The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1914-05-02
STORM IN COwLEy COUNTY
Farmers North Of winfield Suffer
Heavy Loss From Wind and Hail
No Fatalities.

destruction about three miles long
and 400 yards wide. A large number
of barns, windmills, outbuiIdingS and
two small farm houses were wrecked.
No lives were lost but several head OF
stock were killed.
The tornado was preceded and fol-
lowed by large hailstones which add
ed to the damage Many fine trees
and orchards were twisted of or up
rooted. 1t has been impossible to es-
innate the extent of the damage but
it will amount to thousands of dol
lars
Many freaks of the wind are report
ed. A twenty-barrel water tank was
taken up and carried two miles and
set down unchanged, in a pasture,
while SOW with a litter of ten pigs
that lay~on bed of straw within eight
feet of where the tank stood were IN
disturbed.
In the path of the tornado was
feed lot in which were twenty-one
head of cattle, the ground slopfng tc
the east and enclosed by a nigh woven
wire fence. The fence was lifted at
the northeast corner and the cattle
shot under it into the pasture where
they were found grazing in the morn
ing. The ground near the fence was
grooved and scratched by the hoofs
of the animals as they were slzidded
under the fence
K. U. Students Riot.-Twelve hun
dred students of the University of
Kansas started a riot in the down
town streets at Lawrence when they
attempted to rush the sideshows of
a carnival. The students gathered in
a crowd at a street corner and then
moved down the street in a body to
a merry-go-round, which a number Of
them attempted to board. When a
patrolman took one of the leaders into
custody the others charged and re-
leased the student. Immediately the
crowd went back to the place and
rushed it again. barker for the
show across the street confronted the
boys with a revolver, and Japanese
who did a sword act attacked two or
three students with a long knife. A
woman brandished a broomstick over
the heads of the crowd. The students
finally were admitted to the shows,
but soon wandered off,
New Use for Sunfiowers.-If the ex-
periments of the chemistry depart
ment at the University OF Kansas are
successful, the sunf1owers which grow
wild in Kansas may be manufactured
into rope The chemist at the uni
versity has just begun Analysing half
a ton of soap weed with view to
combining its f1bers with those of the
sunflower to make rope. Soap weed
grows in some parts of western Kan
sas so thickIy that it crowds out all
forms of vegetation. The effort to
turn it into rope will convert waste
areas into paying proposition, accord
ing to those interested in the expert
ments.
Postmaster Dies-Jule Niehaus,
postmaster at Fort Leavenworth, one
Of the oldest and best known men of
Leavenwortth, is dead. He was II
years old. Mr.. Niehaus for thirty
four years was county clerk OF LeaV-
6nWOTCQ county.
kansans Win Debate.-The Wes-
leyan university of Salina was In its
first interstate collegiate debate re-
Gently when it won victory by the
unanimous decision of the judges
against the University of Denver.
Mrs. Herbert Dies.-Mrs. L. S. Her
bert, mother of Ewing Herbert, prom
inent Kansas editor, is dead at Hia-
watha. She was 81 years old. Be-
side her son she is survived by six
daughters.
Kidnapped Witness Returns.-Rosco
Swift, who asserts he was slugged
and Kidnapped at Salina about seven
months ago, has returned to the home
of his father, ten miles southeast Of
Salina. Swift disappeared immediate
~ after serving as a witness in a
murder trial there last September, for
which he says his life had been
threatened. When he regained con-
seriousness he was in a cave in Idaho.
he declares, where he was kept pris-
oner for six months. He wandered
two days before reaching a mining
camp after escaping from his cap
tors.
Salina to Build BrIdge.-Saline
county has voted on the plan to build
a cement bridge over the Smoky Hill
river on Iron avenue in Salina to cost
$50 900. The majority for the bridge
was 1,64S.
Salina Pioneer Dies.-William C.
Watson, a resident at Salina forty
years and a Civil War veteran, is dead
there.
4
New lola Postmaster-The Presi
dent has appointed A II. Hecox to be
postmaster at lola