The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-23
BOOM TOWN WRECKED
AND TENTS AT ANADARk0
BLOWN DOWN By A TORNADO.
Two Men Killed and Others Severe
Iy ~Injured-New Town of Hobart
Visited by a udburs

Ell RENO, o. T., Aug. PA wind and
rainstorm amounting almost to a tornado
demolished the new town of Anadarko last
evening. w. T. Tevis, of Weatherford,
Tex, and Felix Antoine, of Paris. Tex,
were killed outright by falling buildings.
A number of others were injured, while
about twenty buildings were nearly
wrecked and hundreds of tents and great
of merchandise were strewn over
the prairie. The town was alive this morn
ing and soon the wreckage was cleared
away and buildings replaced. The damage
will amount to $4,000.
The known injured: Samuel p. Nelson,
Kansas City, may not recover; Dana War
rem, Storey county, internally, but not Sc
rious. Others are reported injured, but it is
believed none will die.
The storm struck about s o'clock and
came up without warning. Felix Antoine
was killed in the lodging tent and grocery
store of his sons. located just west of the
postofice. The postofice building, a rudely
constructed affair, collapsed and fell over
the tent. Antone's three sons succeeded in
getting out, but their father was caught by
a large timber and crushed to death. w.
Il. Tevis was killed in a tent by the side of
a saloon building being erected on the cor
ner of Tenth and c streets. He leaves Il
widow and three children. He was a paint
er. Dan Warren, a young man, was in
jured while standing In a tent near by
Levis's place. being knocked from his cot
by a timber. The postoffice building was
wrecked, as were the frame buildings of w.
III. Kitchener, drugs, j. G. Bell, hardware,
and a dozen others of the largest business
firms. The buildings used by the county
officials were damaged, but none of the
m was damaged nor any OF the
occupants injured. After the storm had
spent its fury the moon shone out beauti-
fully over a scene of hundreds OF wrecked
tents and scattered effects and displayed
scared people running here and there gath
ering their families and belongings to-
gether.
AT Hobart there was almost a c~loudburst,
two and one-fourth inches of rain falling in
an hour. Thousands OF dollars worth of
merchandise there In unfinished buildings
and tents was ruined. but as far as learned
no one was hurt.
Reports to-day indicate that the storm
was severe in the country districts. Sew
eral people are reported killed and injured
and many buildings destroyed, but, as the
points are off the railroad, nothing definite
has been learned. One report says four
persons were killed at a farmhouse a few
the damage to crops and live stock will be
heavy.
Anadarko and Hobart, the Oklahoma
towns damaged by last nights storm. were
two of three towns recently opened in the
Kiowa-Comanche country selected by the
federal government. Anadarko is located
on the Washita river, about thirty miles
southwest from FL Reno, where the land
lottery took place. while Hobart is situated
in the extreme western part of the reserva-
ton. The Rock Island Railway runs
through Anadarko. but Hobart is uf the
railroad. After the lottery had been con-
Guided thousands of homesteaders, many
of whom had failed to win a tract Of land
In the new country, rushed to these towns
to buy business property, and since Aug. /
the government has been disposing of the
lots at auction. The bidding was active
and in many instances as high as 81. 900 and
more was paid for a single twenty-ive-foot
lot on the open prairie. Both towns were
prosperous from the start, and now. though
less than thirty days old. each have per-
haps six or eight thousand inhabitants. AS
yet but few substantial buildings have been
erected. the greater number of the new
corners living in tents. Tents and small
huts, however, were arranged by the thou
sand in regular streets, and well-estab-
lished towns had been created, with banks
and stores of all descriptions.