The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-04-23
DEAD NUMBER FIFTY
AWFUL LOSS OF LIFE AT
CHANDLER.
A Night of Deep Misery-No Warning to
the People-Five burned to Death in
One Wrecked Building-Rain Poured
Down in Torrents.

GUTHRIE, Okla, April IA tor
nado swept through the very center
of Chandler, a thriving town of 1,5oo
people, about 6 o'clock last night,
causing the deaths Of at least 80 and
possibly so people. and injuries to
about 125 others, wrecking the best
waste the place.
Fires broke out in various places in
the debris and it is feared that many
Of the victims Of the wind were burned
to ashes before the succeeding heavy
rainfall quenched the flames.
Twenty-three dead bodies had been
recovered from the debris this morn
ing, and as many are unaccounted for
it is feared that the death list will ag-
gregate fifty, while at least a dozen of
the injured will undoubtedly succumb.
In one wrecked building five injured
people were burned to death, and at
another place the charred bodies of
three children were recovered.
A Night of Deep Misery.
Only two buildings in the town were
not damaged-the Mitchell hotel and
the Rock Island store. Fully three
fourths II the structures were de.
stroyed, causing losses placed at hun
dreds Of thousands of dollars.
The night in Chandler was one of in
describable terror. With many of it's
inhabitants dead or dying, and the re-
mainder too badly injured or unable
from fright Or because of the darkness
to render assistance no order pre-
vailed. Rain poured down in a tor
rent. The injured in many cases un-
availingly cried for help and lay Il. the
wrecks of their homes till daylight
made it possible for them to help them
selves, or when aid from surrounding
towns arrived.
The fires in many of the wrecks
burned themselves out. and several
were still smouldering when morning
broke. The heavy rain, however,
quenched many Of the fires.
No Warning to the People.
The tornado struck Chandler with.
out warning about 8 o'clock last even
ing, and it's work of carnage began be.
fore the inhabitants realized what was
upon them, and hardly any means OF
escape was left open. Tearing through
the business district, stores were
hurled right and left, lifted high into
the air and tossed in every direction.
The court house, in which Chief JUS
tice Dale was holding court, was taken
off its foundation and the building
nearly crushed. Passing on into the
residence district, the wind swept
away dwelling after dwelling, and
rushing into the open country finally
spent itself.
The trail the storm left was one of
wreck and ruin most complete. Houses
rested on their tops and streets were
made unrecognizable by having been
piled high with debris. Then came the
fires from overturned stoves, and final
ly the downpour of rain.
With the first realization of their
predicament over, the uninjured and
able bodied found themselves from
fright and confusion we'll nigh as help
less to render aid as their more un.
fortunate neighbors. Finally when
an effort to send for outside aid was
made, it was found hat all communi-
cation with the outside world mad
been cut off, the telephone office being
among the buildings Destroyed 1t
was several. hours before cnmmunica-
ton with Guthrie was secured. A
brief idea of the nature of the devast-
alton wrought, together with an ap-
peal for aid, had been sent the neigh
boring city, when the wire snapped
and Chandler was again cut off. In
the meantime, however, a train Bear
ing physicians and others LETTER the
scene. The wire came up later and
further appeals for aid met prompt
response and additional recruiting
parties were sent out as the extent Of
the. damage became known. a..
Work of Rescue Prompt. -.
BY midnight some show of system
attic rescue had been perfected and the
dead and dying were being released
from the ruins. ~Improvised hospitals
were erected and the unfortunates
cared for as best as was possible. Al
l o'clock twenty-one dead bodies had
been taken from the ruins, while doz
ems more or less badly injured had
been removed to places of safety. In
addition it was known that others
whom it had been unable to reach or
who, perhaps, had been i%ncinerated
before the deluge ofrain hadquenched
the fire in their homes, would swell
the list of fatalities.