The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-13
Eight Killed

BE Heart, Okla, April 12-Eight per- sons were killed and 10 injured in a tor nado which struck Big Heart at o'clock this afternoon, leaving hut few houses standing.
 The known dead
 John Kerns.
 Fred Hammond
 William Marlow
 The tornado was accompanied by a driv- ing rain and swept everything in it's path. Houses were blown from their founda- tions and the occupants were whired through the air. The town was com pletely demoralized and telegraphic con.- munication cut off. As soon as conl- munication could be established with nearby towns relief trains were started from Avant and Pawhuska. Big Heart has a population of 400.
 Muskogee. Okla. April 12.-The town or BE Heart, Okla. was blown away by tornado. according to reports re. ceived here at the office of the Missouri Kansas and Texas railroad. All wires are down and details thus far are un- obtainable.
 Big Heart is in the Osage nation and on the Midland Valley railroad
 Relief trains and automobiles are leav- ing for the stricken town from Paw huska and Avant, Okla.
 Whiting Destroyed
 Topeka, Kas, April 12-A tornado. travelling in a southeasterly direction, destroyed the town of Whiting, 25 miles north of Topeka, late this afternoon. Sixty houses were blown down and 70 persons injured. Meagre reports received here by long distance telephone tonight indicate that the towns of Powhatan. Netawaka and Eskridge were struck by the same storm. Wires are down anu particulars hard to get.
 Eskridge is 20 miles south of Topeka. The storm struck there shortly before ] o'clock. The high school building was blown down and 20 students were injured.
 woman and child were killed at Powhatan. Mrs. David Stone, wife of q farmer living near Whiting. was swept from the steps of her home into a neigh bor's yard half a mile away She was picked up dead.
 Strikes Netawaka
 An interrupted telephone message from Netawaka says many persons are injured there. Only one telephone wire is work- ing between here and Kansas City.
 George M. Scott an Atchison. Topeka and Santa Fe engineer. who was in Esk- ridge at the time of the storm, says that at least Is houses were blown down.
 After he left Eskridge, says Scott. hsN could see the tornado sweeping across country for distance of 10 miles, over turning houses, barns and sheds in It's path. He heard of no one being killef in Eskridge.
 Benjamin R. Esch, fireman on his engine. was blown out of the cab win dow and hurled across the street. Tha only injury he sustained was slight cut on his head:
 While Mrs. Ray Garnum of Powhatan was sitting in her house the storm swe.,t the greater part of the building from over her head She was but slightly hurt.
 St. Joseph, Mo, April 12.-The St. Jo- seph and Grand Island depot and box cars at Manville, Kas., were blown over by tornado this afternoon. A farm house was also wrecked and one child killed. according to information received by the Grand Island officers here. Tele- graph and telephone wires are down.
 Lawrence, Kas., April 12.-Two peo- pie were killed. scores of houses de- stroyed and the streets piled high with debris by tornado which struck Law renee at o'clock tonight.
 Only a rouGh estimate of the damage could be made tonight. but the loss Is conservatively placed at $150.000. The known dead:
 Mrs. Joe Sullivan, 55 years old. and negro woman. employed on the farm of Claude Doubleday. two miles west of this place. Four more deaths have Teen reported but the rumors cannot be confirmed tonight.
 A dozen more were more or less seriously injured.