Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-04-15
Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas
and Arkansas Feel Fury
Of First Wind Storm Of
Season Late Yesterday.
OKLAHOMA TOWN
WORST SUFFERER
Every Business House In
Big Heart Destroyed;
Two Killed and Sixty In
jured at That Place.

Kansas City, April 13.-Tornadoes
which swept parts of Missouri, Okla.
homa, Kansas and Arkansas late yes
terday afternoon and last night, are
known to have killed rs persons, in
jured more than 100, rendered more
than 500 homeless and to have done
thousands of dollars worth of damage
to property.
According to dispatches received
here, 1t is believed there were sew
eral storms. The first tornado was
reported at Eskridge, Kansas, twenty
miles south OF Topeka. at o'clock yes
terday afternoon. Here many houses
were destroyed and much damage was
done to crops. This storm struck
Powhatan, Whiting and Manville, Kan,
doing damage in all Of them.
An hour after the first tornado
struck Eskridge Kansas, a tornado
swept through Oklahoma, parts Of
Arkansas and southwest Missouri.
Big Heart, Oklahoma, having pop
ulation OF about 1000 persons was the
first town it struck. At Big Heart 400
persons are homeless and the work
Of rescuing dead and injured from the
wreckage was carried on by the light
Of lanterns.
Striking Meeker, Checotah and an
Indian village near Big Heart this
storm swept northwest, passing over
Joplin, Mo-, and other sections OF the
mining district. m
Storm Covered Wide Area.
Kansas City, April 13.-Meager re-
ports received this morning from the
storm.stricken districts of Oklahoma,
Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas indf-
Gated that the storm covered a wider
area than earlier reports showed. The
amount Of fatalities was in doubt
When communication with Big Heart,
Okla, was re-established this morning
1t was learned that two persons were
killed and sixty injured, thirty-six Sc
riously. Every business house in the
town was destroyed, Whiting, Kas.,
at first reported to have been a severe
sufferer, almost escaped injury. The
tornado did much damage in the farm
ing districts, both north and south OF
there. Telephones are all out Of com.
mission.
Some Damage Done by Storm.
One person was killed and three Sc
riously injured at Reserve, Kas., vii
lage in the northern part of the state.
Mrs. Fred Stone, was killed when her
house collapsed. Her two sons were
seriously injured. The wind was SO Sc
we're that 1t stripped the clothing from
Mrs. Stone and her children. Mrs. Roy
Vernon was seriously hurt when her
house was wrecked.
A report received this morning over
a private wire was to the effect that
three persons we're killed and several
houses blown down at Delaware, Okla.
but no names were obtainable. The
same message stated that several
houses were destroyed in Ochelata,
Okla. Thirty-two persons were hurt,
thirty houses were demolished, caus-
ing a property damage estimated at
$4,000 at Eskridge Kansas. A school
house was destroyed, injuring thirty
school children, some seriously. Mrs.
Claire Rutledge and Daniel Cousins
were badly hurt by flying timbers.
At Hiawatha, Kas., one person was
killed. four seriously injured and a
number slightly hurt. Jane Petton, 70
years old, was killed, and Laura Brown,
a school teacher; Gladys Mellot, VIM.
Roberts and man by the name of
Zimmerman were badly hurt.