The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1915-06-17
THREE SERIOUSLY
HURT BY TORNADO
IN HYDE COUNTY
Twister Goes Through
Blunt and Skirts
Highmore
100000 IS LOSS
Miss Hildy Wright and Mrs.
Hilda Owens Struck by
Flying Debris


O'Clock this morning. Miss Clara
Wright, whose skull was fractured
hy flying timbers in yesterdays tor
nado, was dying
No further injuries were reported
in llighmore today from the path OF
the storm in the country
The buildings on the farms of Jo-
seph Forrest and Henry Lauzen We're
totally destroyed. The LauZen barn
was the largest in the county. On
both places all of the families took
refuge in caves, so that none were
hurt
Many freaks resulted from the
storm. A fence post was driven clean
through Miss Clara Wriaht's horse,
on the Lowe place. Every bone in the
body of steer on the same place
was broken, but there We're no eXter-
nal marks OF injuries
Along considerable part of its
path, the twister plowed up the
ground. In fact, for much of the
distance it shaved the top of the
ground away to depth of one foot.
In the cemetery, just ouside of High
more, two tombstones were pulled
clear out of the ground. The ceme-
terry is practically total wreck.
Occurred in Late Afternoon.
Highmore, S. D.-Fatally injur-
ing two women and one man and in
fiicting serious hurts on half dozen
others. a tornado yesterday swept
more than 40 miles parallel with the
North Western line from Blunt to
Rec Heights. The tornado formed
near Reanseau about 4:30 O'Clock
yesterday afternoon, passing through
the north half of the city OF Blunt,
where it destroyed more than 80
buildings, fatally injuring Mrs. llilda
Owens. a woman more than 80 years
OF age. and seriously iniuring l.. III.
Trask. lumberman there.
Eight farms north of Blunt were
demolished with heavy loss of live
stock and crops.
The storm passed north of the
railroad track from Blunt. toward
Harold passing within a few rods
of that town and sweeping every
farm and out buildings in its path
Broke Up i'onr Times.
The tWister broke up four times
in it's course from Blunt to Highmore
reforming again in its progress anc
| leaving some of the buildings un-
touched. After skirting the tow
OF Holibird, the storm reformed q
mile west of Highmore and was al
most stationary for 15 minutes while
| the residents watched it in fear ant
| with the fall of hail all that could
took refuge in cellars and caves.
The funnel was very threatenin:
being doubtless the largest tornado
that has ever reached this section o
the state. The last one in thi
vicinity was on July Is, 1885. The
roar of the storm was heard plainl.
at Highmore when more than mll'
away.
| Just west of Highmore the storm
i crossed the railroad tracks to tn
south. roofing mp telegraph and tele
| phone poles. II passed through tn
corporation limits of Iliehmore, les
than two rods south of the city stan'
pipe.
Blows Over TombstOncs.
4 II tore the south end out OF
barn belonging to Joseph Wiley an
then passed over the cemetery blow
ing the tombstones to the eronn
and uprooting fences and decoration:
From the cemetery the tornad
passed to the farm of E. w. Low
- half mile south and one west @
Highmore. All the buildings wer
utterly demolished and Miss Clar
Wright was fatally injured.
Cousin of Wright Brothers.
Miss Wright is a cousin OF Orvill
aud Wilbur Wright. the inventors
the flying machine. She was one
but few living relatives. She we
living with the Loves. A number
cattle were killed on the Lowe far
and pet driving horse belonging
Miss Wright was transfixed by
living timber and was incidently I'll
cause of her fatal injury.
Miss Wright is a woman of midd
age. When the storm came up 81
left the farmhouse to look after II
safety of "A favorite horse. She Wi
struck by flying timbers when u
blast demolished the house and n
recovery is despaired of.
Years ago Miss Wright and n
parents and brother settled upf
a claim in the county. The paren
died or returned TO Ohio and u
brother went back leaving the 81
alone. ;.
Upon one occasion she went to I
Lowe farmhouse on an errand al
remained there ever since, memb
h.. of the household.
n The other members OF the Lo'
Il household had taken to tie cellar a.
ranl.n cd nuri