The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-29
TAKING OUT The DEAD
FIFTY ROBES RECOVERED
FROM THE RUINS.
WORK OF RESCUE SIIlL GOING FORWARD
Seventy Injured Have Been Taken from The
Ruins. II May be Days Before the
Total Number Of Victims
is Known.

10 iN"S'''
Kirksville. Mo. April 2S.-As Il result
of the tornado that swept through the
eastern portion of this city yesterday
evening. demolshing half of the resi-
dences and other buildings, 200 families
are homeless. and more than fifty dead
bodies and seventy injured persons have
been recovered from the ruins. More
than dozen of the injured will die.
Although the rescuers have been search
ing the ruins ever since the storm spent
its fury, many are still missing, AMI il
is thought that a considerable number
of the unfortunates We're consumed i'll
the flames that broke out soon after the
storm had ceased. The work of rescue
continues. but it may be days before
the total number of the victims is
known.
When the tornado struck the city last
evening. most Of the residents were at
supper. The tornado cut Il clean path
one mile long, and six hundred feet
wide through the residence section, leay-
ing death and destruction in its wake.
Buildings were demolished or twisted
apart and scattered TO the four winds.
A conservative estimate places the ag-
gregate amount of damage at s-UO,0nO,
the individual loss ranging from 500 to
$4,000. The wind played many pranks,
and there were some miraculous escapes.
j. G.. Coonfield and his family wer" eat
ing supper when the tornado struck their
home The house was picked up and
dumped against n hill. The building was
not completely wrecked, and the family
escaped without anything worse than a
severe shaking up. Houses on both
sides of the residence of w. II. Hull
were blown into splinters, but the wind
was content with twisting his house off
its foundation and leaving it intact. The
house was in the centre of the district,
and it was used as hospital after the
storm. l.. j. Rieger, Il prominent at
torney, ran into the path of the storm
to save his family, who We're helpless
with fear Dashing into the house he
carried his wife and children INFO the
cellar. As he stumbled into the place Of
safety the building was leveled 10 the
ground.
Among the first of fine buildings wreck
ed was the elegant ten THOUSAND dollar
residence of Mrs. Mary Hansley, in the
southeastern part of the city. Not a
vestige 81 it is left.
Tie residence of III. Lowell, just out
side the town. was twisted into heap
of ruins and three of his children buried
in the debris and killed. Other large
residences were lifted from their founda-
ton and literally torn into kindling
wood
For a time the people in that portion
Of the town not touched by the storm
were panic stricken, but as soon as they
recovered their wits they Immediately
went to the aid Of their unfortunate
townsmen. Calls for help We're sent to
surrounding towns and were quickly re-
sponded to. The wounded were carried
10 the homes of hospitable neighbors and
given immediate attention. Twenty-Five
doctors from Moberly, Macon and other
points along the line of the Wabash
railroad came to Kirksville last night in
response to urgent calls for medical as
sstance. The visiting doctors CO.
operated with the local physicians and
the work of caring for the wounded
was expedited.
DISTRESS AND DESOLATION.
Chillicothe, Mo-. April 2S.-Scenes of
utter distress and desolatlon We're pic
tured today in the little tornado-swept
burg of Newton, forty miles north, on,
the St Paul Railway. There are about
fifteen dead and over twenty injured,
while half of the place is in ruins, and
fifty families are homeless.
The storm struck Newton In the even
ing, coming from the southwest. 1t
came without warning and few Wee
able to take advantage Of their storm
cellars. Striking the eastern end of the
town it cut clean swath of 800 to COO
feet wide through the best portion of the
place, sweeping everything before IT,
Over thirty houses were torn to Splin-
tiers. On one street alone row of ten
houses was entirely demolished. Here
scarcely anyone escaped death or in
jury. The walls of buildings fell with
IL crash that sounded above the roar Of
the storm, burying people In the ruins.
Frame buildings were twisted and lifted
from their foundations, others We're
utterly demolished, pieces of them being
carried for miles. Others shifted in their
positions, apparently unhurt: one was
turned squarely around while another
was turned upside down.
Samuel Desper, at the appearance OF
the black cloud. started with his family
for neighboring cellar, but the house
was blown down over them just as
they reached the door. His two daugl-
tiers were caught with him by the tim
bers and instantly killed His wife
was seriously injured. but is still alive
Mrs. VIM Hays was killed while run
ming up the street in search Of shelter
The mutilated trunk with the head miss
ing. was found on the street later. VII
liam Hays and two children met death
within a few feet Of each other The
storm lasted five minutes When it
had ended the sun came out for n few
minutes and shone brightly over a
scene of ruin.
Houses of the survivors were thrown
open to the unfortunates and all poS,l-
BILE was done to allay suffering. Chilli