The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-03-07
TW|STER HITS
KANSAS TOWNS
TORNADO LEAVES A PATH OF
RUIN BEHIND 1T
$4,000 CHURCH is WRECKED
Courthouse, Electric Light Plant and
Other Buildings at Yates Center
Were Wrecked. lola
Losses Heavy.

Yates Center, Kansas, March o.
Yates Center and Woodson County
have been visited by a tornado which
left a path of ruin and panic stricken
people in its wake. The court house is
BADLY, wrecked and the grounds are a
mass of debris. The Methodist church
suffered much damage, the tower and
a portion of the roof being torn off
and the main auditorium flooded.
Town Left in Darkness.
The electric light plant was one of
the first buildings to go, leaving the
town in darkness and adding terror
to the already frightened people. All
communication with the outside world
was cut off. Hail followed the wind
and then rain, which fell in torrents,
increasing the damage wrought by
the twister.
Tin roofs on many homes and bust
ness buildings were torn off, trees up
rooted and dwellings, damaged
Streets are strewn with broken glass
and other debris.
Only a few days ago the Woodsont
County Stock Show association made
arrangements to lift the Indebtedness
on the show grounds. This morning,
buildings were mass of boards whip
ped and twisted into kindling wood
Teacher Avertei a Panic.
A panic at the high school gymnasi-
I'm, where a basket ball game was in
progress was averted by the presence
of mind of Miss Irma Lewis, music in
struetor, who forced the crowd TO sing.
Tie roof was blown off but no one was
injured.
The farm of H. T. Laidlaw promi-
rent hay and cattle dealer is total
wreck and many cattle are dead. The
home of Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, south
of the Santa Fe Depot, is scattered all
over an S0-acre field. Mr. Anderson
was blown quite a distance but was
unhurt
Unroofed Santa Fe Station.
Chanute, Kan, March 2.-The ter
rife storm unroofed smelterS at Gas
City, causing fires. The storm which
came from the west, swept a path
20 miles wide from Humboldt TO Col
ony. At Petrovia, five miles north of
Chanute, the engine house of the Kan
sas Natural pumping plant was un-
rooted and other damage done.
Much Damage at lola.
lola, March 1.-The loss caused by y,
the twin-twister was variousIy esti-
mated at from 100000 to million
dollars. Reports are coming in from
all over the county, swelling the loss
and it may be several days before an
accurate estimate can be gained.
Big Church is Wrecked.
Sweeping down from the southwest
at $50 o'clock at night the tornado
passed over the business section, but
dipped down within block and laid
the First Presbyterian Church, $40,
900 edifice into pie Of ruins. The
the basement, smashing the handsome
entrance to the building, and the cost
ly pipe organ was jammed into the
earth by the failing stone and cement.
The buildings of the Prime Western
Smelter Company in lola and Gas City
were destroyed by fire when the ter
rife twister ground the structures in
10 timber and dumped them upon the
roaring furnaces. Hundreds of work
men, busy on night shifts, escaped
without injury.
No Street Car Service.
lola is without street car service
and probably will be for several days
The power house was badly damaged
and a number of cars which were in
the barn, were wrecked.
Miss Alma Eldridge, Is years old a
stenographer, was on her way home
when the tornado struck. She was
picked up and carried fifty feet. She
was reported to have been severely
bruised.
Pieces of the Missouri Pacific Depot
at Gas City are scattered for mile
along the track.
Several days ago the Rev. S. S. Hill
scher mad notices published IN local
papers that unles the people at lola
prayed more calamity might over
| take them. Tonight Iolans are recall