Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-05-03
SOME REAL rwIsTER.

different sections OF this community
last Saturday, there was a couple Of
real life sized tornadoes which struck
several places southwest Of town and
caused heavy property loss.
One Of them started about twelve
miles southwest Of town in a wheat
field, at least that was where 1t was
first noticed, and the first place that
1t struck was the Fned Keller prop
erty where it wrecked a large new
barn and several smaller buildings,
demolishing them completely, but
luckily doing no damage to the house.
The storm was travelling in a north
easterly direction and the next place.
that 1t struck was the Planning farm,
occupied by Charles Miller and fam
lily. Between the Keller and Planning
farms the twister passed through a
corn field, and in the path Of the
storm, which was about fifty or six
ty yards wide, the corn stalks wene
broken down as cleanly as with a
heavy drag. Great damage was also
done at the Miller place. The house
was twisted from the foundation and
about all he windows broken and the
door castings twisted and broken. A
large barn was completely unroofed
and the building badly twisted, while
the large hay loft full Of hay was I'M
disturbed. Granaries, wagon and ma
chine sheds, chicken coops, machin-
cry, etc, were demolished and scat
tered all over the farm, and many
large trees were uprOoted or blown
down. A little farther ON the storm
hit the Kattenhorn farm, but the dam
age done was slight, only some of
the smaller buildings being blown
over.
The second twister started farther
west and south and first struck the
place occupied by Mr.. and Mrs. Hen
~ Ringering, and here the damage
was greater than at the other places,
and some real freaks incident to
storms of this kind was performed
All of the buildings on the place
except the house we've destroyed and
scattered all over the farm and sew
eral head of stock besides about one
hundred chickens were killed, and
some of the rest of the stock was so
badly injured that they will prob
ably die. The large barn, sheds,
machine sheds, chicken house, etc.,
were carried completely away, as
Was also large granary, while a
threshing separator standing just be-
side the granary was not even blown
over. Much of the machinery on the
farm was also destroyed, and the
four wheels Of a buggy were left in
the top of a tree. Great trees, two
feet through and more were torn out
= by the roots, and some of the large
stones from the foundation of tht
barn were sucked up and carried
: for a considerable distance. Mr.. ant
Mns. Ringering were standing by tbs
; barn when the storm approaches
and barely had time to rush to th'
cave when the storm was upon them
A large tree standing Just at tn
! corner Of the house and right besid'
the cave was torn up by the root
5 but neither the house or cave wer
damaged. A large home made kitch
j en- safe was standing on one Of tn
porches and this was carried ava.
e and torn to pieces, while a small
bench standing just beside 1t was no
moved and the porch was not Injuries
D in the slightest. This storm was a
0 so travelling in a nOrth-easterly d
D rection and next struck the Ere
D Fischer farm just north, which wa
D unOccupied. Here the house wa
0 badly damaged and the smalle
0 buildings were blown away. Tn
next place in line was the Clark farT
9 and here the outbuhings were dan
= aged to a great extent and seyera
trees were uprooted and blown dow
d but the house was not DAMAGE
u The Piper farm was the next in lin
II and here the roof ON a large nev
barn was blown completely away
d while loft full Of hay was not dis
turbed. Considerable damage wa
- also done here by fruit and foreE
;, trees being destroyed. A freak
l. occurrence of the storm at this plac
was that the steel windmill towe
l. standing Just beside the house, wa
n torn from its foundation and part
s. wrapped around the house, but tn
a. house was not damaged. The stor
Ie- passed through the field for shol