People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-05-21
TEXAS TWISTER.
Dreadful Dispatch of a Deadly and
Destructive Cyclone

lal 10 Jn6 Gazette from sherman, lex,
says: A most disastrous cyclone
struck Sherman at 4:3O o'clock this
afternoon, wiping out the eastern end
Of the town entirely. The loss Of life
isappalling. The dead are estimated
at between thirty and forty. This is
a very conservative estimate Many
more are fatally or seriously injured.
At 6 o'clock this evening twelve
bodies are lying in the county court
house and as many are scattered abont
in the desOlate west end of the city.
No accurate estimate can be made yet
of the loss of life and property. The
work of rescue and search for the miss.
ing goes on. The business part Of
town is deserted and the greatest ex-
element reigns. The Western Union
office is overlooked with anxious ones
sending messages and inquiring the
fate of other towns. Every available
wagon, buggy and horse is in use by
searchers and workers on the field of
death. AS time passes reports of
greater loss of life and property are
rife. Many stories of miraculous es-
cspes are told.
The Sherman court house is INSULT
cient to hold the dead and wounded.
The vacant Moore building, on the
south square, was utilized at o'clock,
fifteen cOlOred people, dead or dying,
being placed there.
Express drays, baggage wagons and
all kinds Of vehicles continue to come
in with dead bodies. Around the
Moore building the highest excitement
prevails and the greatest difficulty is
experienced in getting the names of
the victims and accurate reports.
The storm struck Sherman without
warning, on the south west corner of
the city and cleared path 100 yards
wide along the west end of the town.
Houses, trees, fences, and everything
went before the terrible force of the
cyclone. The negro part of the town
suffered the most severely. There are
probably thirty negroes killed. Ten
bodies have been picked up in Post
Oak creek. The flood of rain which
attended the storm was severe. The
town is mass of mud and flonting
debris. There is mnch difficulty in
finding the dead and injured.
Captain T. f. Ely's house was de-
molished and his wife and two child
rem had miraculous escapes. Captain
Berge's residence was also leveled to
the ground but fortunately the family
was away from home.
Frank Ryan, manager of the Sher-
man baseball team, had his house
blown off its foundation and turned
completely around. His wife aud two
children escaped without injury.
Dallas, Tex, May ia special to
the News from Sherman, Tex, says:
Justa few minutes before5 o'clock this
afternoon, acyclone not exceeding two
blocks in width but carrying much
destruction and death in its wake,
swept through the western half of the
city, travelling almost directly north,
The approach of the terrific whirl-
wind was announced by deep rum
bling noise not unlike reverberating
thunder. A fierce and driving rain
accompanied it. Late tonight it is
reported that forty people have been
killed south Of town in addition to the
city's dead list. Wagons are unload
lug the dead and injured every mo-
ment. The News reporter standing
On the north side of the court house
plaza had his attention called to the
peculiar appearance of the clouds.
They were parted at the lower side,
converging into aperfect funnel shape,
while a boiling, seathing mass of va
porous clouds were rapidly revolving
in the rift. The air was suddenly
filled with trees and twigs and the
doTnpour of rain brought with it a
deluge of mud. Then the truth
dawned on all that cyclone was pre-
vailing.
From the point where it seems to
have first descended to where it arose
from the ground just north of the city,
1t LETT terrific marks its passage, not
a house in its path escaping; not a
tree or shrub left standing or not
twisted and torn out OF shape. Fen.
ces are gone. The iron bridge un
Houston street is completely wrecked
and blown away, Notwithstanding its
hundreds of thousands of pounds OF
steel and material. The number Ct
persons wounded will not reach less
than 100 and it will be several days
before the exact number of fatalities
can be given, as many persons, and
especially children are missing and
many of the injured are in such a crit
ical shape that score may die before
morning,