Omaha daily bee., 1905-05-13
News from Country Districts Ravaged by
Storm Now Coming In.
BERAL RESPONSE TO APPEALS FOR AID
Tents, Bedding, Medicine and Clothing
Arrive in Large Quantities.
WANT AND SUFFERING ON ALL SIDES
Many Bodies Lying In Temporary
Morgues Remain Unidentified and
Thirty-Five Persons Are stiII
Reported Missing.

SNYDER, okl, May 12-An estimates
of the number killed by Wednesday
nights tornado in the south of Snyder
make the total at least 1e5 The tornado
travelled distance of thirty-five miles,
cutting a path from a quarter mile to
n half mile wide, The farmhouses in
this path were demolished and the occu-
pants killed or injured. All the men
available are needed here to clear away
debris, bury the dead and care for tho
sick, and the fate of the farmers struck
by the storm has not been fully invesu-
gated. Estimates of the number killed
outside of Snyder range from twenty-five
to forty. More than 100 laborers brought
here by the Frisco railroad together
with a big force of volunteers, began
moving and burning debris today. Two
men dead and another barely alive were
found in heap of rubbish piled against
railroad freight cars near the station this
morning. They had been there since last
Wednesday night at s:15 o'clock, at which
time every clock in town stopped.
Four Hundred Injured.
Statements that 400 persons were injured
are correct, but most of these suffered
only slight bruises Forty-five persons are
receiving hospital treatment. On account
I of lack of accommodations here. the
wounded are being taken to larger towns.
j. w. Hudson, capitalist and his daugh-
| ter are at Lawton, and Mr.. Hudson is re-
ported dying tonight. DIR. and Mrs. j.
! w. Miller also at Lawton, and Mrs
Miller is not expected to survive. j. NJ
Eagan. the Frisco station agent, and
several other patients have been taken to
| Springfield Mo.
| There were four members in the family
of William Hughes of Willowvale; three in
| that of ]. d. Ralston of Olustee and three
| in that of Mr.. Moore, in the same neigh
| borhood. All were killed. At the ranch of
L. L. Peckham, president OF the Denver,
Enid & Gulf Railroad company. six miles
west of here, the tornado totally destroyed
| a $4,000 residence and a $4,000 barn.
second storm Causes Panic.
The havoc and saffering wrr lgirt by the
tornado was made more unbearable to ita
grief-tricken citizens today by a terrific
| rainstorm. Another tornado seemed
! threatening the town, and men and women
who had survived the frightful destruc-
tion of Wednesday night became panic
stricken. The rattle of hail. accompanied
by high wind. increased the fear.
Every building in town bears evidence
of the tornado, and the rain poured
through roofs in torrents. The temporary
hospital buildings, where men, women and
children lay swathed in bandages and
moaning in pain, and where surgeons were
performing operations were quickly flooded.
Oil cloths were spread over the sufferers,
but this afforded only scant protection
against the water.
Excellent order has been maintained, and
only two or three cases OF pillaging have
been reported. E. C. Ray, sheriff of
Kiowa, last night guarded the town with
| thirty-fve IDENTITIES
Many PitiabIe Scenes.
Pitiable scenes or want and suffering
were seen here today on all sides. Much
confusion still existed, despite the efforts
of hundreds of outsiders to aid the victims
of Wednesday nights tornado. Last night
many who had lost everything they pos
sessed went hungry and practically unpro-
tected from the cold.
Many bodies, lying in temporary
morgues, remained unidentified. while
among the injured, dozens who suffered
from ugly wounds broken limbs. were
without proper medical attention. Others
still were missing. and exact list of the
casualties was not to be had.
With the break of day two scores of par
ties resumed their search in the wreckage
for the victims Governor Fergusons re-
quest to the people of Oklahoma to 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
p them came added numbers of persons from
all directions to aid in attending to the
& immediate wants of the citizens
a Houses and Medical Care Needed.
The most serious phase of the situation
presented today is the necessity of houO-
d ing of the homeless and the providing OF
| anf "a re- Of he in
n physicians and surgeons had arrived every
hour since Thursday morning, they
u worked at a distinct disadvantage because
% of lack of house room and insufficient IA
ciities Among the first things accomp.
lished today was the sorting of medicines
j clothing and provisions, which were hur.
red TO separate depots fast received
n From each OF these places separate com
mittees began systematic distribution o
this material
All night two dozen men worked in
cessantly preparing the bodies OF the vic
er Tins for burial and today dozens o.
a. funerals were held. Plenty of collins haC
r been sent in. but wagons and drays haC
n TO be used in carting the remains TO tn,
IN cemeteries. All day long crude hearse
=, passed through the streets. Poorly claC
"a woman and children, most OF whom hat
IA lost some member Of their family and hat
- suffered from wounds, exposure and hun
ger, wandered here and there trying 4
find some missing loved one. or went from
D , morgue to morgue in endeavor TO iden
:, tify them among the dead
Appeal for Relief.
A relief committee has been formed an,
m the following application has been issue,
~, and handed TO the Associated Press repre-
k sentative, with a request that 1t be givel
w publicity:
m To the People OF the United States: Thi
place was almost totally obliterated by
or cyclone on the evening OF May 10. The peO
pie here are dividing their all, but have no
m enough 10 relieve the pressing necessity
d: Nelghboring towns are strenuously sendin
US hospital supplies and food. Fully @
IN families have been ruined by the storm; l,5l
people are more less dependent on tn
m goodwill OF the generously Inclined to It'd
them over the present distress. Money
m urgently needed. The loss. including crops
| mock. hoInaa and other pronarfY. Nin raan