Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-05-12
MANY killed IN
KANSAS TORNADO
TOWN NEAR MARQUETTE VISIT
ED BY AWFUL STORM AND
"a PERSONS ARE DEAD.
LATER REPORTS MAY
INCREASE THE LIST

Cyclone Comes at Midnight and kilt
Victims Without Warning = En-
tire Families Are Wiped out-Tht
Known Dead.
Marquette, Kan, May 10.-Twenty-
four persons are known to have beer
killed and over 35 were injured in
tornado, the most disastrous in the
history Of central Kansas, which
swept over this portion of the state
at midnight Monday. One large sec
ton OF Marquette, where the prjn.
cipal loss Of life occurred, was entirely
wiped out. Reports from surrounding
country show that the destruction OF
life and property was widespread, and
the list Of dead and injured is growing
constantly. A store room belonging
to Olaf Olson, furniture dealer, has
been converted into a temporary
morgue, and at $3.50 Tuesday morning
"a dead bodies had been brought in
Following the storm the utmost con-
time before the actual extent of the
storm is known.
List of the Dead.
Following is a list of the known
dead: Gus Anderson, Tillie Ellerson,
Mrs. A. v. Anderson, Mrs. Elmer HUT
gren, Blanche Switzer, Lena Switzer,
Nina switzer, Anna Coulson, NJ. P.
Nelson, wife and three children, A.
Sjogren, ST., Olaf Hanson and wife,
Gottfried Nelson, wife and child,
Elmer Nelson, Mrs. POSTER and child,
Charles Roberts, unknown woman.
Clean Path Cut Through Town.
The tornado struck the southern end
Of the town and cut clean swath 400
yards in width through its entire
length. Coming as it did at midnight,
the people were caught without a mo-
ment's warning. A heavy rainstorm
had preceded the wind, and after the
tornado passed scene of complete
desolation followed.
The tornado broke upon the towr
with great force, wrought it's terrible
havoc within a few minutes time and
continuing on into the rich farming
country north of Marquette, caused
further damage.
In Marquette many residences were
completely demolished, the wreckage
being carried away entirely, while
others were picked up bodily, moved a
short distance away and dropped to
earth.
Victims Killed While Asleep.
Many OF the victims were killed as
they lay asleep; others, manned and
bleeding. awoke to find themselves
buried in the wreckage of their for
mer homes Following the storm
came lull. Soon cries of the In
jured and frightened people could be
heard on every hand. Men with Ian
terms appeared here and there among
the Wreckage, and as quickly as DOS
sible the work of rescue was begun.
Progress was slow because of the
darkness, and it was some time before
anything like a systematic effort
could be made to remove the injured
and before aid was asked of neighbor-
ing towns.
Population in Panic.
When daylight broke over the town
1t found the entire population in a
state OF panic. Business was entirely
suspended and everyone who escaped
injury turned his attention toward aid
Ing 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
OF the main street suffered the princi-
pal damage. The houses in the course
OF the tornado were all with two or
three exceptions completely wrecked,
In this section there were a number
OF modern residences of which only
one, the home of r. A. Thompson, was
left standing.
The Swedish Lutheran and Method.
list churches were among the first
buildings struck and they, together
with the parsonage adjoining the
Methodist church, were completely de-
molished.
Residences Turned Into Hospitals.
1t was not until eight O'Clock that
physicians and surgeons began arriy-
ing from surrounding towns In the
meantime dozens Of willing hands set
to work to clear away the debris and
extricate the dead and injured. The
Swedish Lutheran parsonage and sey.
eral private residences were turned
into temporary hospitals. while the
dead were taken to the storeroom OF
Olaf Olson and laid out in rows
Early Tuesday representative OF
the press made the rounds of the diff
ferent places. In one room in the
Lutheran parsonage he found six in
. cured, and In an adjoining room were
five corpses of persons who had died
from injuries after they had been
brought in. In half a dozen other
has;ses similar scenes We're found. DR.
Lund the Lutheran pastor, passed
about among the suffering, ministerine
to their comfort, while two score other
persons. working under his direction
cared for the injured at otner points.
When the missing in Marquette had
~ zen pretty thoroughly accounted for
ii,g searchcrss directed their attention
r. ne surrounding country. Soon halt
3 q, t.,,4en wagon loads Of dead and in
4 jpred had been bro -bt 10 town from,
( the district adjoinir isn1 III +, south.
Miraculous APES.
The sufferers tell !. ...a.-a -.arrow
escapes from death. lone Sailen, the
infant daughter of Charles Sailen, was
lifted in her bed and carried to the