The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-12
Stricken Snyder Is Filled With
Want and Suffering.
Many Injured Lack Proper Medi-
cal Attention.
SEARCH FOR VICTIMS
Is Still Being Prosecuted Among
the Wreckage.
Interment Of the Dead Was Be-
gun This Morning.

Snyder, Okla, May 12.-One hun
dred and twenty lives were lost in the
tornado that wrecked the town of
Snyder, Wednesday night, according
to late reports received today. Re
ports brought in from the country
which has been cut off from wire con-
nection for two says that twenty-five
persons were killed outside of Snyder.
The news of the loss in the country
was brought in by farmers, who came
to town by wagon. and verifcation
naturally will be slow.
The counted dead at Snyder today is
ninety-five while thirty-five are still
missing, and it is believed that nearly
twenty-five of the injured will die.
Reports brought in today from the
country, which has been shut off since
Wednesday night by lack of telegraph
facilities, indicate that twenty-five per
sons were killed outside of Snyder, max
ing a possible total dead of 120. Verifi-
cation of the loss of life in the country
viii naturally be slow.
Ninety-f1ve bodies of victims had been
found up to noon today. At that time
thirty-fve persons were still missing,
bered 115, of whom % were believed to
be fatally hurt. Twenty-Five or thirty
others were slightly hurt.
Much Suffering.
Snyder, Okla, May Equitable scenes
of want and suffering We're seen here
today on all sides. Much confusion still
existed, despite the efforts of hundreds
of outsiders to aid the victims of We'd
nesday nights tornado. Last night
many who had lost everything they
possessed went hungry and practically
unprotected from the cold.
Many bodies lying in temporary
morgues remained unidentified, while
among the injured dozens who suffered
from ugly wounds or broken limbs,
We're without proper medical attention.
Otners still were missing and an exact
4lSI OF the casualties was not to be had.
At the break of day two score parties
OF rescuers continued their search in the
wreckage for victims. Governor Fergu-
sons request to the people of Oklahoma
10 render immediate aid to the destitute
people began to show early results.
Early today car loads of provisions
clothing, tents, bedding and medicines
began to arrive, and with them came
added numbers OF. persons from all di-
rections to aid in attending to the i'm
mediate wants of the citizens.
| The most serious phase of the situa-
ton presented today was the necessity
for the immediate housing of the home
less, and the providing of sufficient
medical care for the injured. While
physicians and surgeons had arrived
every every hour since Thursday morn
| ing, they worked at a distinct disadVan-
tage because of lack of house room and
| insufficient facilities Among the first
things accomplished today was the sort
ing of medicines. clothing and provis-
| ions, which were hurried to separate
/ depots as fast as received. From each of
these places separate committees be-
gan systematic distribution of this
material.
Interment Begins
All night two dozen men worked in
| cessantly preparing the bodies of the
victims for burial. and today dozens of
funerals were held. Plenty of coffins
had been sent in, but wagons and drays
had to be used in carting the remains
/ to the cemeteries. All day long crude
/ hearses passed through the wreck lit
| tered streets.
| Poorly clad men, women and children,
most of whom had lost some member of
! their family and had suffered from
wounds, exposure and hunger, wandered
here and there trying to find some miss
/ ing loved one, or went from morgue to
mOrgue in an endeavor to identify them
among the dead.