The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-05-23
THREE SCORE DEAD
Texas Towns Visited by Cy-
clones and Great DeStruC-
ton Wrought.
Sherman the Worst Sufferer,
Fully Sixty People Being
Killed There.
Reports From Other Places In
crease the Long List Of
Fatalities.

DALLAS. Tex, May 1S.-A special to
The News from Sherman, Tex. says:
Just a few minutes before . o'clock a
cyclone, not exceeding two blocks in
width but carrying Widespread destruc-
ton and death, swept through the west
ern half Of the city. The number OF
fatalities is not definitely known. The
list of missing is large and includes a
great many children and it is quite
probable that the most of them are
dead. 1t is very conservative to esti-
mate that the list of fatalities will reach
50, while the injured will reach at least
100. Most of the wrecked houses are
small cottages and the monetary loss is
not over $50 coo.
1t is reported that 40 people have been
killed south of town, in addition to the
city's list Of dead.
Approach of the Storm.
The News reporter standing on the
north side of Court plaza had his atten-
ton called to the peculiar appearance of
the clouds. They were parted at the
lower side, converging into a perfect
funnel shape, while a boiling, seething
mass of vaporous clouds were rapidly
revolving in the rift. The air was sud
denly filed with trees and twigs and
the downpour Of rain brought with it a
deluge of mud. Then the truth dawned
upon all that a cyclone was prevailing.
From the point where it seems to
have first descended to where it sud-
denly arose from the ground just north
of the city, it left terrific marks of it's
passage, not a house in its pathway
escaping. The iron bridge on Houston
street is completely wrecked and blown
away, Notwithstanding its hundreds of
thousands of pounds of steel material.
I~mpromptu Morgues and Hospitals.
A few minutes after the storm had
passed the police officers We're appealed
to for shelter for the dead and wounded,
and ambulances and all kinds Of con-
veyances were pressed into service. \
vacant stCrerOOm on the north side of
Court plaza and another Oh the south
side and the courtroom itself were
transformed into ~impromptu morgues
and hospitals for the wounded, while
every residence left standing III Fair
view is open to the unfortunates.
The physicians and druggists re.
sponded promptly to the call for succor,
and drugs and everything needed came
spontaneously. Hundreds of ladies re-
sponded to the cali Of humanity, and,
with a score Of physicians, were soon at
work. Color and caste disappeared in
the supreme moment Of woe and desc
lation.
Accompanied by Heavy Rain.
A waterspout accompanied the cy-
clone, and the creeks are all out of their
banks. 1t is a remarkable incident that
in every case where there were deaths
the bodies from the houses destroyed
were found $50 or 200 yards from the
buildings towards the south. while the
storm moved to the northward. Tele-
graph and telephone poles We're torn up
and driven into the ground.
Another storm of a similar nature
passed about six miles west Of the CITY
at about the same hour. Several houses
were blown down and many persons in
jured. At Center Bluff the dwelling of
John Devant was blown down and four
persons, Devant and wife, and Devant's
hired hand, named Armour, and a little
child, received injuries from which they
will die.