Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-27
TORNADO SPREADS
DEATH AND RUIN
OUT In STATE
One Woman Killed and Several In
jured in Greeley and Madison
Counties.
FIRST APPEARS AT sPALD1NG
Family Sees Storm Coming, but is
Not Able to Reach Cellar in
Time for Safety.
KILLS LIVE STOCK IN ITS WAKE

Dead:
MRS. THOMAS KELLEY.
Injured:
Thomas Kelley.
c. w Haggarty.
Mrs. c. w. Haggarty.
Two children of the Haggarty
family, all of Greeley county.
John Weiland and sister. Madison
county.
Shortly after Tuesday night
a tornado dropped down in the
northeast corner Of Greeley county,
Nebraska. Mrs. Thomas Kelley was
killed, and her husband, G. w. Hag-
garty, Mrs. c. w. Haggarty and two
children of the Haggarty family were
seriously injured, Mr.. Kelley perhaps
fatally.
According to reports to the Union Pa
cific. heavy rain had been falling over
most of Greeley county during the after
noon. Just before o'clock in the evening
V the rain clouds to the southwest appeared
to grow heavier and Immediately took on
a greenish hue.
Black Funnel Appears.
Suddenly out OF them a black funnel
shaped cloud formed and rapidly moved
in a northeasterly direction north of
Spalding. The ctoud seemed to drop to
the earth at intervals and then suddenly
bound into the air, only to drop again
little farther on. The cloud that was
almost head on toward spalding quickly
veered to the north and almost as quickly
changed its course TO northeast. Half
mile east OF town It dropped and appar-
emily picked up the farm house of c. w.
Haggarty. carrying it along several rods
and. then dashing 1t to the earth a COM
plete wreck. Dir. Haggarty, his wife
and their two children were consider
ably injured. sustaining a number Of cuts
and bruises
Saw Cloud Coming.
Moving along in it's northeasterly dlrec-
tion the storm cloud that had taken on
proportions Of a cyclone. the tail switch
ing back and forth like huge snake,
caught numerous barns and outhouses.
wtecking or partially destroying them.
but missing all the homes until 1t reached
that of Thomas Kelley. two and one-half
miles east of Spalding.
1t is reported that Mr.. Kelley saw the
storm coming, but did not have time to
get into the cellar before 1t struck. The
Kelley house was instantly destroyed and
Mrs Kelley killed by being crushed be-
meath the wrecksge. Mr.. Kelley was
seriously injured internally and 1t is
likely that he will die.
From the Kelley farm the tornado, or
cyclone. moved rapidly northeast toward
Oakdale.
The path of the storm cloud is described
as being from 100 to coo fet wide and IN
length the area where the greatest dam
age was done, three to four miles. Along
the path there are scores of dead horses.
cattle and hogs, besides the wreckage OF
a dozen or SO barns.
Hits Madison County.
At about the time when the tornado was
passing over Greeley county, another,
though covering a more limited area
struck Madison county at a point a few
miles south and east OF the city of Mad
ison, destroying the house of John Wei
land and seriously injuring him and his
sister. This tornado demolished all the
buildings on a score of other farms. A
high wind and near cloudburst were gen.
eral throughout the county. II washed
away entirely thousands of acres of corn.
Many bridges are out telephone poles
and lines are fiat and roads are impas-
sable.
NORTH BEND, Neb.. May B.-(special
Telegram.)-A tornado swept through this
county two miles north Of town last night
at II o'clock. Houses were unroofed.
windows blown in. barns moved off foun-
dations. sheds and outbuildings were
wrecked. trees broken down. and DANA ge
done at Bixler's, Mehaffeys Snover's,
Walkers and Boucher's farms. No one