Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1897-04-03
CHAMBERS STORM.
Scenes Of Awful Devastation In
the Little City.
rWEyTY.SIX BODIES RECOVERED.
How Many Moro Are Buried Under the De
brls Only More Careful Search VIII
Reveai-Parkiand Also Report
cd as being Destroyed

GUTHRIE, Ok, April 1.-What was
Tuesday the beautiful, thriving little
city OF Chandler, located On u tim
bored hill near the center Of Lincoln
county, Ok, is to-day shapeless mass
81 ruins, n barren. devastated waste,
made grucsome by the dead and peopled
by homeless, stricken, suffering,
hopeless people. The few homes that
arc left are turned into hospitals; the
remnant OF the leading hotel into n
morgue. At b:a0 Tuesday afternoon
tile clouds formed into d fdrncl shaped
mass and began bearing down upon
the city. Five minutes later the awful
roar tat, once heard, is never forget
ten, was audible, and at $50 the storm
leaped upon the city, enveloped it in q
whirllng, roaring, rushing black toss
and all was chaos Inside of three min.
utes the entire town was d mtss. VI
ruins, and ten minutes later the wind
had passed on, leaving in its wake q
scene of desolation and destruction
such as no ravaging army ever pro-
duced.
The town stretched its business por-
ton north and south along four squares
OF Marvel avenue, and In all its busi-
ness area but two buildings were left
intact Hoffman & Charles store and
Srhlagel's saloon-which, together
with few scattering residences and
the Presbyterian church were what
was left OF tile prosperous city. For d
short time there was deluge Of rain
and u beating of hail, while above the
noise arose the screams of terror.
grouns of agony and cries for help.
Down the center of the main street
was struggling mass Of wounded
human beings and horses, piles OF
wreckage, buggies, wagons and mer-
ehandise, with CHASTITY dead faces here
and there, sight awful to behold.
Soon the terror of the fire fiend was
added to the devastation Of the storm,
rs flames began to leap up from the
wreck of the New York store and Lin
coin county bank. Next to the bank
was little restaurant where five peo-
pie were eating supper. The bank
toppled over on IL. pinning the five
down and holding them prisoners to
meet an agonizing death by fire. AT
several other points, the flames burst
out and it was hard fight with fire
until after midnight, many of the in
jurcd being badly burned and several
meeting death in the flames, in addi-
ton to the five who persisted in the
restaurant.
When the fire broke out scores OF
people fought the flames and tried to
rescue the imprisoned people, but their
efforts were useless, and they were
compelled to see them roast to death
before their eyes and listen to their
screams of agony. People who were
outdoors were hurled and carried about
by the wind and the clothing torn from
their bodies. All night long many
ran crying and screaming about, Ill
most naked, drcnched to the skin,
with blood-clotted hands and faces.
Others were dazcd and seemed not to
know what had happened. A thousand
people are homeless and half as many
are without thing in the world. Help
on large scale is needed. The loss IL
fully $500, 200. All yesterday the work
Of rescuing and caring for the injured
was carried on, and the scene was one
beyond all description. A large ma
jority of the people are left homeless
and penniless, with scarcely clothes to
cover their backs, and many are al
ready suffering. The war department
was applied to for tents yesterday, and
so have been sent from Fort Reno.
There are not cotfins enough to bury
the dead, and carpenters are making
boxes from the wreclkage Of buildings
Never has town been more complete
" wiped out, and the majority Of the
business men are wholly ruined. A
messenger late last night from south
west OF Chandler says that many farm
houses were demolished there, n mum
Der of people injured and two killed
The little village Of Falkland is re
ported completely destroyed, with
many injured. Up to last night q
dead bodies had been recovered from
the ruins Mt Chandler How many more