Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-05-11

l ceiyed here indicate that between three and four hundred lives have I been lost in the partial destruction of 1 the town of Snyder, Oklahoma, by a tornado.
 Relief trains have been sent to the scene from number of neighbOring towns. Details of the disaster cannot be learned until some of these trains return. all telegraphic and telephonic communication with the stricken town having been interrupted. It is reported that bodies are seat tered all over the streets and sur rounding country The storm struck ing north until about one hundred yards from the Oklahoma City and Western railway track. Then it took a northeasterly course through the business portion of the town. North of the tracks not a building was left standing.
 The first relief train. sent from Ho- bart. has arrived on the scene.
 Snyder is a town of about 2,JO0 in habitants, in Kiowa county, Okla homa. in the Kiowa and Comanche Indian country, opened to white set tlement in 1901. The town was laid out largely bv the St Louis X San Francisco railway. at the junction of two of it's lines. and the company erected important buildings there. Snyder is the division point for the Quanah division of the road The town was named for Bryan Snyder. passenger traffic manager of the sys- ten.
 The first news of the storm was re- eefved about midnight. Soon there after. before any details had been re- ceived. telegraph and telephone wires went down. Immediately relief trains were ordered out from all available points, starting from Hobart, Chick asha. I. T., Guthrie. Oklahoma City and other towns Every train carried doctors, nurses and any person capa- ble of rendering aid.
 The first relief train, sent from Ho- bart, g miles north of Snyder, reach ed the stricken town just before day light. Every one on board began at once the work of relief.
 On every hand they found the wreckage and streets almost obliter- ated by piles of demolished houses. In all directions 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 wreck age. while those who had escaped ran about in excited attempts to bring order out of the terrible chaos, and to give what aid they might.
 The storm was not confined to Sny- der. On the way to the boom town dead and injured were passed in plain sight of the relief trains, but these were passed by in the efforts of the rescuers to reach Snyder, where there was greater need of their services.
 The first man to reach Snyder and return to a telegraph point was the station agent at Mountain Park. Nefghboring town. He had walked into Snyder. reaching there at day light, and after taking a nasty view of the situation and without gathering any exact details of the storms effects, returned to Mountain Park.
 This man reported the town partial ly destroyed, and asserted that the list of dead would reach somewhere be- tween 300 and 4O0. The injured. he said. were to be seen everywhere, and their number undoubtedly will reach into the hundreds.
 While the tornado seems to have been widespread. rumors that other towns in southwestern Oklahoma had been destroyed were declared by tele- phone exchanges to be incorrect. How ever. there was no question that much damage to property and loss to life had occurred in the outlying districts
 The same tornado struck Quinlan. in Woodward county, on the Santa Fe railway. destroying several houses, and at that point at least three persons, Mrs C. W. Cox and her two sons, are known to have been killed.
 The tornado struck Snyder from the southwest. travelling north until within about 10o yards from the tracks of the Oklahoma City and Western railway. There 1t took northeasteriy course through the business portion of the town.
 North of the track not a building was left standing. Coming as 1t did while most of the inhabitants of Shy der were asleep. but few had any warning of danger.
 Oklahoma City. okla. May 1L-It is reported from Hobart via Chickasha. that between $50 and 40O people are dead at Snyder. and that bodies are scattered all over the streets and sur rounding country. The storm struck the town from the southwest. travelling north until about 1oo yards from the Oklahoma City and Western Railway track Then 1t took a northeasterly course through the business portion of the town North Of the track not a building is left standing. The first re- lief train sent from Hobart has arrived on the scene.
 Kansas City. Mo. May LA spe- cial received by the Star from Okla bona City this morning states that ev- cry house in Snyder with the excep- ton of the waya Hardware store and the St Louis & San Francisco round house. has been destroyed. It Is estf- mated that 2o persons have been killed and seO injured The frSt re- lief train is expected to reach Hobart from Snyder st n o'clock
 sr Louis. May 11--At the general office of the Frisco railroad here brie< report from the divi<icn superfn- fendenf at S.pulp2- l. T. received at 2 o'clock stated that if was estimated fhzt from Sp to 30 persons had lost .:.~s- rs<x- in sHo rr<n~4 4x. ~f UrrI<~