The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-06


! some of the finest barns in the state,
were picked up bodily, twisted to
pieces, and scattered over adjoining
fields Several towns including Ell
mont, Bishop, Eskridge, Clinton, Kiro
and Menoken. were damaged. The
heaviest destruction was at Elmont
and EskridGe, the two largest places
struck.
So suddenly was the storms swoop,
many of those injured and killed did
not know it was close until it reared
down upon them with deafening
thunder of fury. Today persons in it's
path declared the storm, as it swept
along, smelled like a holocaust of
burning sulphur.
! Following reports of roads lined
with sightseers and reports of footing
| in the devastated area, Sheriff Hugh
Larimer today visited Menoken ami
surrounding territory. He deputized
residents by the dozens to watch their
property This morning o. d. Hotch-
| kjrr lost two guns, stolen by looters.
A woman was caught carrying off lit
| tie chickens in her coat pockets. Ldrl-
mer found the roads filled with
steady stream of curious sGhtseers.
Find Much Devastation.
State Journal reporters travelling
thru the path of ruins found devasta-
ton on every hand. The Prairie Home
church, two miles north of Menoken,
was gone Only d hole in the ground
remained Only four tombstones in
the cemetery were left standing. Trees
that surrounded the place were snap
ped off and hurled away.
Not a whole piece of timber Is left
of the G.. O. Compton place. on hill
! flat mill north of Menoken. Every
thing war destroyed at the home of
Luther Lockenaur, northwest OF M =
noken. The family escaped by run
ming to the cellar. The roof is blown
off the house of Georgse Bills on the
upper Silver Lake road. brick Darn
was wrecked, killing four horses. The
wreckage is scattered in a circle of a
quarter of a mile. The David home,
west of The Bills place, was totally
demolished. A garage disappeared.
Seven people saved themselves under
the cellar stairway. The rest of the
cellar was filled with debris.
The place of Paul Herman across
the road, was completely wrecked. On
the north and south road James Dillon
and four members of his family to nk
refuge il. their cellar. Everything
above ground was destroyed and 1"
feet of debris was piled on the top
of the cellar. Dillon dug his way GU
after the storm. The only property
Dillon has left is one horse, and five
pigs Everything else is gone. There
was no Insurance. A setting hen Was
found stin at work unframed in
manger, all that was left of the barn
Bark Peelc0 O1f trees.
In the timber where 19s the tn storm torn
ed off the trees. Leaves left on the
edge of the storms path are black
In a field on the lower road north
of the Shultice place big cook stove
is half buried. a half mile from the
house from whence it came.
A horse al the Dillon place was
found in the pasture killed There
wasn't a bruiSe on it.
The Shultice place on the lower
road was completely wrecked. The
family ran out of the house into the
! open ShuItice grabbed a big post and
held on. He was whipped all ways
| of the compass by the wind, but was
not seriously injured. Two days ago
! Shultice was raising money for relief
| of the Fred Falley family and now
he's in immediate need.
/ Freaks of the storm were notice
able. At the Hotchkiss home, where
the destruction was complete, a box
found on board with the matches in
perfect order.
Threw Woman IL Tree.
Property loss and damage a short
distance west of Wanamaker, five
miles west of Topeka, was heavy.
Houses, barns, farm buildings and
machinery were demolished. The most
of the home owners, however, escaped
4 injury.
1t was on the West Tenth street
road that the storm performed one
of it's numerous freakish acts. Mr..
and Mrs. C. F. Hodges, on their way
home. were driving thru a stretch of
wood. The wind howled down upon
them, turning over their buggy. Mrs.
Hodges was flung into the fork of a
tree, where she remained while flying
timbers filled the air about her She
was not hit once and escaped totally
unframed.
Hodges was flung to the ground
and badly bruised by flying timberS.
The buggy and horse landed in an
adjoining field after taking a short
trip via air.
The ruin swept just west of Wan
amaker after leaving Auburn terri
tory where much damage was done to
buildings and other property. No in
! jurieS from that district are reported,
however
John Bachelor. a farmer living
near Richland, was killed by the
storm as it swept near, thru and
around that city. Bachelor is a broth
er of Charles Bachelor, a member of
the Topeka police force.
Several buildings and a lot of prop
erty were wrecked at Riehland.
EImont in Ruins.
This morning. Elmont lay a mass of
ruins. Houses were scattered among
the surrounding hills and the town
was represented only by mass of
wreckage with two or three houses
left standing. This morning at day
light resident of the town started
thru the wreck. In a little clearing
where a henhouse had stood was a
nest. An old hen calmly clucked and
sat on her eggs, untouched Articles
of merchandise were scattered in the
streets.
Roads impossible.
Roads to Elmont today are prac-
tically imRssable. Telephone poles,
trees, wires and oven fence posts are
piled across the highways in an al
most hopeless mass of wreckag e
Work of clearing the roads began
early this morning
Loss of IivpStoCk