The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-16
SCORES OF VICTIMS
CLAIMED BY TORNADO THAT
WROUGHT RUIN IN TEXAS.
sherman and Vicinity Visited by a
WhirIing, Death-Dealing Cloud
Late Yesterday Afternoon.
PROBABLY 100 PEOPLE DEAD
AND MANY MORE DYING OR SUFFER-
ING FROM SERIOUS INJURIES.
Everything i'm the Path Of the Storm
Raxed to the Ground or Carried
Away by the Tornado.
COUNTRY DISTRICTS VISITED
AND THE LOSSES THERE SUPPOSED
TO BE ALSO VERY HEAVY.
Large Amount of Property Destroyed
big Iron Bridge Picked Up and
Tossed Into Pieces.
COUNTRY DISTRICTS VISITED
AND THE LOSSES THERE SUPPOSED
TO BE ALSO VERY HEAVY.
Large Amount of Property Destroyed
big Iron Bridge Picked Up and
Tossed Into Pieces.

DALLAS, Tex. May 15.-"Death rode the
storm" in Texas to-day, and left sorrow and
ruin in its wake. Dispatches from several
more tornadoes. The loss OF life may ex-
ceed one hundred, and scores Of people are
injured. A dispatch from Sherman. the
center Of the scene of destruction, says: A
few minutes before o'clock this after
noon a tornado not exceeding two blocks in
width, but carrying widespread destruction
and death in its wake, swept through the
western half of the city, travelling almost
directly north. The approach of the terrific
whirlwind was announced by deep rumb-
ling noise not unlike reverberating thun-
der. A fierce and driving rain accompanied
1t. When it had passed many people were
found to be dead or injured. Late tonight
it is reported that forty were killed south of
town. In addition to the cty's death list
Wagons are unloading the dead and injured
every minute.
A reporter standing on the north side of
the court plaza had his attention called to
the peculiar appearance of the clouds. They
were parted at the lower side. converging
into perfect funnel-shape, while boiling
seething mass of vaporous clouds were rap
idly revolving in the rift. The air was sud-
denly filled with trees and twigs and the
downpour Of rain brought with it deuge
of mud Then the truth dawned on all that
a tornado was prevailing. From the point
where it seems to have first descended to
where it suddenly arose from the ground just
north of the city. it left plain marks of its
passage, not a house in its pathway escap-
ing; not tree or shrub left standing, or that
Is not twisted and torn out of shape. Fences
are gone. The iron bridge on Houston
street was wrecked and blown away not
withstanding its hundred thousands Of
pounds Of steel and material.
SOME OF THE VICTIMS.
The number of persons wounded will reach
not less than one hundred and 1t win be sew
eral days before the exact number of fatal
tiles can be given, as many persons, and es-
pecially children, are missing and many OF
the injured are in such critical shape that
score may die before morning. The list
of killed, as far as reported by the author
tiles, at 10 p. m, is as follows:
MRS. OTTO BALDINGER and two chill
dren.
MRS. /. L. BURNS and two children,
Johnnie, aged three, and Grover, aged ten.
JOHN AMES and wife and two children.
MRS. LUKE MoNTGoMERY and two
children. Another is also missing.
WILLIAM HAMILTON. farmer.
ARS. GEORGE ANDERSON and infant
MARY BELLE JENKINS.
ID. l. PIERCE and son Thomas, aged four
teen.
MRS. DAVID HERRING and two children.
An unknown woman and two little white
children, about four and six years old, have
not been identified, and are being held in the
morgue for Identification. The list of colored
people killed. so far as learned up to 10 p. M,
is follows: James Walker, Mrs. Mora
Nicholson and two children, Lucky Ballinger
hnd daughter, Charley Cox, son of Eliza
Cox, Mary Lake and three children, Letitia,
John and Fatus.
An incomplete list of the wounded is as
follows: Thomas Jenkins. wife and children;
Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Miller and two chill
dren. A heavy silver OF wood was driven
through the thigh of Granville Jenkins Mr.
ard Mrs. Edward Haisell and little son.
with b. F. Woodard, were in the cellar at
the formers residence, and were covered
with debris. Mr.. and Mrs Halsell were
both painfully bruised about the thighs, sup
posed to have been blown through a win
dow. Eliza Cox, colored, hurt in the breast;
Harriet Lake, colored, cut and bruised
about the head; Benjamin Cephus. colored,
his wife and son Clarence, all have ribs
broken and are in precarious condition. Let
tie and Lummie Buris are badly hurt Mrs.
and Mr.. Jesse Brown are badly bruised.
Mrs. Browns arm is broken. Ike Shearer,
son of Rev. Shearer, who was killed, is
badly bruised.
WHERE DEATHS WE'RE NUMEROUS.
The greatest number of deaths are re-
ported from the coiored settlement along
Post Oak and Lincola streets, between
| Cherry and Lost streets. where several peo-
pie were killed outright. Very few of the
persons in the demolished houses are able
TO tell just how the storm burst upon them,
| and only In one or two instances were par
| ties able to. get out of its deadly path.
| Mrs. j. B. King and two children are Sc
| riously injured. Philip Nichols, received
| painful hurts about the head. Mrs John
| irvine and four children. all more or less in
jured. w. 5. Bostwick. who was in the
same residence. is cut very seriously Otto
| Ballinger, whose family were all killed. is
badly hurt about the head. S. Herster and
Mamie Nicholson. colored, of the family OF
| which six were killed, are seriously and in
! ternally hurt Dave Herring and Mrs. l. ID
| Pierce. who alone escaped death at theil
| home, are perhaps fatally hurt Mary Pat
rick. colored. and three children are al
| badly hurt internally. Matte Jefferson, col.
ored, head hurt and injured internally will
not live until morning. John and Alice New
house. colored. and four children are badl,
hurt. Harriet Hendricks. colored. had botl