The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-06
7O-MiIe Wind, Worst i'm Ten
Years, Swept Thru City.
Streets and Sidewalks Clicked
With Fallen Trees.
THREE PERSONS ARE INJURED
Two Hurt When Big Cotton
wood Falls on Street Car.
Ii Tornado Had Been 4 Miles
East, Result Serious.

Three separate storms the worst in
ten years, blowing up from three di-
rectlonS and within short period of
each other took turns in twisting, tear
ing, breaking and uprooting massive
shade trees and doing other damage
in Topeka Tuesday evening.
Three persons were injured:
Oran c. Lawhun, 327 Fillmore
street
Thomas Morgan, 32S Quincy street.
T. S. belong, 1888 Polk street
Lawhun is a telephone lineman He
came in contact with a live wire near
Eleventh and Western avenue and was
thrown to the ground from a pole. He
was rushed to a hospital and is not in
a dangerous condition. Morgan was
a passenger on n North Topeka street
car and belong was conductor when
cottonwood tree fell and struck the
car Their injuries are minor.
The first storm came from the east.
1t reached a velocity of nearly sixty
miles an hour and came as a direct
gale. The second storm occurring at
about $50 blew up from the south
west and was suffocating. Heated,
and blowing "a rate of 20 miles an
hour, it was almost uncanny. One
hour later from the west came the
7O-mile gale that completed the
damage.
Topeka Should Be Thankful.
The government records indicate
maximum wind of 70 miles an hour.
This is no indica ton of the puffS and
dangerous swirls on the streets, Me-
teorologist Flora states. With the
barometer performing circus stunts,
and with a death dealing tornado only
four miles west of the city, it was an
evening long to be remembered in the
city.
But Topeka was fortunate. II the
storm sweeping thru Bishop, Dover.
Menoken and Elmont had originated
lust four miles to the east, Topeka
would have been in ruins. 1t would
have been one of the worst catastro-
Plies in history The tornado had
every indication Of violence sufficient
to make a playth;ng of anything in It's
The accident to the North Topeka
street car occurred in front OF the
home of Clarence Paxton, 1loi N'rth
Kansas avenue. The strong wind was
bending all trees nearly to the ground
as the car passed. Suddenly the huge
cottonwood fell with CRASH Ihe
heavy limbs crashed thru the rear
platform of the car. They pulled the
roof on the platform down on the
heads of the two men. When the
tree stopped in its descent Morga n
and Belongs heads were protruding
| thru the roof.
/
! east side the wind was less severe than
| in western and northern part of the
| city. A few window gle-sses were
broken on Kansas avenue ard the
| huge flag pole over the National motel
was blown down. Broken tree limbs
were blown over the city and caused
| apprehensi that serious storm had
struck some part of the city.
| Telephones Out of Service.
| Telephone calls were numerous and
answers were few. Topeka's telephone
service was badly demoralized for
| hours People resorted TO the street
cars and automobiles to hurry to the
| front of the State Journal office and
read bulletins. From the State Jour
nal office many hurried to North To-
! peka while others in automobiles en-
| deavored to drive to Menoken and a
/ few started out with the intention of
| pushing their way to Elmont.
Many beautiful trees were uprooted.
! Several barns were blown down in
Highland Park. Part of the roof of
the Boys Industrial school, north of
Topeka. was blown off. Two barns
We're blown down near Seabrook.
Topeka Is Isolated.
| Topeka is practically isolated from
| the outside world. At O'Clock this
morning, according to A. J. Mackey,
| manager of the Southwestern Bell
| Telephone company, the company had
no toll connection with any part of
| the world from here. At 80 one cir
cult was opened between here and
1 Kansas City and half hour later the
| number of Kansas City circuits was
/ increased to three. Shortly before
noon communication with the north
south and west had not been recov-
| cred.
Mackey declared the damage suf-
| fered by his company would run into
thousands of dollars. He said between
i 500 and 700 rural telephones in To-
peka territory are out of order.
| A large force Of men from Kansas
! City has been rushed here by the Bell
company to help re-esta blish the lines
which are down
Three miles of Bell and Union lines
lara flattened to the ground west of
| Menoken. Kansas City. Mackey said.
has no communication with ST. Joseph.
| Considerable trouble is also being ex-
perienced in Topeka.
All Trains Late.
| The Santa Fe, shortly before noon.
! uCOufipued on Page TwoI