Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-05-27
LIVES AND PROPERTY losr IN CYCLONE.
Serious Wind Rushes Through Nebraska and
Oklahoma, Leaving Death Broadcast.


passed near Minden and later struck
Pauline and the intervening country
| early to-day causing heavy damage and
lives are reported lost. The death list
will number twenty one, while many
others are known to have been injured.
Details are meagre, wires being down in
| all directions. Nine of the victims were
found dead and eleven people are still
missing. The injured as far as reported
will number twelve.
There were two separate tornadoes.
The first one moved to the northwest
and did the greatest damage, and all the
fatalities seem to have been In its path
II passed close to the town of Pauline,
in the southern part of Adams county,
killing six persons. Many farmers
families in the track of the storm fed
| shelter In cellars. Farmers driving to
| town report that they were unable to
find members of their families from
whom they were separated during the
storm
The tornado struck Norman, small
town near Minden, Neb., early to-day
demolishing five buildings, killing three
persons and injuring dozen others.
From Norman, which is town of
| about 500 inhabitants, situated on what
is called the "High Line" of the Burling-
ton Railway, the path of the storm lay
east to Pauline. From Pauline it pro-
ceeded in southeasterly direction,
finally losing its force South of Fairfield.
The entire town of Fairfield, which
had about 30 houses, is reported wrecked
and 1t Is said that three persons were
killed and others injured. Fairfield re-
ports many farm houses wrecked in
Clay, Adams and Kearney counties and
eight persons are reported killed in the
district near Fairfield. Wires are down
in many directions and details are meagre.
Oklahoma City, May 24.-Oklahoma
City and vicinity was visited Saturday
night and Sunday morning by the heav-
lest rainfall and most severe electrical
storm known in the history of the city.
Many. persons thought that the city
would experience tornado, and spent
the night in caves. All day to-day and
tonight more than half the city has been
under wator, and, in some instances,
water is three feet deep in houses. 1t
requires boats to transport the women
and children throurh the streets to higher
and dryer land. The Easements under
many of the big wholesale houses are
Hooded, the water in some cases being
ten feet deep. IL is estimated that the
total loss from the flood will reach $780,
600. Traffic on the electric railway is
suspended on account of the power house
being under water. All trains into this
city, with the exception of the Santa Fe,
are water bound, and many washouts
are reported west on the Choctaw. The
Canadian river at this point is over a
quarter of mile wide, with 4-foot rise
in sight.
tornado struck F0ss, town of 200
inhabitants, on the Choctaw, Oklahoma
and Gulf railway in Western Oklahoma,
early Sunday, destroying the thirteen
residences and wrecking many outhouses.
Three persons were killed and number
injured, one seriously.
a tornado swept across central Illinois
Sunday, causing much damage, although
no lives were lost. The storm was ac-
companied by torrents of rain and by
lightning. Two grain elevators were
blown over at Carlock and many barns
and structures were destroyed. Thous-
ands of shade trees were uprooted and
electric wires blown down.
Hundreds Rendered Homeless.
Enid, Okla, May 24.-Hundreds of
persons were rendered homeless and prop
erty damage to the extent of $500, 900
was done in the Enid bottoms alone by a
cloudburst that struck west of this city
at midnight last night. The aggregate
damage probably will be much higher on
account of losses sustained between
Enid and the seat of the storm. A bank
of water thrce feet high and 200 feet
wide swept down through the bottoms
at midnight, carrying houses and every
thing before it, 1t came upon Enid
without warning, while most of it's in
habitants were asleep. Within few
minutes a hundred houses were com
pletely submerged. Many persons lost
everything they possessed. The means
for relieving distress are inadequate.
The rainfall the past ten days has been
the heaviest in the history of Oklahoma
and indications are that more will fol-
low. Reports of losses in the country
west of Enid are meagre, but it is be-
lieved that heavy damage was done.