The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-05-17
HAVOC OF A TORDADO
Whole Families Perish in TumbIing
Houses.
100 DEAD AND $50 MORE INJURED.
Storm Strikes the Town Of Snyder, Okla,
When Many Persons Are Asleep-.crushed to
Death ln Their Beds--Flre Follows Winds,
Completing the Work Of Destruction -Bsnt
aud Other Buildings Destroyed.

Guthrie, Okla. (SpeciaD Over 100
people killed and about I5o injured is
the terrible record of the tornado that
destroyed the village of Snyder and laid
waste large stretch of country. In
several instances whole families perished
in the ruins of their homes. The popula-
tion Of the village, which is situated in
the heart OF the Kiones farming country,
was about 1000.
Eighty-fve bodies have been recovered,
a dozen persons are missing and given
up for dead, and OF the al seriously in
jured several are likely to die.
AT Olostee, Okla, it is reported that
number of lives were lost.
Fire broke ont following the storm and
entirely consumed one business block.
A partial list OF the property losses is
as follows:
Bank of Snyder; the Hilton Hotel;
Farmers and Merchants Bank the two
story stone building OF Robert Pritchard;
the Snyder Hotel the Hall Street Fur
niture Company stock and building;
Tennyson & Hofmaster, dry goods; Mil
Ter Brothers, dry goods; Snyder Hard
ware Company; Stofer Hardware Com
pany; Joyce Grocery Company; Davidson
Grocery Company. stock; Morris, gro
ceries; Snyder Gin Company, and the
Burnett Gin Company.
Fifty freight cars standing in the yards
were reduced TO kinding wood, and the
railroad tracks were torn up for blocks.
Every building left standing at Snyder
was converted into either a hospital or
morgue
Three young children in the Crook
family were killed; one, a babe, was
snatched from its mothers arm and its
brains dashed out against brick wall.
The storm was of the regular twister
variety, and swooped down upon Snyder
without warning. 1t came up from the
southwest. 1t cut swath a half-mile
wide, demoishing everything in its path
for a distance OF 10 miles southwest and
three miles northeast of Snyder.
| One OF the saddest cases was that of
Colonel Williamson. When the storm
struck, Williamson grabbed a woman
who he thought was his wife and hur-
ried away to place of safety. When
out of danger he discovered that the wo-
man was not his wife Later Mrs. Will
hanson was brought to the temporary
morgue with her head completely sew
cred from the body.
The first relief train sent from Ho-
bart, 81 miles north of Snyder, reached
the stricken town just before daylight
Every one on board began at once the
work OF relief.
On every hand they found the wreck
age and streets almost obliterated by
piles OF demolished houses. In all direc-
tions evidence OF the terrible havoc of
the 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 thithei
in excited attempts to bring order ou:
of the terrible chaos and to render what
meager aid they might.
The storm was not confined TO Snyder.
On the way to the boom town dead and
injured were passed in plain sight Of
the relief train, but passed by in the
efforts of the rescucrs to reach Snyder,
where there was greater need of their
| services.
The calamity would not have been so
great had the people not been asleep
when the tornado struck.