Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-05-12
AN OKLAHOMA
CYCLONE.
Report $50 Killed And 500 ID
jured.
COMMUNICATION .cUTT OFF.

Lawton, Ok, May 1.-THE town
of Snyder, Oklahoma, was visited by
cyclone last night. At 4 a. m. COM
munication with the stricken district
was not established. The report on
the street here is that the greater part
of the town was destroyed, and many
inhabitants killed or injured.
The town had a population Of
about twenty-five hundred inhabitants,
and is a division point on the Frisco
railroad.
Later reports state that every
house in Snyder with the exception of
Ways hardware store and the Frisco
round house was destroyed by the
storm manster. The killed are es-
timated at $50, and 500 hurt.
Communications are not yet estab-
lished with the stricken district. The
relief train which went out from Law.
ton is expected to return by IL a. N.
Hobart, Ok, May 1.-THE cy-
clone dipped and struck Snyder at
9 p. m. Sixty are dead and as many
injured, according to the best advices
received here this morning.
Relief was sent from here, and
from Magnum, Lawton and Vernon:
The northwest part of the town was
totally destroyed. The property loss
will reach three hundred thousand
dollars.
The victims were terribly mutillated.
Heads we're crushed, arms and legs
were torn off, and timberS were driven
through some of the bodies.
Five relief crews are now at work.
Guthrie, Ok, May IL, 2: p. MT
was learned from Chickasha this fore
noon that seventy-hve were killed
and three hundred AND fifty two in
jured in the cyclone which destroyed
all or a part of Snyder last night. Eff
forts to get direct communication
with the stricken district have failed
so far.
The business portion of the town
was entirely destroyed, together with
the Frisco round house and depot.
Relief trains were sent from El-
Reno aud Enid, with nurses aud ply
sicians.
Snyder, Okla, May 1 L, via Hobart
This hustling town was wiped IF
the map last night at 8:15, and over
a hundred people lost their lives out
right or died later from injuries re-
.ceived. There is not a building left
standing in the town undamaged.
Oyer seven-eights of the buildings are
a total loss. The storm was full
fedged cyclone of the twister variety.
1t struck the unsuspecting town short
ly after dark. On the north side of
the track and just west of the post
Office there was nothing left standing
except the Frisco round house. Two
cotton gins, two compressors, and
three hotels are among the big build
ings destroyed. The first relief train
to reach the city came from Hobart
with doctors Holland, Tork, Cotcher,
Lloyd and Lowell, and scores of the
injured received the first attentions
at their hands. A relief train has al
so arrived from Quanah.
The injured numbers hundreds,
and every building which is not con-
sidered unsafe has been transformed
into a morgue or hospital. The cor
respondent wrote this in a-building in
which lay sixty-eight dead, and relief
parties and wagons were constantly
bringing in more. Storm came from
the southwest, and three miles north
east of Snyder was still strong enough
to wipe out whole families. One
family by the name of Fessenden lost
seven, in their family. w. H. Hib-
bard, superintendent of schools, wife,
three children. and father and mother
] who were visiting him were killed.