Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-05-26
WICHITA RUSHES HELP
Doctors Go on Special
Train to Aid Injured;
Wires All Down.
OTHER SECTIONS ALSO HIT
Three Killed South of Newton
and Many Injured; Rich
Farm Land Devastated.

WICHITA, Kan, May 25.
TWenty-one persons are known
to have been killed, more than
fifty have received injuries
from which, it is said, several
will die and property worth
thousands of dollars upon
which no valuation yet has
been set was destroyed late
today when a tornado swept
up thru Sedgwick and Harvey
counties in the south central
part of the state.
Andale, village of less
than three hundred inhabi-
tants, bore the brunt of the
twister's rage, 1S lives being
the toll before the storm which
was accompanied by a blind
ing rain, bore on to the north
west.
The country southeast of
Newton furnished the remain
ing fatalities, three lives being
lost five miles from that city.
Death and Devastation.
The country between Andale and
Newton was pierced by path from a
J quarter To half mile wide where the
twister ground everything in its path
either to death or inanmate destruc-
lon. Sedgwick the largest town be-
/ tween Andale and Newton, barely es-
capped from the storms fury, few
| houses in one corner of the city limits
being the only loss.
So suddenly did the tornado arise
and 50 well did IT do its work that
| telephone and telegraph lines were
broken before word could be sent
ahead Of the impending danger.
The sun had been shining but a
| few minutes before in Andale when
suddenly the throaty roar which KAN
sans have come to know means death
and destruction WAS heard coming
! from the southwest. Before word
could be passed around the little viii
lase and even before some OF those
hearing it could escape to storm cell
/ lars and Easements the storm burst
with all its rage.
Six Hopclcssly Hurt.
or the fifty injured at Andale the
! condition of at least six tonight ap-
| pcared hopeless. The property dam
| age was large. Andale has a popula-
ton of about three hundred
AT o'clock ~ Of the Is dead had
been identified and rescucrs were
searching among tho debris for other
| possible victims. The identified An
dale dead:
AGNES RAUSCH. %.
"GRANDPA" HEIGER.
MRS. FRANK HEIGER.
MRS. ALIEN SCHMIDT
IRENE SCHMIDT 4.
JOE MERTES. 49,
MRS. JOHN KLEIN and three chill
dren.
NICK CORDELL
! HENRY RAUSCH
MINNIE SOMERHAUSER, 16
HENRY BACH
Those whose condition tonight an
| peared hopeless are: John Heiger and
his aged mother. infant son of Alex
;, hmidt; Mary Heiger, John Buscher,
Breaks With Fury.
The storm burst suddenly on the
/ little town which but a few minutes
before had been enjoying the sun
| shine, with a terrific torrent OF rain.
| Coming from the southwest il
| dropped TO the ground two miles be-
| fore reaching Andale. leveling houses.
| trees and fields IN its path.
warning cry of a man who had
| heard the ominous roar rushed the
occlNauts of the little country gem
eral store into the basement lust as
the twister struck the building cut
ting it in half and settling the roof
upon the floor. A dozen lives were
saved in the store by the prompt dive
! into the cellar.
House Hit by Storm.
Henry Rausch and his daughter
were believed TO have been the first
victims. their little house being blown
asunder as If by an explosion and the
I two occupants being beaten to death
| by the flying timbers Mrs. Schmidt
and her small daughter We're struck
down and killed as the mother ran
| to "A place Of safety The child was
found dead clutched in her arms The
| Klieus, the family suffering most
from the tornado, were buried in tho
| nf thafr and