The Iola register., 1902-05-02
A BAD WIND STORM
Kansas and Missouri Suffers from a
Storm Friday


terday. During the lday and far
into the morning the gale blew at the
rate of thirty-six miles an hour. 1t
filled the air with loose paper and
dirt, and peoples eyes, ears and
mouth with dust, sifted in about win
dows and below doors, tore down
awnings, caused the best buildings
and houses to shudder to their foun-
dations, and rocked violently those
not so we'll constructed. 1t was al
most impossible for pedestrians to
keep the walks, and many we're much
frightened. During the afternoon the
temperature became SO, and there we're
many rumors of the approach of cy-
clones and of damage to property and
loss of life caused by the wind in 9TH
er places.
The Missouri and Kansas Telephone
Company was one of the heaviest
losers by the storm. The precise
extent of the damage done to its pro-
perty could not be ascertained last
parts of the city and in several cases
crossed with electric light and other
wires, and many poles were broken
off. 1t was estimated last night that
connection with 500 telephones had
been broken.
The business of the toll lines was
also seriously interfered with. Many
lines in the country southwest of
Kansas City in both Kansas and Mis-
souri, were blown down and it was
impossible last night to get connec-
tion with st. Joseph on the north or
with Joplin, Pittsburg, Fort Scott,
Nevada, Springfield and several other
Missouri and. Kansas towns, or with
any point south of Paola, Kansas, in
Kansas, the Indian Territory and Ok
lahoma. Linemen will start in all
directions today TO repair the
damage.
The telegraph companies also had
their lines badly deranged by the
wind. The Western Union S overland
wires were down in every direction
yesterday afternoon and it was with
the greatest difficulty that many of the
most important cities in the country
could be communicated with Many
local wires also were down. Thous-
ands of men were at work on all parts
of the system in the West last night,
however, and the wires were gradually
picked up, until at midnight the sit
uation was considerably improved.
The losses of the various telephone
and telegraph companies in the part
of the country which was swept by the
wind will aggregate many thousands
of dollars.
Joplin, Mo-, April 25.-Joplin was
visited this afternoon hy the most
destructive wind storm in it's history.
At least two people were killed out
right, four we're fatally injured and a
score or more were more or less SER
iously hurt.
The storm broke upon the city at
4:35 without premonition. The funnel
shap ped cloud of tornadoes was acking
and the approaching storm looked no
more threatening than an ordinary
spring thunder shower. The wind that
did the damage was straight gale,
but it was Of terrible velocity, wreck
ing scores of houses in the south part
of the city and reducing to kindling
wood Sl00,OO0 worth of the finest
mining plants of the district
The worst havoc played by the storm
was in a district about four blocks
wide commencing on the western limits
of the city at Seventeenth street and
ending at Seventh street on the east.
No damage was done south of Sixth
street. Within this narrow belt des
truction is visible on every hand
Most ofthe houses were not completely
razed, but there is scarcely building
in the district that has not been more
or less damaged. So complete wal
the destruction.
Omaha, Neb., April 25.-An un
usually heavy windstorm, which struck
this city this evening, killed one per
son and injured a number of others
unroofed number of buildings ant
damaged a great number Of skylights
There was a heavy downpour of rain
Street cars were stopped for an hou
and wires and signs were blown dowl
in all directions.
JOPLIN FAMILIES HOMELESS
BY scripps-McRae Press Assn.
Joplin, Mo. april, 26-The revise
list shows that Esther Hunter an
Martha Cope were killed in yesterday
storm and seven were probably fatal
injured. Fifty families were rendere
homeless. Eleven dwellings wer