Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-03-31
The DEATH DEALING CYCLONE
Chandler, One of the Prosperous
Towns of oklahoma, Almost
Eutirely Destroyed.
MANY PEOPLE KILLED and INJURED
A Fearful Confiagration Adds Horror
to the Situation and a Number of
People Are Burned to Death.

Guthrie, Okla, March 3l.-Chaos relgns
in Chandler. Last nights terrible cyclone
turned peaceful town of 1000 inhabi'
tants into a morgue. The principal
buildings and residences we're wrecked, q
grim reminder of the storms work. The
death list is variously estimated from 25
to SO, with the injured numbering from u
to twice that number.
The night in Chandler was one ofindes-
cribable terror. Rain poured down upon
the disconsolate inhabitants, and added
horror to the situation. Many of the in
jured lay in the wrecks of their homes till
daylight made it possible for them to
help themselves, or mid from surrounding
towns arrived.
Many wrecks took fire and burned
themselves out, and several were still
smouldering when morning pyoAe over
the town. 1t is believed that many of the
missing are burned to death. The cy-
clone struck Chandler without warning
at 6 O'Clock last evening. Carnage be-
gan before the inhabitants realized what
was upon them. Hardly any means of
escape were left. The wind tore through
the business districts and stores were
hurled right and left or lifted high into
the air and tossed in every direction.
The court house in which the chief jus
tice was holding court was taken off its
foundation and nearly crushed. Passing
through the residence district the wind
demon rushed into the open country and
finally spente itself. The trail was one of
wreck and ruin most complete. Houses
rested on their tops in the streets piled
..aL otu
quenched fires, that Chander's citizens
could never have hoped to stay, and final
ly when an effort to send for outside aid
was made, it was found that all commu.
nication with the outside world had been
cut off. The list of the dead and injured
as far as ascertained at daylight is as
follows
John Dawson, Lincoln, Neb., lawyer,
burned to death.
James woodward aud wife, Eldorado,
Kas, visiting in Chandler, instantly killed.
Mrs. Henry Mitchell.
Mrs. Tom Smith.
L. d. Emmons.
Emma Dressing.
ID. O. johnson and wife.
Mrs. Phillip johnson and child.
Mrs. DR.. Lee.
A. w. Keller and wife.
Unknown woman and baby.
Five unknown children.
The fatally injured: Arthur Jewett,
Peggy johnson, Mrs Frank MCCALL, DR..
G. Guiding, Maggie Reaves, Andrew Asher
and wife, Mrs. Cullum, Jennie Woods
worth, young daughter of Mr.. and Mrs.
James Woodman, son Of James Wood
yard, Mrs. Emery Foster and baby thought
to be fatally hurt.
The following are more or less seriously
hurt: John McCartner, brother-in-law OF
U. s. Marshal Nagle; F. N. Niblack, John
Foster, Samuel Winthrop, Geo. McHenry
and two daughters of County Treasurer
Ulam. Hourly these lists are being aug
mented.
Chandler was built on hill in thick
timber, SO miles southeast of Guthrie. 1t
was one of the most prosperous boom
towns in the west, but without railroad
facilities. But two buildings in the busi-
ness portion of the town, it is reported,
are left standing. They are the Mitchell
hotel and the Grand Island grocery store.