The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1897-04-09
a tow NI'IP i OUT
CHANDLER. OKLA, DEVASTATED BIZ.
A TERRIFIC CYCLONE.
T,vcnty-six People Are ISilled ans
9 Great Aany Injured. some o.
Them Fatally - Four Buildinss|
Alone Remain stnnding ana the,
Entire Population il Homeless-
Fire Breaks ont In some OF the
Wrecked Butldings.

from Guthrie, is mass Of ruins. A
cyclone dealing death and destruction
to everything In It's path swept down.
upon the town md almost completely
wiped it of the face Of. the earth. OF
her 1900 Inhabitants twenty-six were
Killed outright or burned to death and
fully 10 were injured. OF the latter
it is thought IA will die; twenty-four
Others IRE in dangerous condition.
The remainder Of the population is
hOmelesa The Presbyterian church,
MitcEell's hotel md two. other build
ings are all that remain standing.
These have been turned into hospitals.
The property loss will aggregate half
q million dollars. There are not half
collins enough here to bury the dead.
The storm came up from the south
west almost without.a moments warn
Ing, and, sweeping across the town,
first demolished the business district,
then laid low the residence portion,
and, passing on, spent itself In the
open prairie. The wrecks Of many Of
the store buildings took fire and in a
short time IN awful holocaust was in
progress. Many of those injured and
buried in the ruins were burned to
death before help could arrive. The
storm broke upon the city suddenly.
The sky was clear an hour. before.
Shortly before 6 O'clock a mass of
dark clouds gathered in the southwest
and then whirlcd north. They soon de-
NelOped into funnel-shaped monster
and Gore down upon the outskirts of
the town. As the mass touched the
ground the roar was deafening.. The
!unnel split as it struck the southwest
border of Chandler, which Is situated
ncn hill overlooking the Grow Greek
valley. and one-half went through the
town and the other turned north. Al
sIost before It takes to relate it and
before escape was possible the cyclone
had passed through the town. Tearing
through the business district, stores
were hurled right and left or lifted
high into the air and tossed in every
direction. With the first realization Of
their predicament over the uninjured
and ahle-holied found themselves,
from fright and confusion, we'll nigh
,,ss helpless to render aid as their more
unfortunate neighbors. Finally, when
effort to send for aid was made, 1t
was found that all communication
with the outside world had been cut
OF, the telephone Office being among
the buildings !. destroyed, 1t was
several hours before communication
with Guthrie was secured. A brief
idea Of the nature of the devastation
wrought, togethe: with in appeal for
did. had been sent the neighboring city
when the wires snapped, and Chandler
was again shut off,. In the meantime.
however, a train bearing physicians
ard others left for the scene. The
wire came up later and further ap-
peals for aid met prompt response and
additional recruiting parties were sent
out as the extent of damage became
known. The night at Chandler was
one of indescribable terror With many
OF Its inhabitants dead or dying and
the remainder too badly injured or I'm.
able from fright. or because of the
darkness. to render assistance. no or
der prevailed. Rain poured down in
torrents. The injured in many cases
unavatlingly cried for help and lay in
the wrecks of their homes until day
light made It possible for them to help
themselves, or when aid from sur
rounding towns arrived. Daylight
brought hundreds of people from the
surrounding towns and men, women
and children assisted in caring for the
injured. Little progress was made,
however, and 1t was not, until noon
that an organized effort of alternating
The suffering of the injured was made.
Hundreds of tents have been sent
from Fort Reno and Guthrie, and will
provide temporary shelter for the I'm.
fortunate. All are homeless. however,
and more substantial aid must quickly
follow. Food Is scarce and practically
all the towns supply OF medicine has
been destroyed.
49,