The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-04-01
CHANDLER WIPED OTT.
Only -Four Buildings Left in the
Thriving Oklahoma Town.
TWENTY KILLED, ITO WOUNDED.


und Before Escape WAS Possible Had
swept Through-Fire Adds to the
Horror. and Several Were Cremated.
Guthrie, o. T., April 1.-Chandler, an
interior boom town. so miles from
Guthrie, is a mass of ruins. At 6
o'clock Tuesday evening a cyclone
swept down upon the town and almost
completely wiped it from the face of
the earth. OF her 1900 inhabitants 20
We're killed outright or burned to death,
and fully 40 were injured. OF the lat
ter il is thought ten will die, and "a
others are In a dangerous condition.
The remainder of the population is
homeless. The Presbyterian church,
Mitchell's hotel and two other build
ings are all that remain standing and
these have been turned into hospitals.
The property loss win aggregate $780,
600. There are not half collins enough
here TO bury the dead.
The people were slow to recover from
the shock of the calamity, and not un-
til noon yesterday did any thing like
system prevail in the work of relief.
Particulars are stlll meager Save one
slow working telephone wire out Of
Chandler and one telegraph wire from
Guthrie the town is practically cut off
from the outside world.
The storm broke upon the city sud
denly. Shortly before O'Clock a mass
Of dark clouds gathered in the south
west and whirled north. They soon
developed into a funnel shaped mass
and bore down upon the outskirts Of
the town. As the tornado touched the
ground the roar was deafening. The
funnel shaped cloud split as it struck
the northwest border OF CnandiCr,
which is situated on a hill, and one
half went through the town and the
other went north Before escape was
possible the cyclone had swept through
the town. Buildings were crushed or
lifted high into the air and tossed in
every direction.
Chief Justice Dale, Of the Oklahoma
supreme court, was holding court in
the court house, which was crowded.
He ran with his wife to a hollow, and
the two, protected by a boulder, es-
capped unhurt A moment later the
structure was twisted around and
crashed into the street a complete
wreck. one of the occupants was killed
outright and a dozen others injured.
,n Main street the Lincoln
County bank building was tOppled over
and was soon enveloped in flames.
Here, before aid could reach them, five
unfortunates were burned to death
while pinioned down by heavy timbers.
Stil further down the street three
children suffered like fate.
Passing on to the residence district
the cyclone toppled over dwelling after
dwelling, turned houses on their tops
and made the streets unrecognizable.
A 2-days-old baby was carried four
blocks and not injured, while the
mother was crushed in her bed.
The trail the storm left was one OF
wreck and ruin. With the first real
ization of their predicament over, the
uninjured and able bodied found them
selves, from fright and confusion, well
nigh helpless to render aid. Finally,
when an effort to send for aid was
made it was found that all communi-
cation with the outside world had been
cut off, the telephone office being
among the buildings destroyed. 1t was
several hours before communication
with Guthrie was established.
The nature of the catastrophe, to-
gether with an appeal for aid, had
been communicated to the neigbboring
city when the wires snapped, and
Chandler was again shut off. In the
meantime, however a train bearing
Lhysicians and others left for the scene.
The wire came up and appeals came
piompt and additional rescuing par
ties were sent out as soon as the ex-
tent of the damage became known.
The night in Chandler was one of in
describable terror. With many of its
inhabitants dead or dying, and the re-
mainder too badly injured or unable
from fright or because of the darkness
to render assistance, no order prevailed.
Rain poured down in torrents. The in
jured in many cases Vainly cried for
help, and lay in the wrecks of their
homes until daylight made it possible
for tk~1 to help themselves, or when
aid from surrounding towns arrived.
Improvised hospitals were erected,
and the unfortunates were cared for as
fast as passible. At / o'clock 20 dead
bodies had been taken from the ruins,
while dozens of persons more or less
seriously injured had been removed to
places Of safety. But one of Chandlers
physicians escaped uninjured, and even
after aid from Guthrie arrived there
was scarcity of surgeons. Only two
were able to do any thing Tuesday
night, and one Of these, DR.. Waleott,
with blood streaming from a sightless
eye, worked until he tainted
Queer sights greet the eye on all
sides. Ten trees have a houseroof
hanging on each, and clothing and
| household goods are scattered in the
streets. Dead horses, COWS and other
animals are to be seen everywhere
while pile of ruins has a piano perch
ed on top of 1t. Many of the citizens
wander about the streets, dazed at
the calamity, and almost on the verge
/ of insanity at the loss of family and
| homes. Two or three have gone stark
mad.
By last night 10000 people had flock
! ed into the city. Many of them came
! to render aid but the majority are
morbid sightseers. A great quantity OF
clothing, bedding and provisions has
/ been sent in, and the Guthrie cluI
/ raised S1500 in cash to send today
/ Tents have been sent from Fort Reno
and Guthrie, and these will provide
/ temporary shelter for the unfortunates
/ All are homeless, however and more
substantial aid must quickly follow
Food is scarce, and the supply Of medi.
/ zine has been destroyed.
The dead are:
Attorney John Dawson. E. r. De.
/ moff, Emma Dresssinger, an unknown
woman and a child, all burned to deatl
| by being pinioned in the wreck of the
/ Lincoln bank; Mrs. Tom Smith, Mrs
/ Philip Johnson and child, Mrs. Dr. l.
Lee, A. W. Kellar and wife, Mrs. Mitch.
ell, James Woodyard and wife, Mrs
Demment, n. Bemar, A. Barber, j f
Johnson, Emma Ritenstein, Mrs. f