Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-04-30
AWFUL TORNADO.
Eleven Persons Killed in Clay
County, Kan, and Vicinity.
Thirty or Forty Others Said to BE Injured
-Many Houses and farms Wrecked
and the Damage to Prop.
erty Great.

CLIFTON. Kan, April 27.-A tornado,
accompanied by a severe rain and hail
storm, prevailed in this section Satur-
day night. Between seven and eight
o'clock a funnel shaped cloud appeared
eight miles southwest of Clinton and
travelled in a northeasterly direction,
tearing up fences, granaries, farm
houses and trees. Eight lives are re-
ported as being lost, among whom is a
five-year-old boy whose body has not
yet been found. Frank Wilkinson,
young farmer, is so seriously injured
he cannot survive. The entire family
of John Morris is frightfully mangled.
They had just reached the cellar when
the house was blown away. The resi-
dence of Walter Haynes was also
blown to atoms, but he had reached
the cellar with his family and escaped
unhurt. The barn of Lawrence Rains,
q wealthy farmer, was completely de-
stroyed and several head of horses
were killed. Great damage to stock
also resulted. The loss is estimated at
$50, 900; partially insured.
A dispatch from Clay Center stated
that at about $50 Saturday evening
tornado swept the country some 10
miles northwest of there, killing many
persons and totally destroying all
houses and outbuildings within its
path. Its direction was from south
west to northeast over a strip only
about 40 rods wide. It came suddenly,
without other warning than a calm of
some five minutes and was accompa
MED by torrents of water. Frank Pc
terson, his wife and daughter were
killed and the other daughter cannot
live. A boy named Jesse Ham, about
five years old, who was at Anderson's,
his grandfather's, was blown 80 rods
into an adjoining field and his 1ifeless
body was not found until Sunday
morning. Mrs. Halberson was also
among the killed of the Peterson fam
lily. One boy about II years old is the
only survivor. Although he was with
the others of the family, by some
strange chance he received only few
scratches.
AT ConcOrdia reports show that the
tornado was even more destructive
than at first supposed. The path fol-
lowed by the storm is 400 feet in
width and over 90 miles long, extend
ing from St Joseph, a small French
settlement in the eastern edge of Cloud
county, in a northeasterly direction
through the northern part of Clay and
into the southern portion of Washing
ton counties. Fortunately the storm
did not pass through any small towns,
or the loss of life would have been far
greater, but it did lay waste a thickly
settled portion of the Repu blican val
ley. Over 90 families who Saturday night
boosted of pleasant homes and COM
Portable surroundings are to-day rely
ing upon the kindness of friends to
care for their injured and dead. AT
the first place visited by the storm,
that of Eli Belthazor, six children are
left to mourn the death of father and
mother. The family were just prepar-
ing to go into the cellar. and several of
the little ones had already gone down,
when the building was swept away
and dashed to kindling wood. Two of
the children are SO seriously injured
that they probably will not recover.
About a mile farther east the house Of
Julian Trembly was destroyed and he
was killed.
Reports from Palmer, on the Mis-
souri, Pacific east of Clifton, state that
quite a number were seriously injured.
and that several will die.
The power of the storm was terrific;
nothing could withstand its force.
Large farm houses and barns seemed
to offer no resistance whatever, and
were swept away like so much chaff.
The damage to property is very great
1t is thought that fully 20 houses were
destroyed, besides barns, granaries
and large number of horses, cattle
and hogs The latest reports give the
number killed as II, while probably
between 20 and 80 are injured