The Globe-republican., 1908-05-14
HIGH WINDS PRINCIPALLY WEST
OF ROCK ISLAND.
EIGHT ARE KNOWN TO Be DEAD
Telephones Are Down and Details Are
Meager-Reports From Dozen
Towns Already ln-Storm Was
Hardly a Tornado.

Woodward, Okla, May 11.-Atleast
eight persons were killed and scores
of others injured in the severe lorna.
does in northwestern Oklahoma yes,
terday evening.
The dead:
Mr.. and Mrs. ]. e. Hale, Little Robe
Ellis county.
DR.. J. Howser, Wei, Woodward coun.
ty.
Arthur Sibel, Mutual, Woodward
county.
Will Hand, Estelle, Major county.
Mrs. Young, Selling, Dewey county.
Two unknown persons, Arnett, Ellis
county.
No list of the injured is obtainable
at this time, as telephone communica-
ton is entirely cut off from the storm
swept area and the only other means
of securing information is by stage.
The nearest point to Woodward that
the storm struck is Mutual, five miles
away. The most distant is Little
Robe, in Ellis county, which is fifty
five miles southwest of this place.
There was succession of tornadoes
between and 10Fo'clock p. m. They
appeared first in the western part of
the devastated district and moved to-
ward the east. The most serious re-
suits were in the vicinity of Arnett,
where fully thirty persons are be-
lieved to have received broken limbs.
Nearly all of these victims are resi-
dents of the farming districts.
The only town known to have been
destroyed is Vici, postofice in the
southern part of Woodward county,
where it is said not a house is left
standing. Postmaster E. A. Speck has
asked that a postoffice inspector be
sent to report on his Office, which was
demolished and the contents scattered
in all directions.
The report of four deaths at Arnett
includes the two at Little Robe and
is confirmed by the news that four
caskets have been sent overland from
Gage to Arnett, Gage being the near
est railroad point.
Thrilling incidents are being re-
lated by all who have received any
information from the storm center
Mr.. Hale of Little Hope was one of
the most prominent cattlemen in that
locality. DR.. Howser, at Vici, was TAX
ing refuge in dugout when he was
killed.
A horse was lifted by the wind and
dashed through the top of the dugout,
burying the victim beneath the entire
earth roof and the weight of the ami
mails body. A horse belonging to Mr.
Sibel of Mutual was killed by a piece
of 2x4 lumber being driven through it's
body. At Mutual fifteen young persons
had gathered for Sunday evening So
cial. The storm lifted the house
completely off the floor on which they
were seated, leaving the floor and the
young people unframed. o. g. Null
and daughter. of the vicinity of Ar
nett, were taken by the storm
while driving. They took refuge in
hollow tree, but their horses were
killed when a nearby tree fell.
Reports from the neighborhood of
Vici state that the heavy hail that ac-
companied the storm did much dam.
age to property, crops and cattle. Hail
stones measuring fifteen inches in cir
conference are said to have fallen. AS
there is family on every quarter Sec
ton of land in the storm area, which
Is mile wide and about fifty miles
long, definite figures on the number
of victims are not obtainable.
Woodward, Okla, May 11.-A sue
cession of tornadoes swept over a dis
trict lying twenty-five miles southwest
and south and southeast of Woodward
late yesterday and last night. Sew
eral small isolated towns, all off the
railroad, and without telegraph COM
munication, are reported destroyed.
many persons have been injured and
seevral are reported killed.
Seven towns are reported to have
suffered damage more or less severe.
They are Grand, Arnett, Wei, Mutual,
Esteele, Cooley and Richmond. At
each place casualties are said to have
resulted.
The known casualties are:
At Arnett-Mrs. j. e. Hale, killed;
half dozen persons injured, one ia
tally.
At Vici-Hauser, physician, fatally
injured.
At Mutual-Arthur Stibel, his wife
and several others seriously injured
Grand, county seat of Ellis county,
is said to have been wholly wrecked
The towns of Richmond, Estelle and
Cooley also are reported to have been
devastated.
All these places are Is miles from
a railroad. Wires are down and it is
difficult to obtain details
At Little Robe, 55 miles southwest
of Woodward Mrs. J. E. Hale was
killed. In the vicinity of Arnett, O.
u. Null and daughter were caught in |
the storm, while driving. They escaped
injury, but their team was killed.
The little town of Cestos, Dewey
county, is reported wiped ffthe map.
No details from there have yet Leen
obtained.
The villages where damage Is re-
ported are all small places. GraN Is
the largest OF the seven and 1t has
only few hundred inhabitants I