Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-26
TWTSTER KILLS ONE
AND RUINS HOMES
Reaches Proportions of Tornado in
Garden County, Where Consid-
cradle Damage is Done.
SOME LIVE STOCK IS KILLED

According to Tuesday reports to
the Union Pacific and Burlington
railroad headquarters, a tornado of
considerable severity passed over
portions of Scott's Bluff, Morrill, and
Garden counties, in the west part of
the state, Monday afternoon.
Reports indicate that three miles
north of Oshkosh, in Garden county,
Farmer Blair was killed when his
house was wrecked by the storm.
From Bridgeport Mrs. Groves. wife of
one of the ditch riders, sustained a
broken hip. A number of other parties
who resided in the path of the storm
that ranged from a few rods to half
mile in width were injured, most of them
slightly.
Railroad telegraph wires into the storm
stricken area are working badly and 1t
has been impossible to secure any con-
nected report of the damage wrought or
the full extent of the storm. The early
reports indicate that the storm was in
the nature of a twister in some localities
and a severe straight wind in others.
wilma FOLLOWS.
The wind followed a rain that had con-
tinued most of the afternoon. Apparently
IT started a couple of miles north OF
Bridgeport and moved southeast on the
north side of the Platte river and most
of the way through a rather sparsely set
tied country Coming down in the vicinity
of Miniature. north of the town a num-
ber of farm houses and barns were de-
stroyed, and from there, nothing seems
to have been heard of It until it reached
a point three miles north of Oshkosh. the
county seat of Garden county. At that
point the storm had taken on the char
acteristics of a tornado and was moving
southeast with great rapidly In the
neighborhood lived Blair. the man re-
ported killed.
In the country north OF Oshkosh reports
indicate that several houses and a large
number of barns were destroyed Crops
were damaged and considerable live stock
killed.
After leaving the section of country in
the vicinity of Oshkosh the storm appar-
entity passed into the sandhills of Nc
Pherson county, where all trace of It was
lost.
BIaIr's Body Carried Half Mile.
OSHKOSH, Neb. May 25.-(SpeciaI Tel
egram)-A tornado struck about three
miles north of Oshkosh last night. Killing
one man, ]. F. Blair, a carpenter who
lived alone. The storm appeared first
some nine miles northwest of town and
destroyed several miles of fences and
barns on the farms OF II. Kaschke, VII
liam Elwood. Martin Madden and did
other damage. 1t killed a COW for Mas
den and took a horn off each of two
others. Everything on the Blair placs
was completely destroyed Blair's dog
woke up neighbors a mile away, who
went over and found the buildings gone
and no trace OF Blair More of the neigh
bors were called and after a search for
some time they found the body lying in
a pasture over half mile east. Every
bone in his body was broken and the
body was horribly mangled. Hogs and
pigs were found with splinters driven
through their bodies, and feathers were
taken off chickens The house was turned
over within thirty feet and the chimney
driven into the ground. Blair vas a
widower about 65 years old and lived
alone. He has an adopted daughter, Mrs
Maxwell. living IN Antelope. The storm
came without warning at 10 o'clock and
left in an instant. 1t seems 10 have dis
appeared three miles northeast OF Osh-
kosh Several farmers say hail or ice
measuring eight by ten inches in size
fell scatteringly. A hot wind followed
the storm. II is impossible 10 estimate
the damage at present,
some Damage I'm DodEP.
FREMONT. Neh., May 5-,SpeciaID-
The rain Of Monday night totaling LIS
inches at Fremont brought the total