The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-06-04
THlRTY-TWo ARE DEAD AND 100
ARE INJURED BY STORM
AT ZEPHYR.
MANY ARE EXPECTED TO DIE
Storm, Accompanied by Low Roaring
Sound, Strikes Sleeping City
Ruins Burn in Wake
Of Storm.

lieving the cyclone sufferers at Zephyr
is we'll under way. The work has been
well organized by the pepole of Brown
wood, who went to the scene on a
special train as soon as news of the
disaster was received.
The dead number 80 and the in
jured close to 100. Three are unac-
counted for. Twenty.eight of the in
jured are reported in serious condi-
ton. The more seriously injured
were taken to a hospital at Temple.
Fires Follow Storm.
The tornado cut q wide path
through the town, demolishing scores
of buildings. Fires, started by light
ming, made the destruction more COM
plete.
The tornado was preceded by a hail
storm of unusual severity, the wind
following a lull in the fall of hail,
coming with a roar that caused sleep
ing citizens to awaken with a start.
They scrambled out of bed, only to
be caught between the lettering walls
of their homes. In a short time there
were scenes of excitement and terror
from end to end of the village.
Weeping women and children,
clothed in the scantiest of attire,
rushed about in the ruins, seeking
loved ones from whom they had been
separated, or looking for places Of
shelter from the merciless storm.
After the first momentary shock Of
the disaster had passed men, women
and children who had escaped death
or serious injury turned their atten-
ton toward rescuing the dead and dy-
ing from the ruins, which had become
ignited and were burning ~fiercely.
This work, hampered by darkness
and the limited number of a~ble-bodied
men, was necessarily slow, and it is
feared some who escaped the winds
fury met a worse fate in the fire that
followed.
A relief train left here for the
scene as soon as the news was
brought to this place by a railroad
man on a handcar. 1t carried sur
geons, food and clothing.
The storm, which formed half a
mile southwest of Zephyr, swept into
the air after sweeping along the
ground for less than a mile. Its fury
was the most terrible of any tornado
ever experienced in this section.
A wide path was cut through the
business and residence portion of the
town and scores of buildings we're de.
molished. Lightning started fires,
which added to the horror. No eff.
fort was made to fight the flames, as
care of the wounded demanded the
attention of the survivors. One entire
business block was burned.
A section hand rode a handcar to
Brownwood and spread the alarm. In
two hours the Santa Fe railroad was
speeding a special train to the scene
of the storm, with nine surgeons and
a score of Brentwood citizens.
Scores of persons directly in the
storms path saved themselves by TAX
ing refuge in storm cellars. More
than a dozen bodies were mutilated
County Clerk Thad Cabler and wife
and two children had gone to Zephyr
to spend the night and were killed
The big stone school building and two
churches were swept from the face OF
the earth. By daylight, 16 surgeons
were working on the wounded.
The surgeons who formed the frs
party out of Brownwood found a des
olate scene awaiting them. The hill
sides at Zephyr were covered with de
hriS Of all kinds and hodiau of daac
animals and human beings. Tht
ruins were dimly lighted by the burn
ing buildings, and the cries of the
wounded rose above the sound of the
elements, which threatened a secont
storm.
Brentwood, with organized relic
work, has the situation well in hand
The storm was preceded by a low
rumbling sound.