The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-05-01
Tornado Sweeps Western States
and Much Damage is Done.
JOPLIN, MO-. Is HIT hRRD
-Four Persons Killed and Scores In
jured In Missouri, Kansas and s
Oklahoma.

~ lOTuduO swept dCIOSS Ohld-
homa and Missouri and Kansas
Friday afternoon, killing many
persons, destroying houses in a
dozen towns, carrying away
farmhouses over wide area, and
the terrible rain that followed
added to the already great losses.
-Four persons were killed and
scores injured in Joplin, Mo. Mo-
nett, Pierce City, Webb City, and
Carterville in Missouri and Gale
ma in Kansas report heavy de-
struction of property. and in some
lives were lost. Telegraph and
telephone lines were wrecked and
the meager reports from the dis
drict swept by the tornado indi-
cate that the loss of life and
property may have been much
greater than estimated. 1t is
impossible to communicate with
the country districts. The de-
struction of live stock was great.
While the center of the storms
fury was in southwestern Mis-
souri,, the wind blew a hurricane
across the entire central west.
Northern Illinois felt the
strength of the wind from the
lake to the river. The damage
done by the wind was slight and
the benefits from the rain caused
rejoicing.
The downfall was general 10
South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa,
northern Missouri, central and
eastern Minnesota, Wisconsin
and central Michigan. In Kan
sas, where rain is very much
needed, not a drop fell. The
heaviest rainfall recorded was at
Keokuk. Iowa, where 2.0o inches
were registered.
At Indianapolis the wind
reached a velocity of fifty-two
miles, while as far west as Oma-
ha forty-six was recorded. AT
Huron, n. D.. the figure was
forty-four, while the highest
speed registered at Cairo, Ill,
was forty.
At Alton, ILL.,, woman pas
senger on Chicago and Alton
train was caught by the wind
while trying to cross the plat
form between two cars, whirled
from the train and killed. 45E
At Omaha terrific Wind IN
rooted buildings, sent chimneys
crashing down into the streets,
lifted skylights out of business
blocks, and one man was killed
by falling wreckage. The wind
was followed by a heavy down
pour of rain. Street car traffic
was stopped and wires were down
all over the city.
Inhabitants of Sioux City, Ia.,
fed to their cellars in alarm at
1:39, when darkness fell upon
the city. Heavy greenish clouds
shut out the light of the sun.
The wind blew seventy two miles
an hour, doing much damage. A
heavy downpour of rain that
turned to snow followed the
wind.
A terrific straight away wind,
reaching at times a velocity of
sixty miles an hour, prevailed at
Lincoln throughout the afternoon
and into the night. Only minor
dana &c was done. Taere was
slight fall of rain. Ali sorts of
weather conditions were present
in adjacent towns. In York
county there was a drenching
rain, followed by a heavy snow,
snow. Northwest, in Greeley
county, hailstones fell of suffi-
Gent size to strike and kill poul-
try and young stock.
Kansas was swept by a north
er, carrying clouds of Dust. No
rain fell. The wind blew a bur-
ricane all day in eastern Oklaho-
ma and the thermometer fell 20
degrees. A norther, driving
binding dust clouds before it,
did much damage to growing
crODS.