Omaha daily bee., 1896-04-27
TORNADO IN KANSAS
Five People Killed Outright and Much
Property Destroyed.
CLAY COUNTY THE SCENE OF THE STORM
Awful Work of the Wind in Varioug
Sections.
MANY PINNED TO THE EARTH FOR H0UFS
Seventeen Persons Known to Have Been
Seriously Wounded,
CYCLONES TRACK FILLED WITH DEBRIS
Damage to Live stock, Farm prop-
crty and Growing Crops IN
Some Parts Said TO lie
Enormous.
NY PINNED TO THE EARTH FOR HOURS
Seventeen Persons Known to Have Been
Seriously Wounded,
CYCLONES TRACK FILLED WITH DEBRIS

Some Parts Said TO lie
Enormous.
KANSAS CITY, April ga special to tho
Journal from Clay Center. Kan, places the
number of killed in last nights cyclone at
eight. There are rumors of other deaths
south and west of Clifton, and 1t is feared
that when communication with the stricken
towns is established, that the loss of life
will be shown to have been great. The
wires to many points are down, and but
meager details are obtainable at midnight
The pecunlary loss west of Clifton at one
point is estimated at about $2O,O00 indi-
eating that the total lose will aggregate a
| large sum. The Journals correspondent
gives the following list of killed:
FRANK PETERSON, wife and one daugh-
| ter.
ELI BALTHASAR and wife.
JULIUS TREMBLY.
JESSE HALL.
MRS. HALBERSoN.
Injured:
Daughter Of Frank Peterson, cannot live.
Frank Wilkinson, cannot live.
Entire family of John Morris, badly man.
gled.
Six children of Eli Balthasar, more or less
injured.
Passengers on the Rock Island from the
northwest this afternoon brought partial de-
tails of the cyclone 1t started about six
miles south of Clifton and went in a north
westerly direction for twelve or fifteen
miles, then lost its force by spreading. 1t
passed about half way between Clifton and
Morganvlle. Its track varied from $50 feet to
a quarter of mile in width. 1t tore through
a farming community and left nothing stand.
ing. Houses and barns were wrecked, trees
torn up or broken, fences leveled and hay
stacks blown in every direction. The cyclone
was followed by terrific rain storm which
lasted several hours, flooding the devastated
district.
The cyclone took the people unawares
There had been indications of heavy rain
all day, with local showers but nobody ex-
pected a storm. So far as learned the VIC
tins were in their houses and the most Of
them had retired.
JUST BEFORE BEDTIME.
The storm struck Peter Andersons house
at 9:3O o'clock. This was about a mile from
the starting point. The house was demol-
shed in an instant. Every member Of the
Anderson family was injured. When they
had extrcated themselves from the debris
they discovered that Anderson's grandchiId
was missing. The dead body Of the child was
fornd this morning in a ravine half mile
away. 1t had evidently been carried thee
by the wind. Anderson alarmed the neigh
bors who lived out of the track of the storm
and search was commenced for victims. but
little headway was made in the rain. Couri-
ers were sent TO Clifton and Morganville for
doctors, but 1t was daylight before they ar
rived and the extent of the injury and dam
ages was known. AT noon It was thought all
the victims had been found.
A large number of cattle and horses were
killed and fruit IN the storms track was
ruined. 1t is impossible at this time to
estimate the damage to buildings and other
property. Heartrending tales of Suffering are
told by persons who visited the scene OF
the storm. Many of the injured lay all night
pinned down by wreckage or paralyzed
in the mud. or others crawled or hobbled
across the country to a neighbours house. In
several instances people were lifted into
the air by the cyclone ana carr ed for a
distance and then suddenly dropped. Build.
!ngs were lifted up anL then hurled to the
gr0und with force enough TO demolish them.
The wife and daughter of John Morris
were reading when the shock came. The
house was divided. The women managed 10
ge: out when the wind picked them up.
carried them 200 yards and let them safely
down on a pile OF straw Just away from the
storms truck.
The people for miles around today gathered
at the different points where damage had
been done and rendered assistance in every
possible way. The conductor on the Rock
Island train said that the track of the storm
looked like piece OF ground which had been
leveled with a roller. Half a dozen tele-
graph poles were torn down where the cy-
clone crossed the road, Telegraphic COM
munication between Topeka and Clifton was
cut off from the hour of the storm til 0
o'clock this morning, 1t is said that great
damage was done in the vicinity of Palmer.
Washington county, but the details cannot be-
learned.
special to the Journal from Concordia,
Kan. received at 1880 this Monday morn
ing, says that Saturday nights cyclone was
far more destructive than was at first sup
posed. 1t is now certain that nine persons
we're killed outright and more than twenty
injured, many OF them fatally. The little