Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-05-21
THE DEADLY CYCLONE.
Texas and Kansas Visited by
awful Storms
At Sherman, Tex, and Vicinity the Death
List Is Over 1OO-Seueca and Other
Kansas Towns Devastated-The
Property Loss Enormous.

juring hundreds of others and doing
damage estimated at $3.50, 900. In this
city AZ persons were killed and % are
missing and probably dead, while over
100 were injured. South of here 90
more were probably killed, and at
other points there were 20 or more
deaths. The tornado made its first ap
pearance at Justin, in Denton county,
more than 100 miles from here. The
work of ruin was quickly accomplished
there. From there the storm swept
northeast through Gerald. thence to
Mingo, to Gribble Springs and on to
Mustard. A hundred miles was travelled
in an hour. The small settlements
along the line of the Missouri, Kansas
& Texas railroad north of Denton all
suffered. Elmview was laid waste and
then the village of Howe, southwest
of Sherman, received the full force of
the storm, which, while sweeping over
Denton county and a part of Grayson,
seemed to have gathered new fnry. In
this city the storm swept through
section two blocks wide in the west
ern half of the city. travelling almost
directly north.
From the point where the storm first
descended in this city to where it arose
from the ground just north Of town,
not house in its pathway escaped,
not a tree or shrub was left standing,
fences were wrecked and the iron
bridge on Houston street was COM
pletely blown away. Notwithstanding
its hundreds of thousands of pounds of
steel and material.
A summary of the dead and injured
is as follows: In Sherman. 81 dead,
several missing and over 100 injured;
about Sherman, 81 killed and so in
jured; in Gribble Springs, three killed
and 30 injured; in Justin. one killed
and II injured; about Denton, five
killed and many injured; in Howe,
eight killed and many injured.
The storm In Kansas.
SENECA, Kan, May 1S.-A .devasta-
ting tornado passed through this city
from the southwest to the northeast
yesterday at 6:30 o'clock. Everything
n its path was completely wrecked.
Couriers from the country report great
damage to property. and probably loss
Of life. In this city, four were killed
and number in ured. The killed are
son and daughter of nj. R. Comet, a
son of NJ. E. Voorhees, and the 15-year-
Did son of Peter Assenmachers. The
injured are NJ. E. Voorhees,, John Bel
shaw and Alonzo Hawley. The latter
will not recover. There were many
miraculous escapes from instant death.
The streets are impassa BILE, blocked
With debris of buildings and fallen
trees. The Grand opera house is COM
oletely demolished. The roof and
vest side of the $50, 600 courth house is
blown off and caved in, and the root
IF the high school building gone. The
steeples of the new Methodist Uni.
yersalist and Catholic churches were
scattered to the four winds Twenty
Eve residences were RACED to the
ground and buildings innumerable IN.
rooted
At Oneida, several buildings were de.
stroyed and three children of James
Sherrard killed. The west half of the
village of Baileyville was swept away,
but no one killed. The damage in this
:ity is over $780, ZOO.
At Frankfort the north and
northwest part of the town was
practically destroyed, some of the best
buildings in the town being total
wrecks, including the Methodist and
ings in town and country are gone, and
2O0.people are homeless. Horses, cat
tie and hogs are dead on every farm
The storm struck Sabetha about 1880
o'clock. The Grand Island depot was
raXed to the ground, together with
about dozen residences. William
Carry, wife and daughter were badly
injured, the latter probably fatally.
S. P. Hays and Mrs Elizabeth Murphy
received probably fatal injuries
The storm started in the northeast
part of Clay county. It passed in a
northeast direction through Riley and
Marshall counties. completely wiping
out the little town OF Bodaville. Many
are reported injured and several killed
at Spring Valley. but nothing can be
learned definitely. Some six miles
south of Barnes it tore down a church
in which $50 people were worshiping.
Many We're injured. the pastor. Rev.
Mr.. Mason. escaping with broken
leg.
At Reserve and Falls City the storm
did much damage. just how much is
not known. Fully a dozen persons
were hurt and many buildings blown
down. A couple of farmers from Re.
serve say the damage was frightful
Robbed by the Cashier.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill, May 1a-The men
who robbed the State bank, of Buffalo,