The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-05-02
A KANSAS CYCLONE

Destroycs Several Lives and Much Farm
Property and Leaves a Long List of
W~ounded-A Large Number of Horses
and Cattle KiIIed-Incidents of the.
Storm-MiracuIous Escapes-More For
tunate Neighbors Rendering Assistance.
CLAY CENTER, kas., April GA
cyclone of tremendous force sped
through Clay county late Saturday
night. As far as known tonight, five
people were killed, three fatally
wounded and Il injured.
A full list of the dead and injured is
u~nobtainable, as the doctors have not
returned from the scene of the dis
aster. It is known, however, that
every member of the families of John
Morris, +. Welkin, 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 Is miles
and then lost its force by spreading.
1t passed about half way between
SIi1lOA III Moi ~ Us JIdCh
varied from $50 yards to a quarter of a
mile in width. 1t tore through a
farming community and left nothing
standing. Houses and barns were
wrecked. trees torn up or broken,
fences leveled and haystacks blown in
every direction.
The cyclone was followeI by a ter
rife rain storm which lasted several
hours, flooding the devastated dis
trict.
So far as learned the victims OF the
cyclone had retired. The storm struck
Peter Anderson's home at $50 o'clock.
This was about a 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 extrica;ed themselves
from the debris they discovered that
Anderson's grandchild was missing.
The dead body of the child was found
yesterday morning in a ravine half a
mile away. 1t evidently had been car
ried there by the wind.
Anderson alarmed the ncighbors
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 sem to
Clifton and Morganville for doctors,
but it was daylight before they arrived
and the exent OF the injury and dam
age vas 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 a neighbours house.
The wife and daughter of John Nor
ris was reading when the shock anne.
The house was divided. The ladies
managed to get out when the wind
picked them up, and carried them 200
yards and her let them safely down
on a pile of straw just away from the
storms track.
The people for miles around yester-
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 leveled
with n roller.
Telegraphic. communication with
Clifton vas cut off from the hour of
the storm till late yesterday morning.
1t is believed that much damage was
done in the vicinity of Palmer, WASH
ington county, but the details can not
be learned. ..f.
1t is impossible, at this time to esti-
mate the damage to buildings and
other property.