The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-05-10
Twenty-NmeDead and Forty
Five Injured by the Ter
ribIe Wind Which Sweeps
Through Marquette, kans.
DISASTER COMES
JUST At MIDNIGHT
Whole Families Perish and
Widespread Destruction Is
Wrought Among Buildings
in Section of the City

MARQUETTE. Kans., MAY g.
Twenty persons were killed and
forty-five injured in a tornado. the
most disastrous in the history OF Cen
trsl Kansas, which swept over this
portion Of the State at midnight. One
large section of Marquette, where the
principal loss OF life occurred, was en-
tirely wiped out Reports from the
surrounding country show that the de-
struction TO life and property was
widespread and the list OF dead and
Injured is growing constantly. A store
room was converted into a temporary
mcrgue. Following the storm the ut
most confusion prevailed and il was
some time before the actual extent Of
the storm was known. Thirty five of
the injured may die.
The dead: Gus Anderson, Title Ell
lerson. A. y. Anderson and wife, Mrs.
Elmer Huttgren. Blanche Switzer,
Lena Svitzer. Nina Switzer, Anna
Carlson. NJ. p Nelson. wife and three
children, a. Sjogren ST.. Olaf Hanson
and Nife. GolLfried Nelson, wife and
child. Elmer Nelson, Mrs. Porter and
child, Nina Roberts, Carl Warnquist,
Mrs. j. A Carlson, Clyde Norris, Ell
mer Carlson. Arthur Carlson.
The most severely injured: 0. S.
Elvin and wife, Mrs. c. McCor-
mick; Charles Roberts. wife and
three children; NJ. Sjogren. Mrs.
Berg. Beata Swenson, NJ. Coulson and
three children, Swan Hart and wife.
Rose Britain, j. A. Carlson and wife,
William Barley and wife, Anna Ditt-
lof. John Dittlof, Olaf Carlson, Mrs.
John A. Carlson, Andrew Peterson
and wife. two Orndorff sisters, Mrs.
Albin Swanson, Charles Saileen, Mrs.
Charles Saileen.
POPULATION In PANIC.
When daylight broke over the town
the entire population was in state
of panic. Business was entirely sus-
pended and every one who escaped
injury turned his attention toward
aiding the wounded.
The tornado formed three miles
south Of Marquette and did not spend
its force until il had passed many
miles north Of the town.
Ia Marquette the residence portion
west OF the main street suffered the
greatest damage. The houses in the
course Of the tornado were, with two
or three exceptions, completely
wrecked. In this section there were
a number of modern residences. The
Swedish Lutheran and Methodist
churches were among the first build
ings struck, and they. together with
the parsonage adjoining the Metho-
dist church, were completely demol-
ishcd.
Yesterday afternoon was hot and
oppressive. the atmosphere loaded
with electricity. Late in the evening
2 terrific rainstorm broke over the
town. The rain continued to fall in
torrents until 1888 o'clock last night,
when the tornado struck. In less
than five minutes ii had wrought its
terrible work and passed on. Tele-
graph and telephone wires were car
rico down. and il was several hours
before the outside world could be ap-
prised OF the plight of the city.
WHOLE FAMILIES KILLED.
1t was not until O'Clock this
morning that physicians and sur
geons began arriving from sur
rounding towns. In the mean
time dozens of willing hands set
10 work to clear away the debris and
extlicate the dead and injured. The
Swedish Lutheran parsonage and sew
eral private residences were turned
into temporary hospitals. while the
dead were taken to the storerooms of
Olaf Olson and laid out in rows,
awaiting Identification.
Just before daybreak a representa-
tive of the press made the rounds of
the different places In one room in
the Lutheran parsonage he found six
injured, and in an adjoining room
were five corDses. In half q dozen
other houses similar scenes were
found. DR.. Lund, the Lutheran
pastor. was passing about among the
suffering ministering to their com
fort while two score other persons.
working under his direction, cared
Tor the injured at other points.
In several cases entire families have
been killed. A man named Switzer. a
night Waterman at the railroad yards,
lost his three children. n. P. Nelson.
his wife and three children were found
dead. Two other children were not at
home and escaped injury
When the missing in Marquette had
been pretty thoroughly accounted for.
the sesrchers directed their attention
to the surrounding country. Soon half
q dozen wagonloads of dead and in
5ured had been brought to the town
from the district adjoining it on the
south.
MANY NARROW ESCAPES.
There We're many narrow escapes
from death lone Safleen the inf,