The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-01

Guthrie, Okla, March S1.-At
o'clock last night, a cyclone, dealins
death and destruction to everything il
it's path. swept down upon the town
of Chandler, and completely swept i
off the face of the earth.
The storm came from the southwes
and swept across the town, leaviIls
scarcely a building of any Importance
standing.
Everything in the town was mass
of ruins in a few minutes and the all
was filled with groans and cries of the
wounded and shrieks from every side
The wrecks of many of the store
buildings took fire, and in a short time
an awful holocaust was in progress,
many of those injured and buried in
the ruins being burned to death.
Fire broke out first in the ruins of
the New York store and Lincoln coun-
| ty bank, and spread to many other
! buildings, making it necessary to fight
| the flames as well as rescue the in
jured In addition to the people burned
to death, large number of the injured
are badly burned and suffering in
tensely.
Between the fire, the wind and the
rain, the provisions, medicine, clothing,
ETC., in the stores were all destroyed or
so badly injured as to be worthless
and unless new supplies arrive at once
there will be much suffering even
among those who have money.
BROKE SUDDENLY.
The storm broke upon the city sud
denly. The sky was clear an hour be-
fore.
The cloud started southeast and then
whirled north. 1t soon developed into
a funnel shape.
1t touched the ground and tore I'd
trees like twigs.
The roar was deafening.
A cloudburst preceded it..
The funnel split as it struck the
southwest part of town. which is on
a hill overlooking the Cow Creek val
ley, and half went through the town
and the other turned north.
Darkness soon came on, and in the
awful chaos of death and destruction,
the work of rescue was begun.
1t was nearly 1 o'clock before the
telephone connection could be secured
with Guthrie, and 1 o'clock this morn
ing before any definite news could be
obtained.
AT that time, the fire was under con-
troll and about 20 dead bodies had been
recovered and rs or more of the injured
been cared for
But one physician in Chandler was
and physicians were sent
from this city at midnight and also
from Saltwater. arriving there soon
after daylight and assisting in the care
Of the injured.
NOT ENOUGH COFFINS.
There were not half enough collins
there to bury the dead.
The town is vast mass of demoIi- |
ton.
Ten trees have house roof hanging
on each. Clothing and household goods
are scattered in the streets
Dead horses, cows and other animals
are everywhere.
A pile of ruins has a fine piano on
top of it.
The town is mass or debris. About
100000 worth of property is destroyed
Ten thousand people are now on the
ground from the surrounding towns
and country.
From this city four wagon-loads of
bedding and provisions have
)een sent. and the Guthrie club has
'aised 81, 500 in cash to send tomorrow.
The Presbyterian church. Mitchell no.
ell and two other buildings are all that
emain standing, or partially stand
ng.
These have been turned into hospi-
ais.
Men, women and children are assist
ng in caring for the unfortunate There
as been a great scarcity of surgeons.
,nly two were able to do anything last
light. DR.. Walcott, with blood stream
lg from a sightless eye. worked until
e tainted.
Physicians and helpers are going
curly from Guthrie and other towns. ,
The people were driven crazy by the
earful calamity.
4NOt uillii HOOll lOudy were there any
equations of any note toward allevi-
ting the suffering. '
SIMPLY PARALYZED.
The people are slow to recover from
heir terror.
The MAYOR, NJ. D. Kinney, is doing
Ii he can. The city has put to use
Il its cash, about 500, for immediate S
i'd
A large number of court attaches and
-torneys went there from this city,
ut only one was hurt W. B. Herod, h
rmerly of Kingman, Kan. Il
]. D. Dale saw the storm approach
6 and. taking Mrs. Dale. ran to a
blow, where he placed her behind
,ulder and crouched by her side, both =
Gaping uninjured. Y
A two days old baby was carried e
ur blocks and not injured, while the t
other was crushed in her bed.
THE VICTIMS. Is
The dead so far as they have been iden- Il
led; IS