The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-02
Loss to Farms and in Oil Dis
trict Reaches Millions.
Tornado Accompanied by Hail
and CIOudburst.
3 IN KANSAS FAMILY DEAD
15O-Yard Swath Cut Thru Cot
feyvilIe; 100000 Loss.
400 Houses Destroyed; s Lives
Lost at COaIgate, Okla.

Kansas City. June 2.-Confiicting
reports concerning the tornadoes yes
terday and last night thru Kansas,
Missouri. Oklahoma and Arkansas
continued today to show heavy loss
OF life and damage, particularly in
Oklahoma. but indicated less severity
in Missouri ana parts of Kansas.
Eighteen stood at the death list in
Oklahoma while the loss of life in
Kansas was placed at six
Coalgate. Okla, and Drake in the
same state, apparently had suffered
the greatest death loss. with eight
known killed at Coalgate and five at
Drake. The dead in Kansas were at
CofeyVille and Morse, in eastern john
son county. EARLIER reports of losses !
from McCune and Montana, Kan,
We're denied, but an 11-year-old girl
was injured a Montana.
Loss at Coalgate, S75O,OO0.
Southern Missouri points, mainly
around Buffalo, in Dallas county, re-
ported only minor wind damage. One
man was injured in a suburb of Kan |
sas City. The storm seemingly reach |
ed its height at Coalgate. tearing a
swath from one to two blocks wide
thru the town, demolishing more than
400 homes, and continuing for three
miles in the country district Forty
were said to have been injured, one
was feared The property damage
was estimated at from 100000 to
$75O,UOG.
The death list at Drake remained
the same as recorded last night.
Three were killed near Marietta early
yesterday. A child struck by light
ming. died in Bryan county, one death
was said to have occurred al Bartles-
Vile. The only other report from
Oklahoma was the injury of nine in
Seminole county, Crops were badly
damaged by windstorms in Bryan,
Love, Marshal and Carter county.
More Than 200 Injured.
Kansas City. June 2.-With twenty
one deaths the probable injury of
more than 200 persons and property
DAMAGE at well over S2.000,000 done
in four states-Oklahoma, Arkansas,
Kansas ard Missouri-by a series of
tornadoeS late yesterday and las
night restoration of communication
with some of the sections isolated
thruout the night anxiously was await
ed today
Coalgate Okla, county seat of Coal
county and a mining center, stuff red
the heaviest loss of life. Eight per-
sons wera killed there when a twister
described a perpendicular pillar of
cloud three miles high and audible six
to eight miles awa-- swirled and tN !st-
ed thru the western end of the town
More than $50 houses Wer9 destroyed
and a number of person injured, some
of whom il was stated could not re-
cover, Special trains with nurses and
doctors wore rushed to Coalgate from
McAleste,, Atoka and Temple.
Cuts Swath Thru Cofft'yviIIe.
Coffeyviile. Kan, stra NICELY. suffer-
ed probably the heaviest financial
loss, tho ! O deaths were reported.
Late estimates placed the property
damages there at 100000 with a pos
sibility of the amount being doubled
HI r+.- sy,ir
ed, some OF them seriously. The tor
nado took course thru the residence
district anC cut a path roughly j so
yards wiGe.
members of one family were killed.
Two residences and the school house
were destroyed there.
Only % Miles From X. C.
At Morse. Kan, only twenty five
miles from Kansas City, three per-
sons were killed, several others in
Jured and extensive property damage
done. 1t was the nearest that any
of the recent series of spring tor
nadoes have come to Kansas City.
From the southern section of Mis-
souri,. around Buffalo, Lebanon and
Springfield, and from the mid-contin-
ent oil fields of Oklahoma reports of
heavy damage were expected to come
today with the restoration of COM
munication From the first section
only the meager reports that the COM
munities had suffered were available
early today. No loss of life had been
mentioned.
In the great oil field many oil del-
ricks were blown away while no loss
Of life was reported, it was regarded
improbable that all the host of
workers there could have esca ped.
Growing crops in number of places
suffered heavily and one of the largest
items il the property loss will result
therefrom.
Five of Family Killed.
The usual number of freaks of the
giant winds began to be reported along
with the more sombre details. At
Drake. where five members of the
family of w. a Villa ms. including
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