Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-26
One Horse is Only Thing Remaining Alive
., About Mumma Place.
FIVE PEOPLE KILLED NEAR NORMAN
Number of NeighbOrs Had Gathered at
Peter Vaights and House is Wrecked.
SCHOOL HOUSE WRECKED At UPLAND
Church Services Being Held There At
the Time and Preacher And one
of Congregation killed and
Others Injured.

PAULINE Neb, May 25--(Special Tele-
Eram.)-At o'clock last night a disas-
trous tornado struck the farm house OF
John Mumma, which was located two miles
southeast Of Pauline. and killed six peo.
pie.
The dead:
JOHN MUMMA, aged 81.
MRS. JOHN MUMMA, aged a.
MISS GERTRUDE MUMMA. aged IS.
MISS FLORENCE PALMER, aged 10.
JOHN PALMER, aged L.
RAY QUIGG, aged 81
All the horses and cattle about the prem
ises were killed with the exception OF a
horse belonging 20 young Quigg, which
escaped, after the buggy had been torn
from them and been broken into bits
Miss Florence Palmer and brother, John,
daughter and son of Mr.. and Mrs Emma
ID. Hughes. were visiting at the Mumma
house and Ray Quigg was spending the
afternoon with Miss Gertrude Mumma, to
whom he was engaged to be married.
The entire family and visitors were
seated around the table partaking of the
evening meal when the tornado arrived
without moments warning. The house
was lifted l5O feet in the air where IL
was quickly shattered and scattered for
miles around. The bodies were terribly
mutilated. They were dropped into the
canyon on the southwest one on the east
side and one on the west side of the
ravine. The head OF John Mumma was
smashed to a pulp.
Mrs William Oyery. a daughter Of Mr.
and Mrs. Mumma, is the only close rela-
tive who survives the Mumma family, and
she and her husband witnessed the catas-
trophe from their farm house. which is
located within a mile of the scene Mr..
Overy described the tornado as coming
from the southeast in a lazy sort of man
ner 1t had the appearance OF a huge bal
loon and was hugging close to the ground
without making much noise which ac-
counts for Its stealing upon the Mumma
home without giving warning.
After 1t struck the Mumma farm II turned
and headed northwest, direct for Pauline.
after striking the railroad.
Huge trees were uprootsd. telegraph
poles pulled out and rods and rods OF barb
wire were twisted into one large ball. The
! tornado tore every piece of clothing from
Mrs. Mumma and deposited them in
| heap mile away. The bodies were taken
! to William overy's home, from where the
funeral was held this afternoon.
story of Eye witness.
| HASTINGS, Neb., May yS.-(special Tele-
gram .)-Clinton McCreery and Frank Sherr
man were eye-witnesses of the storm, and
give the following story: Apparently the
| tornado originated about four miles south
east OF the Mumma farm, just south Of
Charles Daum's place. Mr.. Daum saw IL In
time to notify his family. and they all ran
| into a storm cellar and had Just secured
the door when the tornado arrived. His
| house was unroofed. the barn completely
demolished and several horses and cattle
were killed. The storm took in a path about
| four rods wide and proceeded In almost a
I direct line for the Mumma place until It
struck the house, which II picked up and
carried into the air At distance OF about
100 feet from the ground the house appeared
| to be suspended in the sky like a meteor
from a hig ceiling. It was sent whiriing
and whizzing about like a colossal top II
| suddenly took an upward tendency of
hfteon feet and was then shattered with
| annarentIy the same ease that a man would
crush a cracker in the palm OF his hand.
| The people and contents were hurled with
great force down into deep, black ravine.
which was already strewn with wreckaEe
and dead animals.
| NothinR but stone foundation was left
| 10 indicate where the house had stood and
| the large, beautiful orchard was twisted
| mass of broken trees. AS there were no
windows on the south side OF the house II
"a
serve the approaching danger All the
t-ees about the place were twisted to the
| Ground or uprooted Carcases of dead
| horses. COWS and hogs were scattered
throughout the entire ravine and the only
| sign of life about the place was a pig
| with a broken back and the family dog.
The dog was a large shepherd and II lay
on some debris close to the dying pig and
refused all efforts to console It.
Farmers Search All Might.
The news Of the disaster spread quickly
! tbroughout the country and all night long
farmers with lighted lanterns searched the
hills and valleys and gave their assistance.
This morning Coroner Perkins with I'm
| dertaker Reed went to the scene and took
six cofins Arriving at the owen house,
| where the dead were, the remains were
dressed for burial Mr.. Mumma had life
insurance in the Workman lodge and Mrs.
Mumma was a member of the Degree OF
| Honor. Gertrude Mumma was the be-
| trothed of Ray Quigg and the nuptials
| were TO be celebrated in a few weeks.
The house in which they were to live was
secured and the furnishings were recently
purchased in this city Yesterday afternoon
| Mr.. ouigg had spent with his nance, and
II was while with innocent gaiety the fam
fly partook of the evening meal that the
fatal disaster occurred
| Death Closes Romance.
A somewhat romantic feature has de-
veloped which had reference to Ray ouiEg
and Miss Gertrude Mumma, who died 81
multaneously in the Pauline cyclone. Not
only were they betrothed but this supper
was one TO celebrate the reconciliation Of
John Mumma and Ray Quigg.
The two young people had been lovers
practically from childhood and the girls
father had been opposed TO the match
while Mrs Mumma favored the suit. ow-
ing 70 this feeling of the father young
Quigg had not visited at the home Of his
sweetheart for eighteen months. But some
two weeks previous to the fatal last sun
day mother and daughter combined their
influence TO change the fathers views and