The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-05-17
KILLED IN THEIR BEDS.
Twenty.four Persons Perish By a Mldn sht
Tornado.


Marquette, Kan, (Special Twenty
four persons are known to have been
killed and over IS were injured in a
tornado, the most disastrous in the his
tory of Central Kansas, which swept
over this portion Of the State at mid
night. One large section of Marquette,
where the principal loss of life occurred,
was entirely wiped out
Reports from the surrounding country
show that the destruction to life and
property was widespread, and the list
OF dead and injured is growing constant
ly
A storeroom belonging to Olaf Olson,
a furniture dealer, has been converted
into a temporary morgue, and at o.3o
"a dead bodies had been brought in.
Following the storm the utmost con-
fusion prevailed, and it will sc some
time before the actual extent Of the
storm is known.
When daylight broke over the town
IT found the entire population in a state
OF panic. Business was entirely suspend
ed and everyone who escaped injury
turned his attention toward aiding the
wounded.
The tornado seems to have formed
three miles south of Marquette and did
not spend its force until it had passed
many miles north of the town. In
Marquette the residence portion west O.
the main street suffered the principal
damage. The houses in the course of
the tornado were all with two or three
exceptions completely wrecked. In this
section there was a number of modern
residences of which only one, the home
of r. A. Thompson, was left standing.
The Swedish, Lutheran and Methodist
Churches were among the nrst buildings
struck, and they, together with the par
sonage adjoining the Methodist Church,
were demolished.
The afternoon was hot and oppres-
,ive. Late in the evening terrific
rainstorm broke over the town. The
rain continued to fall in torrents until
midnight, when the tornado struck
Within less than five minutes it had
wrought its terrible work and passed
on. Telegraph and telephone wires were
carried down and il was several hours
before the outside world could be ap-
prised of the plight OF the city.
1t was not until o'clock that physi-
clans and surgeons began arriving from
surrounding towns. In the meantime
dozens OF volunteers set to work &c
clear away the debris and extricate the
dead and injured. The Swedish Luth-
eran parsonage and several private resi-
dences were turned into temporary hos
pitals. The dead were taken to a store
room nearby.
In one room in the Lutheran parson.
age the pastor found six injured, and ir
an adjoining room were FIVE bodies ot
persons who had died from injuries af-
ter they had been brought in. In hall
a dozen other houses similar conditions
were found. DR.. Lund the Lutheran
pastor, passed among the suffering, min
istering to their comfort, while thirty
or forty other persons, working under
his direction, cared for the injured a
other points.
There were many narrow escapes from
death. The infant daughter of Charlie:
Sailen was lifted in her bed and carried
to the middle of the street, receiving only
few scratches. Saien and his wifi,
we're seriously injured,
The mattress upon which the baby
daughter of Rev. Smith lay was doubec
up in such manner as to cover The
child and protect it from falling timbers
In spite of the destruction of the Smith
house the entire family escaped unin
jured.
Mr.. and Mrs. O. S. Ellvn were carried
on their bed a distance of 500 feet anc
laid down without being seriously in
jured.
Marquette is a town Of 1900 people
in Mcpherson County. 1t is i'll the ex.
act centre of Kansas, and the riches
farming country Of the State.