Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1896-05-01

right three fatally and seventeen m ore
or less seriously injured and great de-
struction of property was wrought by a
cyclone which passed over Clay county
Saturday night. The dead are:
Frank Peterson, wife and child
Mrs. Ole Halverson.
A grandchild of Peterson.
The injured belong to the families of
John Morris, F. Welkin, Peter Anderson
and H. Gardner
Passengers on the Rock Island train
from the northwest brought partial de-
tails of the cyclone
1t started about six miles south of
Clifton and went in a northeas
rection for twelve or fifteen miles, then
lost its force by spreading. It passed
about halfway between Clifton and Nor
ganville. Its track varied from $50 yards
to quarter of mile in width 1t tore
through farming community and left
nothing standing. Houses and barns
were wrecked, trees torn up or broken,
fences leveled and hay stacks blown in
every direction. The cyclone was fol-
lowed by terrific rain storm, which
lasted for several hours, flooding tn
devastated district.
The cyclone took the people unawares.
There had been indications of a heavy
rain all day, with local showers, but no.
body expected storm. So far as learn
ed, the victims were in their houses and
the most of them had retired. The storm
struck Peter Anderson's house at o:3o
o'clock. This was about mile from the
starting point. The house was demol-
ished in an instant. Every MEMBER of
the Anderson family were injured.
When they had extricated themselves
from the debris they discovered that
Anderson's grandchild was missing. The
dead body of the child was found next
morning in a ravine half 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 victims, but little
Roadway was made in the rain Couriers
were sent to Clifton and Morganville for
doctors, but it was daylight before they
arrived, and the extent of the injury and
damage was known. At moor the next
day it was thought all the victims had
been found
A large number of horses and cattle
were killed and fruit in the storms
track was ruined
Heartrending tales of suffering are
-old by persons who visited the scene of
he storm. Many of the injured lay all
night pinned down by wreckage or par
llyzed in the mud, while others crawled |
'r hobbled across the country to a |
leighbor's house. In several instances
people were lifted into the air by the
cyclone and carried for distance and
hen suddenly dropped. Buildings were
fitted up and then hurled to the ground
With force enough to demolish them.
The wife and daughter of John Nor
is were reading when the shock came
The house was divided. The women
managed to get out when the wind
licked them up, carrying them 200
ards and letting them down safely on
pile of straw just away from the
torm's track
The people for miles around today
altered at the different points where
amage had been done and rendered
ssistance in every possible way The
onductor on the Rock Island train said
nat the track of the storm looked like
piece of ground which had been
sveled with a roller. Half dozen tel
graph poles were torn down when the
ycloue crossed the road. Telegraphic
between Topeka and
ifton was cut off from the hour of
le storm until 9 o'clock this morning.
was expected much damage was done
the vicinity of Palmer, Washington
'unty, but the details cannot be learned.
Kansas Cit, April 26-A special to the
,urnal from Clay Center, Kan, places
lie number of killed in last nights cy
one at eight. There are rumors of
her deaths south and west of Clifton,
I'd it is feared that when communica-
on with the stricken towns is reestab-
shed, that the loss of life will be shown
have been great. The wires to many !