The news boy., 1896-05-02
u KANSAS cYoLoNe

.~c~e40&@3 0VN0EWA INV aA0 n448a - n
Prorsrty nnd Ieavss Loas Liss Of
Woun0ed-A Largo Number OF Tlorscs
and Cattle Killed--Incidents Of the
m--Miraculous EscApes-Mors For
tunate Neighbors Rendering Asslstanoe.
CLAY CENrER, Kas., April STA
cyclone Of tremendous force sped
through Clay county late Saturday
night. As far as known tonight, Ave
people wefe killed, three fatally
wounded and II injured,
A full list Of the dead and injured Is
unobtainablc, as the doctors have not
returned from the scene of the dis
aster. It is known, however, that
every member of tho families of John
Morris, F. Well<in, Peter Anderson and
Henry Gardner was hurt and three Of
them have wounds said to 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 12 or 10 miles
and then lost its force by spreading.
It passed about half way between
Clifton and Morganville. Its track
tdTlCu 1Tou 1JV NtIuo w ~ 4udH tCA VA -
mile in width. 1t tore through q
farming community and left nothing.
standing. Houses and barns were
wrecked, trees torn up or broken,
fences levcled and haystacks blown in
every direction.
Tile cyclone was followed by ter
rife rain STORM which lasted several
hours, flooding the devastated dis:
trict.
So for as learned the victims of the
cyclone had retired. The storm struck
Peter Anderson's home ut $3.50 o'clock.
This was about 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 n ravine half a
mile away. 1t evidently had been car
ried there by the wind.
| Anderson alarmed the neighbors
who lived out of the track of the
storm, and search was commenced 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
aud the exent of the injury and dam.
age was known.
At 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 the
storm. Many CT the injured lay all
night pinned down by wreckage,
while others crawled or hobbled across
the country to q 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 2OC
yards and then let them safely down
on pile of straw just away from the
storms track.
The people for fhiles around ycstcr.
day gathered at different points where
damage had been done and rendered
assistance in every way possible.
The track of the storm looked like a
piece of ground that had been lcveled
with roller.
Telegraphic communication with
Clifton was cut off from the hour ol
the storm till late yesterday morning
1t is believed that much damage wa.
done in the vicinity of Palmer, Wash
ington county, but the details can moi
be learned.
1t is impossible at this time to esti
mate the damage to buildings and
other property.