Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-05-04
Kirksville and Newtown,
Mo, Visited by an Aw-
full Tornado.
Many People Reported Killed
and Hundreds We're More
or Less Injured.
Hundreds of Buildings in the Path
of the Storm Were Leveled
to the Ground.
Undertakers In 81. Louis Telegraphed to
for Collins subscriptions Started for
the Destitute, but Outside Help
Is SOrely Needed.

IL SOrely needed,
Kirksville, Mo-, April 9s.-Thirty q
more people were killed and score
were injured by tornado that levele
the eastern part Of Kirksville at 81
yesterday evening. A gathering storl
that had been threatening all after
noon broke upon this city at that houl
and path quarter of mile wild
and as clean as the prairie was swep
through the eastern portion of the city
Two hundred buildings, homes AM
mercantile. were leveled to the grount
In scattered ruins. In the heavy rail-
that followed the people who had es
capped turned out to rescue the injured
For two hours not much was accom-
plished as all was confusion, but by
eight O'Clock % dead bodies had beer
taken from the ruins II is confidently
expected that the list of dead will rcacl
between 80 and 40, If not to exceed
that Several hundred people were
more Or less injured.
Following is the most accurate list
Of dead as far as obtainable. William
b. Howells, student Of American School
Of Osteopathy; Mrs. W. H. Sherbourn,
wife Of student Of American School Of
Osteopathy; James Weaver. ST., retired
contractor. Theodore Brigham, mer-
chant; Ed leeman, boy; Mrs. W. w.
Green and daughter; Mrs. II. Ellington,
Mr.. A. w. tilasec, Mrs A. W. Glasee,
Mrs. Ben Green, Mrs. John Larkin, ST.,
Mrs. c. Woods, Mrs. 7. Mahatfe, Mr..
A. Little, Mrs. A. Little, Mr.. Joseph
Woods, Mrs. Joseph Woods, Mr.. A. W.
Rainschott, Mrs. A. W. Rainschott, Mr..
c. A. Gibbs, Mrs c. A. Gibbs, A. G. Beal,
James Cunningham, Mrs Mitchell, Mr..
Peck, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Stephens, DIR.
Billings, Col. Little and family, Mrs.
Penschoot and family.
Intense darkness prevailed after the
tornado, and the rescuers were at a
disadvantage for short time until fire
broke out In dozen places in the ruins
and shed light over the scene. No at
tempts were made to extinguish the
fires, partly because the rescuers had
no time and partly because of the need
Of light. On both sides of the storms
path the debris was piled high and
burned fercely. In all probability a
number of bodies have been incner-
ated. The storm first struck the east
ern portion Of the city, near that part
occupied by the boarding houses of the
students Of the American School of
Osteopathy, state normal school and
McWard's seminary. 1t was just sup
per time for the students, and it is
thought very probable the list of dead
will be well filled with students, as u
large number of these boarding houses
were demolished. AS far as known
these three institutions of learning es-
capped the storm.
The storm then went northwest aud
wiped out Patterson's nursery, pulling
the trees out of the ground and hurl-
ing them through the city, A second
edition Of the cyclone followed the
first, 20 minutes later. II came as an
inky black cloud widely distributed
and covered the whole town, but passed
above the houses, doing no material
damage and gathering fury AS it went.
1t undoubtedly struck the ground II
few miles out of kirkSville. Mayor
Nbonan and Dean j. Martin Littlejohn,
of the American School of Osteopathy,
who Have been active in the rescue
work, estimated at midnight that the
death list may be found to reach 50.
Stilltown, the village built up around
the osteopathy college, escaped, Many
students families dwell in the track OF
the storm, however. A complete road
way quarter Of a mile wide now lies
through the town, windswept and with
hardly brick or board to mark where
homes stood,
Students of the American School Of
0steopathy, 600 strong, working under
their professors, who are competent
as well as physicians, organ
lied rescue corps and began to dig
the injured and imprisoned from the
debris along the edge of the storm
path. Undertakcrs have telegraphed
to st. Louis for collins. A subscription
has been started for the destitute and
suffering, and outside help will be
sorely needed,
NEwTowN ALSO DEVASTATED.
Newtown, Mo-, April 2S.--A terrific
rain and windstorm struck this place
vt $3.50 p. m. yesterday, completely de-
molishing 81 dwellings, unroohng some
and moving Others from their founda-
tions Not building was left stand.
Ing in the storms path. Thirteen pco-
Pile were killed outright, Doctors esti-
mate that % were injured. Some of
them will probably die. Following is
q list Of the dead: Sherman II. Desper,
wife and three children; Labm Evans
and daughters, Mead and Linn viii
liam Hays, wife and one child.
Low, dark, threatening clouds were
in the west and southwest all
day, preclptating occasional showers,
but little attention was given them.
There was little or no warning of the
terrible catastrophe to follow All of
q sudden the storm struck. The pile
railroad bridge, just east of town, was
blown from its foundation and ears
blown from the track in the yards here.
The direction Of the storm was from
southeast to northwest. sweeping a
path not over 100 yards in width The
business portion Of the town escaped,
except A. A. koup's hardware and fur