The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1896-05-22
DEATH IN CYCLONES
Terrible Fatalities From One
in State of Texas.
KANSAS ALSO is SWEPT.
Many People Killed and Loss
of Property Great.
KANSAS ALSO is SWEPT.

On6 week ago today most dlSa6tfou6
cyclone struck Sher nan. Texas, at 4:30
o'clock in the afternoon, entirely wiping
out the western end of the town. The
loss OF life is appalling, at least so people
being killed and many more fatally or
seriously injured.
The work OF rescue and search for the
missing goes on. The business part of
town is deserted and the greatest excite
ment reigns. The Western Union Office
is overdowed with anxious ones sending
messages and inquiring the fate of other
towns.
AS time grows, later reports OF greater
loss of life and property are arriving.
| Many stories OF miraculous escapes are
told. The Sherman court house was in
sufficient to hold the dead and wounded
The vacant Moore building on the south
square was utilized. II colored people,
dead or dying, being placed there.
The storm struck Sherman without
warning on the southwest corner Of the
city and cleaned path 100 yards wide
along the west end of the town. Houses.
trees, fences aud everything went before
the terrible force of the cyclone.
The negro part of the town suffered
most severely. There were probably 80
negroes killed. Ten bodies have been
picked up in Post Oak creek. The food
of rain which attended the storm was
severe. The town Is mass of mud and
| floating debris. There was much diff.
Guilty in finding the dead and injured
A cyclone struck the town of Justine
the same afternoon, blowing down 12
houses, killing man named w. j. Evans
of Kelly, Tex, and badly injuring II
others. The cyclone also did much
damage north of there.
The terrible cyclone struck the town Of
Howe, leaving dead and ruin as its work.
| The path OF the cyclone at that point was
quarter of mile wide. Ten farm.
houses and as many barns were wrecked.
Eight persons were killed outright and
many injured. The bark was ripped
from trees and much stock was killed.
| The cyclone strucK the town Of Gibble
| Springs, Is miles north OF Denton. Sew.
eral persons were killed and many were
Injured 80 badly that they cannot live
rhe property loss is great.
HALF A MILLION DAMAGE.
Denton, Texas, May 16.-The cyclone
which cut out the heart of this county
and GrAyson county, just to the north
east, started within 9 mile of Justine,
in this county People were blown down,
houses demolished and farm buildings
completely removed. Reports from JUS
tine, Sherman and Gibble are that $780,
600 worth of property has been destroyed
in the two counties. Kallor, small
town, was almost entirely wrecked by the
cyclone and 1t is reported that only one
house in the hamlet is now standing. All
that nk "a 4fafa al
north was left bare by the storm, Fur
ther reports from Gibble Springs say the
injured in that place will number 80.
THE DEATH LIST INCREASING.
Sherman, Texas, May l6.-The results
of the terrible cyclone which swept
Grays' Hill and Fairview additions to
Sherman yesterday afternooHare not yet
complete. The list of the dead up to
noon today included 78 and at least a
dozen more are expected to die before
night 1t is estimated that 20 or 80
bodies are yet undiscovered, and several
hundred men are searching the fields,
digging up debris and dragging the
creeks. Six more bodies have been found
dead and two alive were recovered this
morning. It is reported that IL bodies
Of dead whites are being brought in from
north Of Sherman. The streets are
crowded with stricken people. Hundreds
OF farmers are in town and it seems that
half the population of Dennison are here
today. Details OF the storms grow more
horrible. Bodies have been decapitated,
| limbs torn off, eyes gouged out, cheeks,
| fingers and toes cut off clean as ii with
knife, hair pulled out, great slivers Of
wood sticking through the limbs, noses
fattened in, skulls crushed and brains
scooped ont. Some OF the victims have
their necks broken, others are mutilated
horribly. Some are not broken or
bruised at all. but apparently serene in
death Many private homes are utilized
as hospitals. Tbe ladies are doing all
possible to care for the diving and wound
ed. The undertakers are overrun with
work. People view the dark skies and
threatening clouds with evident appre-
hension. Bodies are being brought in
hourly. The total killed will reach 120
and the wonpded l00 People are re.
sponding geae ausly to calls for help.
Over 5000 has Reen received.
THERE WE'RE THREE STORMS.
Denison, Texas, May 16.--At the same
| hour of the tornado at Sherman yester.
day evening q tornado swept over the
northeastern portion Of Grayson county,
| 10 miles from Dennison. and great dam
age was done. The best information OBJ
tainable is to the effect that there were
three storme, all travelling in the same
direction and all of terrific fury. The
country is thickly populated and appre-
tensions are felt for the safety OF the
people. Further east, in Grayson county,
another storm swept down Choctaw ba-
you and Desolation country. Everything
is gone and searching parties are looking
for the dead and wounded. Reports
from isolated Indian territory points on
the trail Of the storm are beginning to
arrive. On Reynolds prairie, IL miles
east Of Dennison, dozen honseg were
wrecked and many people injured. Re
ports from Jole, Indian Territory, say