The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-29
THE CYCLONES VICTIMS
Two Hundred Families Homeless
In Kirksville, No.
OVER THIRTY BODIES RECOVERED

Tho Death List, 1t 10 Feared, VIII Be
Largely Incressed-seyenty Persons
Injursd-At Nswtown the Death List
Remains at Fifteen.
Kirksville, Mo-, April GAS a re.
suit of the tornado that swept through
the eastern portion of this city Thurs
day evening, demolishing half of the
residences and other buildings. 200
families are homeless and more than
80 dead bodies and 10 injured persons
have been recovered from the ruins.
More than q dozen of the injured will
die. Although rescuers have been
searching the ruins ever since the
storm spent its fury. many are still
missing, and It Is thought that con-
siderable number of the unfortunates
were consumed in 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 victims is known.
When the tornado struck the city
most of the residents were at their
supper. The tornado cut clean path
mile long and 600 feet wide through
the residence section. A conservative
estimate places the aggregate amount
Of damage at 5000, 000 the individual
losses ranging from 500 to $4,000.
j. G. Coonfield and his family were
eating supper when the tornado struck
and carried across slough and dump
ed up against a hill. The building was
not completely wrecked, and the fam
lily escaped without anything worse
than severe shaking up. Houses on
both sides Of the residence Of w. M.
Hull were blown int splinters, but the
wind was content with twisting his
house off its foundation and leaving
It intact. P. J. Rieger, who is
prominent attorney, ran right into
the path Of the storm to save his fam
lily, who were helpless with fear. Dash
ing into the house, he carried his wife
and children into the cellar. As he
stumbled into the place of safety the
building was leyeled to the ground.
His loss amounts to $4,000.
Among the first of the buildings
wrecked was the elegant $4,000 resi-
dence of Mrs. Mary Hensley, in the
southwestern part of the city. Not a
vestige Of 1t is left. The Catholic
church, fine brick structure in the
northeastern part. was unroofed and
otherwise damaged. The large dwell
ing of Judge Andrew Ellison, in the
same locality, was stripped of its sec
ond story. He and his family and
To ne, in, hn nal
lar and were saved. The residence of
H. Lowel, just outside of 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 foundations and lit
orally torn into kindling wood.
The scenes that met the gaze Of
rescuers was horrifying. An aged man
and his wife had evidently been eating
their evening meal when the cyclone
struck and carried their home away.
They had clasped each other in their
arms and were found dead on the
ground some distance away from where
their home had been. No trace of their
house has been seen.
Several of the dead were found in
spots which would have been the CEN
ter of the house had the building not
been blown to splinters. This was
the case with Mrs. Panschott, who sui
fered most terrible death. The head
less body, with the arms clasping her
lifeless baby, was discovered on the
floor of the house, which was left as a
raised platform in an open field. The
head is severed as precisely as If it
had been done with knife, and was
about 20 feet distant.
The death list, so far as known, is
as follows: Mrs. Henry Ellington,
Mrs. A. r. Bowman, Theodore Brig
ham, Miss Lena Brown of Moberly,
child of Rev. Albert Burr, seth Feath-
or Is years old), Mrs. w. W. Green,
AL. Glasse and wife, DR.. W. B. How
ellis, J. B. Larkin. three children Of
Henry Lowe, Mrs. John Mehaffey, ST.,
Mrs. John T. Mehaffey and child, F. M.
McCIay and wife, mother and niece Of
J. T. Miller, Miss Ora MILAN of Wood
land, Mrs. Blue Panschott and baby,
Mrs. H. X. Sherburne, Samuel Weaver,
Miss Leona Whaley, Mrs. Cal Little,
Dr. Wheeler and Mrs. Joe Wood.