Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-05-29
TERRIBLE TORNADO.
Southern Nebraska Visited by a
Death-Dealing Storm.
Clay. Franklin ssnd Kearney Counties suf-
fer Much Damage. Every Dwelling in
the Path of the Tornado Being
Blown to Pieces.

Hastings, Neh, May 26.-A series
of heavy storms, two of which deve1-
Oped into the worst tornadoes that
have visited southern Nebraska for
gears, passed over portions of Clay,
Franklin and Kearney counties Sun
day evening. Fifteen persons are
known to have lost their lives, 20-odd
were more or less seriously injured
and number of others received
minor injuries. Every dwelling and
outbuilding in the path of the tor
nado was blown to pieces, and the
financial loss thus far accounted will
reach about 100000.
Near Norman at the home of Dan
Eel McCurdy number of relatives
and friends were spending the day
and not an inmate escaped death or
serious injury. Two miles sonth of
Upland German Lutheran services
were being held in a schoo1house
when the storm struck and demol-
ished it, killing four of the occu-
pants, including the minister, and in
juring a number of others.
The storm was equally destructive
at Fairfield, but the people were
warned of it's. coming and sought
cellars for safety. Six dwellings
were blown to pieces at that place,
but their occupants escaped injury
with a few exceptions.
Windstorm Sweeps Farming District.
Lincoln, Neb., May ga violent
windstorm reaching the proportions
of a small tornado swept farming
district six miles north of Lincoln
last night. There were no deaths
or injuries, so far as can be learned,
but small buildings and fences were
leveled, haystacks carried away and
some stock killed. Reports from
Louisville say the storm was violent
near there and much damage was
done. There was a terrific hailstorm
at Ashland, smashing hundreds of
windows, stripping trees of foliage
and breaking telephone wires. Wa
hoo river and Salt creek are out Of
their banks at Ashland as a result of
the heavy rains.
Buildings Destroyed at st. Joseph.
ST. Joseph, Mo-, May 26.-Twenty
buildings were damaged here. last
night by heavy. windstorm, accom-
painted by a rain which amounted
practically to a cloudburst. The
greatest damage was in South ST. Jo-
seph, where dozen frame build
ings were blown to pieces. The
storm began at 1920 o'clock and
street cars were stopped for an hour
owing to a decentralization of the
wires. The full extent of the dam
age could not be ascertained in the
darkness last night, but it will prob
ably amount to from $4,000 to $780,
900. No fatalities have been report
ed.
Buildings Wrecked and Crops Damaged.
ST. Louis, May ga special to the
Republic from New Athens, ILL.,, says:
A tornado followed by destructive
hailstorfa swept over the southeast
ern portion of ST. Clair county yes
terday afternoon. Many buildings
were wrecked and thousands of dol
lars of damage was done to growing
craps. The storm centered at New
Athens and Lensburg, about 80 miles
east of ST. Louis. Mundice Giuseppe
was blown under moving freight
frain near Lensburg and was killed.
No other fatalities are reported.
Rolfe, Ia, Wiped Off the Map.
Fort Dodge, Ia, May 26.-One life
lost, child perhaps fatally injured
AND properly TO the Value OF several
thousand dollars destroyed are the
results of the worst storm that has
ever visited this locality. The fatality
is reported from Rolfe, IA miles
northwest of here, Fong Foo, Chi
nese laundryman being killed at his
place of business on Main street.
or the Bridge to Death.
Chetopa, Kan, May 26.-J. M.
Roper, a prominent farmer of this
section, was drowned in the Neosho
river backwater by driving off
bridge. Two men with him barely
escaped.