The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-05-02
WAS A TRAIL OF DEATH
TERRIBLE CYCLONE PASSES OVER
CLAY COUNTY, NO.
tured, Houses Wrecked and
Crops Ruined.

Kansas City, April Pa special to the
Times from Topeka, Kan. says:
FIVE persons, at least, were Killed out
right; three fataIiy, anu II more or less
seriously injured and great destruction
OF property was wrought by cyclone
which passed over Clay county last night.
The dead are:
Frank Peterson, wife and child.
Mrs. Ole Halverson.
A grandchild of Peterson.
The injured belong to the families of J.
Norris. F. Welkju. Peter Anderson and
II. Gardner.
Passengers on the Rock Island train
from the northwest this afternoon
brought partial details of the cyclone 1t
started about six miles south Of Clifton
and went in a northeasterly direction for
l. or Is miles. then lost its force by
spreading. 1t passed about half way be-
tween Clifton and Morganville. Its track
varied from $50 yards to a quarter of
mile in width. 1t tore through a farming
community, and left nothing at all stand
ing.
Houses and barns were wrecked, trees
torn up or broken, fences leveled and hay
stacks blown in every direction. The cy-
clone was followed by a terrific rain
storm, which lasted several hours, flood
ing the devastated district.
The cyclone took the people unawares
There had been indications of heavy
rain all day, with local showers, but no
body expected a storm. So far as learned
the victims were in their houses. and the
NEST Of them had retired.
The storm struck Peter Anderson's
house at $3.50 O'Clock. This was about a
mile from the starting point. The house
was demolished in an instant. every
member of the Anderson family being
injured When they had eXtricated them
selves from the debris they discovered
that Andersons grandchild was missing.
The dead. body of the child was found
this morning in a ravine half a mile
away. 1t evidently had been carried there
by the wind.
Anderson alarmed the neighbors who
lived out of the track Of the storm and
search was made for the victims. but
little Roadway was made in the rain.
Couriers We're sent to Clifton and Nor
ganvile for doctors, but it was daylight
before they arrived and the extent of the
injury and damage was known.
At noon today it was thought that al
the victims had been found. A large
number of cattle and horses were killed
and the fruit in the storms track was
ruined.
1t is impossible at this time to esti
mate the damage to buildings and Other
property.
Heartrendng tales of suffering are told
by persons who visited the scene Of the
storm.
Many of the injured lay all night pin
ned down by wreckage or paralyzed il
the mud. while others crawled or hobble'
across the country to neighbors' houses
No.
into the air by the cyclone and carried
for a distance and then suddenly drop
pea Buildings were lifted up and thei
hurle. to the ground with force enough
to demOlish them.
The wife and daughter of joan Morri
We're reading when the shock came Tn
house was divided. The women manages
to get out, when the wind picked then
Up, carrying them 200 yards, and let then
down safely on a pile of straw just ava.
from The storms track
The people for miles around today gath
cred at different points where damag
had been done and rendered assistance i
every possible way.
The conductor of the Rock Island trai
said that the track of the storm locke
like a piece of ground which had bee
leveled with a roller.
Journal from Clay City, Kan. places tn
number of killed in last nights cyclone a
eight. There are rumors of other death
south and west of Clifton and it is feare
that when communication with h
stricken towns is re-establshed the los
of life will be shown to have been grea
The Journal correspondent gives tn
following list of killed:
f. Peterson, wife and one daughter
Ed Ralthaser and Wife.
Jess Ham.
Mrs. Halberson.
The injured: The daughter of Fran
Peterson can not live; Frank Wilkinson
can not live entire family of John Mo
ris badly manged; six children of L
Ralthaser, more or less injured.
WITHOUT GROWERS sIGNATUR