The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1896-05-03

0estroyes eaFcrnl Llrrs ana Mneh Nalm
Properly and Leaves s AaaT AIsl 81
Wonndpd-A Large NamHef nf Haraa1
and Cattle nuied-Eaelaeula pf taa
Storm hIlrnculour Nseanaa~ Mofe For
tunate Nui9hhora NeaaeTia8 aaa'atanoN'
CLAY CrNrrn. Kas.. Aprl STA
cyclone Of tremendous force sped
through Clay county late saturday
night AS Far az known tonight. Eve
people were killed. three fatally
wounded and ~ injured.
a fun lisa Of the dead and iniurcd "a
unobtainanle. as the doctors have nci
returned from the scene 81 the dIa
aster. 10 Is known. however. that
every member 81 the families % John
Morris, p. Wellrin, Peter Anderson and
Henry Gardner was hurt aud three Of
them have wounds said - BE- fatal
A large number Of horses and cattle
were killed and the damage to farm
property Is immense.
The cyclone started about six miles
south Of Clifton and went in a north
easterly direction for u or Is miles
and then lost its force By spreading.
It passed about half way between
Clifton and Morganville Its track
varied from $50 yards to a quarter Of q
mile In width. Il tore through q
farming community and left nothing
standing. Houses and barns were
wrecked, trees torn up or broken,
fences leveled and haystacks blown in
every direction.
The cyclone was followed By ter
rife rain storm which lasted several
hours, flooding the devastated dis.
trict
So far as learned the victims Of the
cyclone had retired. The storm struck
Peter Anderson's home at $3.50 o'clock.
This was about a mile from the start
ing point. The house was demolished
in an instant Every member Of the
Anderson family was injured, and
when they had extricated themselves
from the debris they discovered that
Anderson's grandchild was missing.
The dead body Of the child was found
yesterday morning in ravine half a
mile away. II evidently had been car
ried there by the wind
Anderson alarmed the neinhbors
who lived out Of the track Of the
storm, and search was commenced for
victims, but little headway was made
in the rain. Couriers were sent TO
Clifton and Morganville for doctors.
but it was daylight before they arrived
aud the exent Of the injury and dam
age was known.
AZ noon It was thought that all the
victims had been found. Heartrend-
ing tales Of suffering are told by per-
sons who visited the scenes Of tho
storm. Many Of the injured lay all
night pinned down by wreclxage,
while others crawled or hobbled across
the country to neighbours house.
The wife and daughter Of John Nor
ris was reading when the shock came.
The house was divided. The ladies'
managed to get out when the wind
picked them up, and carried them 200
yards and then let them safely down
on a pile Of straw just away from the
storms track.
The people for miles around yester-
day gathered at different points whore
damage had been done and rendered
assistance in every way possible.
The track Of the storm looked like q
piece Of ground that had been leveled
with a roller.
Telegraphic communication with
Clifton was cut of from the hour OF
the storm till late yesterday morning.
It is believed that much damage was
done in the vicinity Of Palmer, Wash.
ington county, but the details can not
be learned.
1t is impossible at this time to est.
mate the damage to buildings and
other nronartv