The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-04
Waterspout Accompanies Cy-
clones at Larned.
High Hill Saves Part of Town
From Destruction.
STRICKEN DISTRICT FLOODED
Arkansas River Is Hurriedly
Diked by Worried Farmers.
Albert Inundated and Inhab-
itants Use Rats.

Larned, Kan, May "A double head
er cyclone struck this place at $40
o'clock Friday evening. One branch
struck this city on the southwest and
rushed up the Santa Fe tracks directly
for the heart of the business section
where it took a providential turn to the
east, tearing through the east part Of
town, wrecking a number of residences
and damaging practically all. When it
reached the northeast part of the city 1t
veered north, tearing the Missouri Pa
cific depot to splinters and passing on
into the rich Ash valley region be-
yond. What harm it has done there
cannot be learned as all telephone lines
are down.
Among the residences wrecked in this
city are those of c. s. Enox, D. s.
Kokenderfer, Frank Winters, Samuel
Wilberty, Mrs. Lattler and several
others not identified.
A terrific waterSpOut accompanied
the twister. flooding the devastated
section and making reports hard to get.
The only person known to be hurt is
Mrs. Chris Ahrensheld, wife OF Coun-
Gilman Ahrensfield. who received sew
eral bad cuts about the head by the
falling timbers Of their wrecked house.
The damage from the twister here is
at least $4,000 and reports expected
tomorrow will likely bring it up to the
vicinity of 100000.
The second cyclone rushed for the
west side of town but was turned by
high hill which guards that section. IL
then turned UP the fertile Pawnee val
ley, doing unknown damage, the re-
ports on which are meagre, owing to
the demolished condition of all tele-
phone wires in that part of the county.
Electric light service was cut off here
for several hours because of danger to
life and property from broken wires.
Telegraphic and telephone connections
to the east are both discontinued.
The H. H. Reed farm buildings west
of here was destroyed and the owner
and his son Fred, narrowly escaped
with their lives. having taken refuge in
barn which was torn to splinters and
IL which several valuable horses were
killed
The Peters family, in the east part ot
town, were eating supper when the
twister struck their home, tore it from
it's foundation and set it down wrong
end to. None of the family were in
jured.
Trainmen on Santa Fe No. report
that two twisters passed through
Offerle earlier in the evening, wrecking
a church and several houses. They
could ascertain no loss of life.
Reports from south of this place stats
that the Arkansas river is rising 50
rapidly from the water spout as 10
large tributary, up stream. Consider
able damage will ensue in that flooded
section of the country.
Larned, Kan, May "A score Of
persons were injured, none seriously,
and a dozen houses destroyed by a
tornado which passed east of here
late Friday afternoon. The electric
hight plant here was closed down be-
cause of broken wires.
The crew of Santa Fe train No
which arrived here late, reports that
three tornadoes did much damage in
the country west of here, but no
deaths have been reported many
buildings in small towns.
The storms formed a short distance
west of this place at little after 6
O'Clock Friday night, one Of them
rushing upon Larned from the south
west and making directly for the mid
die section of the city. At 6:4O o'clock
1T entered the city limits, a few blocks
down the Santa Fe tracks from the
depot and rushed to the very edge OF
the business section of town, where
it took turn to the east and swept
through the east end of the city, turn
ing west again when 1t got to the
northeast side of town and passing
into the country districts to the north.
While passing through the east and
northeast part of town, IT wrecked
the homes of Frank Winters, l. s.
Kokenderter, Sam Wimberly. C. S.
Enox, Mrs. Littler and many others.
when it turned north in the northeast
part of the city.
The Missouri Pacific depot was COM
p1etely destroyed.
The other twister which formed at
about the same time to the west of
this city struck a high hill in the
southwest part of the city limits,
then turned west and rushed up the
fertile Pawnee valley carrying de-
struction in its path.
Narrow Escape From Death.
All telephone lines west of here are
down and the only losses than can
be verified was at the N. II. Reed
farm, just west of here where some
valuable stock was killed, the build
ings wrecked and the owner and his
son, Fred, narrowly escaped death.
When the storm which devastated the
north and east sections in this city
and destroyed the Missouri Pacific de-
pot it rushed forth through the val
ley breaking up all telephone commun-
ication and doing considerable dam
age among the rich farmers of that
section. The damage in the country
districts will not be known for hours,
as the roads are impossible owing to
the water spout which accompanied
the twisters- Mrs. Chris A. Hernsffeld
is the only person reported injured
here. She was cut badly about the
head by the falling timbers of her
wrecked home, but is not thought IA
tally injured
The electric light service was cut out
for several hours owing to the demol-
ished condition. of the wires One of
the worst features of the storm was
the verftabIe torrent of Waterf which