The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-01
Houses Picked Up by the Funnel
shaped Cloud and Thrown Into
Trecs-Scenes and Incidents.

loss will aggregate half million dollars.
There are not half enough collins here to
bury the dead. A partial list of the victims
is given below:
The Dead
JOHN DAWSON, attorney.
E. Z. DENOTE.
EMMA DRESSINGER.
UNKNOWN WOMAN.
CHILD.
(The above were burned to death by be-
MRS. THOMAS SMITH. crushed,
MRS. PHILIP JOHNSON and child.
MRS. DR.. l.. LEE.
A. w. KELLAR and wife.
UNKNOWN NAN MSo cur, ~
burned to death.
JAMES WOODWARD and WIFE of Ell
MRS. DEMMENT.
B. =. p FhMAFs goHNsoS. E barber
EMMA RITTENSTEIN.
MRS. F. G. JOHNSON. babe and little
Fatally Injured
- WOODYARD daughter OF James
woodward and wife, who were killed.
DIR. l.. LEE.
ARTHUR JEWETT.
MRS. M'CALL.
ID. c. GOODING.
MOLLIE ULAM
ANDREW ASHER and wife.
SIDNEY KENNON.
d: c. JOHNSON and wife.
WILLIAM TILGHMAN.
GEORGE HEFENDON.
Badly Injured
MRS. EMERY FOSTER and baby, the
mothers leg broken.
MRS. CULLoM
MRS. j. ID. LUMLEYN.
MAGGIE REEVES.
CHANDLER REEVES.
ARCH SHEPARD.
ALEC BISHOP; leg broken.
G.. c. NIBLACK.
+. A. NIBLACK. bruised.
JOHN MCCARTNEY.
TWO GIRLS named Ulam.
SAM HIGHTOWER
The M'ELHANY FAMILY.
- WOODWARD. boy. arm broken.
w. b. HEROD, arm broken.
DR. WALCOTT, eye torn out.
S. d. DECKER. bruised.
THOMAS WILSON:
p. s. HOFFMAN, arm crushed.
NJ w. SAWYER.
MRS. FRANK M'GRAw.
MATTE REEVES.
MRS. SARAH GILLESPIE
GEORGE HENRICKSON.
Dozens OF others received injuries more
or less serious
ALMOST WITHOUT WARNING.
The storm came up from the southwest
almost without a moments warning. and
sweeping across the town, first demolished
the business district, then laid low the res
idence portion, and. passing on, spent itself
in the open prairie. The wrecks of many
of the buildings took fire and some of the
injured buried in the ruins were burned to
death before help could arrive. The fire
broke out first in the ruins of the New
York store and the Lincoln Bank, and
spread to the adjoining buildings. making
il necessary to fight the flames well as
rescue the injured. The people were slow
to recover from the shock of the calamity
and not until noon to-day did anything like
system prevail i'm the work of relief. At II
o'clock tonight particulars are still meag-
er. Save one slow working telephone wire
out of Chandler. and but one telegraph
wire from Guthrie. the town is practically
cut off from the outside world.
The storm broke upon the city suddenly.
The sky was clear an hour before. Shortly
before o'clock a mass of dark clouds gath
cred in the southwest and then whirled
north. They soon developed into a funnel
shaped monster and bore down upon the
outskirts of the town. AS the mass touched
the ground the roar deafening The
funnel split as il struck the southwest bor-
der of Chandler, which is situated on a
hill overlooking the Cow creek valley and
one-half went through the town and the
other turned north. Before escape was pos
sible the tornado had passed through the
town. Tearing through the business dis
trict. stores were hurled right and left or
lifted high into the air and tossed in every
direction.
Chief Justice Dale, of the Oklahoma Su-
preme Court, was holding court in the
courtroom which crowded. He ran
with his wife to hollow and the two were
protected by a large boulder and were un-
hurt. Others in the courthouse did not fare
so well. A moment later the structure was
twisted around and hurled into the street.
a complete wreck One of the occupants
was killed outright and dozen others were
injured.
Further down Main street the Lincoln
County Bank building was toppled over and
was soon enveloped in flames. Here. before
aid could be reached. five unfortunates
were literally burned 10 DEATH pinioned
down by heavy timbers. Still further down
the street three children suffered "A like
fate. \ mass of injured people. dead and
injured horses, wagons, buggies OF all