The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1905-05-12
FULLY ONE HUNDRED PERSONS
KILLED AND TWICE THAT
NUMBER INJURED.
HAyc; WROUGHT MOST COMPLETE
BUSINESS PORTION WHOLLY DE-
sTRoYED, BUT A FEW RES.
IDENCES ESCAPE.

Guthrie, Okla, May 12.-Snyder, a
thriving town of 1900 situated in the
heart of the rich Kiewa farming coun-
try which was thrown open to white
settlement in 1901. was practically
wiped out of existence by tornado
that struck that place at 11:40 p. m.
No clear estimate of the casualties
is obtainable owing to the confusion
in the stricken town. A conservative
estimate places the dead at between
seventy-1ve and one hundred persons
and the seriously injured at 15O. 1t
is believed that large number of the
injured will die.
In number Of cases entire families
were killed and in almost every fam
lily in town some member was injured
Every house in the town except six
is said to have been either badly
wrecked Or demolished, many of them
being blown away entirely. The havoc
wrought is most complete. The bust
stroyed.
The tornado struck Snyder from the
southwest, travelling north until within
about 100 yards from the tracks Of the
Oklahoma City and Western railway.
There it took northeasterly course
through the business portion of the
town. North of the track not build
ing was left standing.
Evidence of Terrible Havoc.
The first relief train, sent from Ho.
bart, thirty-two miles north of Snyder,
reached the stricken town just before
daylight. The rescuers found the
streets almost obliterated by piles OF
demolished houses. In all directions
storm was apparent. The dead and
dying lay about the streets, in yards
and mixed up with the wreckage, while
those who had escaped ran hither and
thither III excited attempts to bring
order out of the terrible chaos and to
render what meager aid they might.
Every building left standing at Sny-.
pital or morgue. Sixty seven bodies
had been laid out in rows in the prin-
cipal morgues up to noon and others
were being brought in constantly
Seven members of the Fessender
family were killed.
w. II. Hibbard, superintendent of
schools, and his wife, together with
two children and the parents of Hib-
bard, were killed, only one member of
the family, a boy, escaping.
Three young children in the Crook
family were killed; one, baby, was
snatched from it's mothers arms and
its brains smashed out against brick
wall.
Over One Hundred Dead.
A special from Hobart places the
dead at Snyder at over 100 persons,
seventy-tive of whom were killed out
right. Not building in the town es-
capped damage and seven-eighths Of the
business buildings are a total loss.
The injured number into the hundreds.
The storm was of the regular tWister
variety and sWooped down upon Sny-
der without warning. 1t came up from
the southwest. It cut a swath half
mile wide, demolishing everything in
its path for a distance of ten miles
southwest and three miles northeast
OF Snyder.
The same tornado struck Quinlan,
in Woodward county, on the Santa he
railway, destroying several houses, and
at that point at least three persons,
Mrs. 0. w. Cox and her two sons, are
known to have been killed.
A message from J. s. Hennessey,
agent of the ST. Louis and San Fran
cisco railway at Chickasha, says that
message was received from the oper-
ator at Snyder at 1890 a. M saying
that there were seventy-five dead bod
les and 1852 injured; that the entire
business portion of the town had been
destroyed, but that the residence por-
tion was not badly damaged
YOUNG MAN ELEcTRocUTED.
Attempts to Readjust Arc Light and
Is Killed.
st. Paul, May 12.-Albert c. VOL
terstorff, aged twenty-seyen, was cleo
trocuted at Seventh street and Bates
avenue at / a. m.
Wolterstorff was returning home
from social at the Calumet club in
company. with two other young men.
He observed that an arc light on the
corner was not burning and attempt
ed to readjust it by shaking the wire
by which it was suspended. The wire
had evidently become charged, as VOL
terstorff was stricken the moment he
touched it. He was taken to the Mar
garet street police station and a physi-
clan summoned. but died before the
laffor could roanh him