were encamped on the banks
Of Fish Creek In the Indian Territory. Yester-
day nothing of II EN- or their belongings
found except part of their wagon on a pile OF
drftwood.
I x,i11 Mo yhoro no nf
four inches in one hour five lives lost.
Unconfrmed reports received Of loss Of life
as follows: Three at Fayetteville. Ark; one at
Paoli, Kan; one at Richards. Kan. and six OF
hunting party in the Indian Territory. This
gives a probable loss of forty-three lives. This
total will doubtless be Increased when the re-
ceding water permits thorough search.
The loss in property can be placed in the mill
ions. Dwellings, fences and farm buildings w re
carried off, and wagon and railroad bridges
swept away. Thirty Of the eighty buildings In
Winona succumbed. Five dwellings, a church
and a warehouse went down at Baxter Springs.
Six bridges went ont in Russell County Kan.
About Jefferson County. Mo. many square miles
of growing grain were covered with drift. Traf
fc on the Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad is
temporarily suspended
Reports Of damage to property other than
above noted come from five points in Kansas,
nine in Missouri six in Arkansas and two In
the Indian Territory. The storm spent itself
in Illinois. but. having lost its force proved
blessing to crops.
The above summaries give only fraction OF
the loss in property. The greatest burden falls
upon the farmers as the season is too far spent
to plant new crops, and suffering must surely
follow in the storms wake. Details OF indi-
vi6ual suffering and experiences recall the
horrors Of the Johnstown disaster.
Waukesha, Wis. July THE report reached
here In roundabout way late tonight that
score Of people had been drowned during the
progress of a~terrific storm at Lake Geneva late
this afternoon. All efforts to reach the little city
by telegraph and telephone are unavailing. as all
wires are down. The wires were in working
order until o'clock this evening. when all COM
munication was interrupted. Lake Geneva is a
well-known summer resort and Is frequented
annually by thousands Of Chicago and Eastern
people.