The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-13
ADOUBLE DISASTER
SWEPT OVER
SNYDER
Fire Followed the lorna
do Burning Many
Wrecks Left.
ONE. HUNDRED DEAD
ONE HUNDRED DEAD
The One Wire to the Stricken City Be-
ing Blocked by Private Messages
Concerning the Dead and Injured, j
is Yet Difficult. to Obtain the Full
Details of the Calamity. Though
NeighbOring Towns are Sending Re-
lief the Condition of the Survivors
at Snyder is Pitiable.
lRv the Associated Press. }

Guthrie, Okla, May 1.-THE death
list of last nights tornado will prob
ably exceed one hundred persons.
Eighty-fve bodies have been recov-
cred, a dozen persons are missing and
given up for dead, and of the forty
one seriously wounded several are
likely to die. More than one hun
dred other persons suffered less
severe injuries.
Relief is going. from neighboring
towns oklahoma City today sent
one hundred men to dig graves and
seek the dead still in the ruins, and
dozen undertakers with one hum
dred collins. Offers of financial as
sistance have come from numerous
cities.
Governor Ferguson, of oklahoma,
has issued a proclamation calling at
tention to the needs of the stricken
town.
IT is still difficult to obtain infor-
nation from Snyder. A single tele-
graph wire furnishes an outlet, but it
is blocked with private messages con-
corning the dead and the injured.
To add to the general confusion and
distress after the tornado had passed.
fire broke out and burned up all that
remained of the buildings in one of
the business blocks. So far it has not
been possible to find out whether any
bodies were cremated, but it is posi-
BILE that such is the case.
A Few Chastity Details.
An unidentified woman was picked
up dead, having been pinioned to the
ground by large silver, which en-
tered her left eye and came out
through the back of her head.
Clarence Donovan, an engineer, and
Miss Nina Fessenden, were to have
been married last night, but had just
postponed the nuptials until this
morning. Both were instantly killed
by the storm.
Fred Crump, boy. had started to
a cellar when flying timber decapi-
tated him. Debris was carried north
east as far as Cooperton, twelve
miles, and it is reported that there
are more fragments at that town than
in the tornados path at Snyder
About seventy-five head of horses
and cattle were killed at Snyder. A
committee this morning began to re-
move carcaseS.
The mayor of Snyder is having
much trouble arranging for the burial
of the dead. The confusion is great,
owing to the fact that there are a
number of unidentified bodies at the
morgue.
Many Wounded Will Die.
There is much suffering, owing to
lack of provisions and places to stay.
What houses remain in the town are
in bad condition and are unsafe for
habitation. Besides there is not
room enough to care for the home
less. Bedding and wearing apparel
are both lacking and despite the eff
fort to succor the unfortunates they
CT in nj h 10
of the wounded could not be cared
for or given medical aid until nine
o'clock this morning, and by that
time their wounds were aggravated.
DR.. York of Hobart, who was active
in relieving the suffering, says that
twenty per cent of the wounded will
die.
Two-Thirds Wrecked.
The havoc wrought by the tornado
is astonishing. Out of a town that
housed 1000 persons, not more than
score of houses are intact, While
two-thirds of the buildings are wreck
ed The storm formed south of
Olustee, near the Texas line and took
a northeaSterly course through a we'll
settled region. At 8, o'clock it was
observed by the people of Snyder, but
the usual funnel-shaped formation
was lacking. and though the roar was
plainly heard for some time before
the storm broke, many were of the
opinion that it was a hailstorm.
Within a few minutes. the sky sud-
denly became dark and a terrific
downpour of rain began, lasting for
several minutes. Then the rain
stopped almost as suddenly as it
started. For a few minutes, an
omnibus cloud followed and then the
tornado struck, tearing buildings to
pieces as though they were made of
paper.
Many people who had thought to
take advantage of the calm to seek
refuge in cellars were caught in the
streets and between building, when
some were lifted high in the air and
dashed to the ground as though hurl-
ed from a catapult while others were
struck by flying debris and injured
almost beyond recognition. Those
who remained in their houses in the
path of the tornado Jared no better
1t swept across all excepting a few
blocks in the southeastern corner of
the town. Frame structures COL
lapsed like eggshells, burying occu-
pants under the debris, killing, crush
ing and manning.
Buried in the Wrecl<age.
Six homes and boarding houses
were torn to pieces, burying many
persons in the wreckage. North of
the railroad, where many cottages
stood none is left and even the wreck
age in great part was carried away.
In few moments the tornado was
over and the air was filled with
shrieks of the injured, mingled with