The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-29
DESOLATION At NEWTOWN.
Fifteen People Killed. Thirty Injured


CHILLICOTHE, Mo-, April 2S.-Scenes of
utter distress and desolation were pictured
to-day in the little tornado-swept burg OF
Newtown, forty miles north on the ST. Paul
Railway. A day of ceaseless search among
the ruins and work for the injured and
suffer- lg followed a night of gloom and
despair. Fifty families are homeless. there
are about fifteen dead and over thirty in
jured. while half of the place is in ruins.
A complete list will not be known for sew
eral days.
The Known Dead
S. DESPER, wife and three children.
LARAN EVANS and two daughters.
WILLIAM HAYS. wife and two children.
injured
THREE CHILDREN of William Hays.
ELLA EVANS.
a. ]. JONES, wife and two children.
MRS. MARY GREGORY and daughter.
MISS PIERCE and sister.
MRS. FLAGG.
MRS. WILSON.
MRS. TIMSEY.
DAVID STANFORD, wife and three chill
dren.
MR. INCLUSION and wife.
MOSES GYMAN and wife.
MRS. JOHNS.
The storm struck Newtown at els in the
evening, coming from the southwest. 1t
came without warning and few were able
to take advantage of their storm cellars.
Striking the eastern end of town, il cut
clean swath five hundred to six hundred
feet wide through the best portion of the
place, sweeping everything before it. Over
thirty houses were torn to splinters. On
one street alone a row of ten houses was
entirely demolished. Here scarcely any one
escaped injury. The walls of buildings fell
with crash that sounded above the roar
of the storm, burying people in the ruins
FRO h..iII
foundations; others were demolished, pieces
Of them being carried for miles; others
shifted in their position, apparently unhurt
One was turned squarely around. while an
other was turned upsidedown.
Samuel Desper at the appearance of the
black cloud started with his family for a
neighboring cellar, but the house was blown
down over them just as they reached the
'front.' door: Despers two daughters We're
caught with him by the timbers and killed
Instantly His wife was seriously injured,
though still alive. Mrs William Hays was
killed while running up the street in search
of shelter: The mutilated trunk. with the
head missing, was found in the street later.
Mrs. Hays's husband and two children met
The storm lasted fifteen minutes. When
1t ended the sun came out for while and
shone brightly over a scene of ruin. Women
and children ran shrieking through the
streets, while men busted themselves at
tempting 10 restore order A thunderstorm
followed foil and darkness gathered quickly.
bers of citizens worked in the ruins in
cessantly, answering the cries of the in
| jured from this place TO that, carrying the
dead to the depot and the wounded to places
of safety. Houses of survivors were thrown
open to the unfortunates and all possible
done to allay the suffering. Chilicothe sent
squad of physicians who materially aided
| the Newtown reScuerS.
When morning broke the scene the
search was begun with renewed activity
and was kept up all day. and nightfall found
the searchers still work. with knowl-
| edge of the actual number of dead and
wounded. A complete list in fact will
probably not be had for several days.
The storm blew down telegraph wires in
and about town and washed away the bridge
over Medicine creek, small stream south
| of town, and partially demolished the Chi
cago, Milwaukee * st. Paul depot, stock
| yards and dozen stock cars.