The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-04-01
DEATH And RUIN
FROM The STORM
Horrible Details Of the Cyclone Which
Struck Chandler, Oklahoma.
CRAzED BY THE CALAMITY
The People Arc In a i'itiabie cOnditioa--Fire
Completes the kork Of the Storm RE
i.si at iiand--Othsr Storms.

Gurhrie. o. r.. March Sl.--The last
reports from Chandler say that In last
nights cyclone, which almost swept
the town OF the face OF the earth,
twenty people were killed outright, or
burned 10 death. and fully one hundred
and seventy injured. or these latter
Il is thought fourteen will die. and
twenty-four Others are in dangerous
condition. The remainder Of the pop
ulation is homeless. The Presbyterian
church. Mitchels hotel and two other
buildings are all that remain standing.
These have been turned into hospitals.
The property loss win aggregate $780,
900. There are not half enough coffiins
here 20 bury the dead.
The storm came up from the south
west without moments warning. and.
sweeping across the town, first femoi-
isfed the business district, then laid
low the residence portion, ana, rassiae
on. spent itself in the open prairie
The wrecks OF many store buildings
took fire and In a short time an awful
holocaust was in progress. Many Of
those injured and buried in the ruins
were burned TO death before help
could reach them. The fire broke out
first in the ruins OF the New YORK
store and the Lincoln county bank and
spread to the adjoining buildings. max
ing It Necessary to fight the flames as
well as rescue the injured.
TINS people were slow TO recover from
the shock OF the calamity, and rot un-
I'll today did anything like system pre-
vail in the work OF relief. At II o'clock
tonight the particulars are stiu mea-
ger. Save one slow working telephone
wire out OF Guthrie, the town is still
actically cut off from the outside
world.
The storm broke upon the city sud
denly. The sky was clear an hour be-
fore. shortly before O'CLOCK \ mass
OF dark clouds gathered in the south
east and then whirled north They
soon developed into a fuanel-shaped
monster and bore down upon the out
skirts of the town AS the mass touched
the ground the roar was deafening,
The funnel split as it struck the south
west border of Chandler, which is sit
uated on a hill overlooking Cow creek
valley. and one half went through the
town and the other turned north Be
fore escape was possible, the cyclone
bad passed through the town. Tearing
through the business district, store:
were hurled right ana left, or lifted
high in the air and tossed in every di
rectlon. The corut house was TWISTED
around and hurled into the street, ;
complete wreck one of the occupant:
was killed outright and dozen In
jured. Further down the main stree
the Lincoln county bank building wa!
toppled over and was soon envelopeC
in flames. Here, before aid could reacl
them, five unfortunates were burned t,
death, pinioned down by heavy tim
bers. Still further down the stree
three children suffered a like fate. :
two-days' old babe was carried fou
blocks and not injured while tbs
mother was crushed in her bed. Th
trail the storm left was one of wrecl
and ruin most complete.
But one of Chandler's physicians es
capped injury, and even when aid from
Guthrie arrived there was a scarcit!
of surgeons. Only two were able to d,
anything last night, and one of these
Dr. Walcott, with blood streaming
from sightless eye, worked until h
tainted. Daylight brought hundreds o
people from surrounding towns an
women and children assisted in carin
for the injured.
Queer sights greet the eye on al
sides. Ten trees have house roof o
each; clothing and household goods ar
scattered in the streets; dead horses
COWS and other animals are to be see
everywhere, while a pile Of ruins has
fine piano perched on the top of il
Many of the citizens wander about tn
streets dazed at the calamity, and al
most on the verge of insanity - tn
loss of family and homes, Two o
three have gone stark mad.
BY nlghtfall tonight 10000 people ha
focked into the city. Many of theG