Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-05-25
TORNADO IN TEXAS.
Several Persons Killed, Many In
jured and Much Damage Done.
4 FIRE At The HARLEM RACE TRACK.
The Grand Stand and Stables Destroyed
Explosion at a Powder Mill Brooklyn
Fire Crushed Under Tree-A
Soldier Killed In a Wreck.

Houston, Tex, May %. One of thu
worst tornadoes that has visited Texas
since the storm which destroyed tn,
town of Cisco three years ago, and ii
which some so people were killed
passed over the northwestern portion
OF Erath county Sunday noon, the facts
of which were received here yesterday
The storm came from the northwest
and passed over strip of country
about 200 yards wide in a south
easterly direction. The tornado was
accompanied by vivid lightning
and heavy hailstorm. Several
homes and church buildings were
wrecked in several localities, the most
serious being at Mount Pleasant, Titus
county. The noon services had just
closed and the people were just leaving
when the wind struck the building. A
bolt of lightning and the wind de-
scended upon the house. Simultane-
ously, wreeking it and scattering the
debris in all directions, William Kauif-
man was instantly killed and some Is
other persons were more or less IN ured,
some fatally. Three are int dying con-
dition, according to reports. A woman
with q babe in her arms was struck
by lightning but mHculouslv es-
capped death. A little girl was stripped
of her clothing, but only slightly hurt.
The tornado struck Stcphcnville and
did considerable damage, wrecking
many houses, but no one was killed.
The Cumberland Presbyterian church
was unroofed and badly damaged.
Many buildings in Stephenyllc were
leveled among them the Methodist
church, One man was killed and three
injured near Dublin. II is reported
that several were killed seven miles
northeast of Stcphenville. Trees and
crops in the wake of the storm are re-
ported to be totally destroyed, but au-
thentic details of the disaster have not
been received,
A FIRE AT THE HARLEM RACE TRACK.
Chicago, May 23. The Harlem race
track was almost completely destroyed
by fire yesterday morning. Flames
broke out in the grand stand shortly
before three o'clock and they soon
spread to the stables, where between
80 and 40 horses were quartered in
readiness for the Decoration day meet,
which was to have marked the formal
opening Of the track for the season.
The Cicero fire department was the
only force on hand to cope with the
flames. lnccndiarism is given as the
origin Of the fire and this theory Is em-
phasized by the recent destruction of
the Roby track under mysterious cir
cumstances. Most of the horses at the
Harlem track were rescued. The build
ings on the track were valued at $780,
900.
EXPLOSION AT A POWDER MILL.
Chicago, May %. Three Chicago
men, employees of the Etna Powder
company at Htna Ind, We're blown
into atoms in the explosion of a tank
of nitro-glycerin. The dead are; Frank
Erler, aged 10; Sam Erriek, aged "a
and Charles Morris, aged N. A pipe
leading from the engine burst, ignitng
some sawdust and leaves near u nuc
leading into the room containing the
nitro-glyccrin tank. Not a vcstige Of
the building remains, and up to sun
down yesterday the bodies, nor any
portion of them, had been recovered,
A nlG FIRE AT BROOKLYN,
New York, May 93-Fre Of I'M
known origin started yesterday in
building in Freeman street, Brooklyn,
used by Wells Bros. as "A planning mill,
and spread rapidly until nearly an
entire block was destroyed. The total
loss is estimated at S35O,OO The
flames extended to Eagle and Kent
street, destroying a number of dwell
ings. The property destroyed includ-
ed four factories, planning mill, a
blacksmith shop and IA dwellings,
CRUSHED UNDER A TREE,
Shell Lake, Wis, May %. William
Witt was instantly killed and Gus
Rubin and Andrew llaugen seriously
wounded by falling tree yesterday
afternoon. They We're riding in from
work on the Shell Lake Lumber com
pany's logging tram which was pass
ing forest fire. when burning tree
fell across the car, crushing the men
down.
A SOLDIER KILLED IN A WRECK.
Peoria, ILL.,, May s3,-0ne man, a sol
der, was killed and two others injured
in a freight wreck near Mackinaw yes
terday, Their names are unknown,
The dead mans uniform bore the in.
sigma of the Fifth regiment. All
three had been stealing rides.
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