Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-05-23
TREGO COUNTY VISITED BY
TORNADO

Last Monday evening between seven
and eight o'clock storm occurred in
the southeast part of the county that
is the worst ever known in this part of
the country. At Wa-Keeney some rain
fell and it hailed a little but not
enough to do any damage, there was
very little wind but the clouds had a
greenish tint which most of the peo-
pie believed bespoke hail some where
near by but it was much worse than a
hail storm for the storm broke in its
fury about sixteen miles south of
town and left path of destruction
from one fourth to one half mile wide.
From all particulars it seems that
it first struck the Repshire place
twisting the barn and granary from
their foundations, then jumped to the
John Lohman place where everything
was wiped out house, barn, out build
ings, farm machinery, everything
movable was leveled to the ground
even the clothing of the family could
not be found. Several head of stock
were killed and the actual possession
of this farmer after the terrific storm
was one pig and two or three chickens.
From there the storm passed to the
Alex Reece place to further wreak it's
fury Mr.. and Mrs. Reece and children
saw the approach of the storm and
putting the children in an auto drove
eastward to a neighbors which prov
ed to be the means of saving their
lives as everything at this place was
swept as clean as a floor, scarcely
enough left to tell the place had ever
been inhabited Out of flock of two
hundred and fifty sheep two hundred
and eight were killed and manned.
They We're so badly mutilated and
covered with mud that they could not
even be skinned. so were piled up in
piles and burned as far as was pos
sible. This is a great loss to Mr..
Reece for every thing he had is gone.
About quarter of a mile away
from the Reece farm is the home of
Mr.. Stebbins the business partner of
Mr.. Reece and here rhe granary. and
barn We're only slightly moved but
fine large field of wheat was wiped
out as clean as threshing floor.
The G. NJ. Stanton place also pre-
sents a picture of desolation and des-
truction, here instead of being swept
clean, while every thing was destroy
ed it was piled up in disordered mass
es not one thing left standing. Mr.
Stanton was out side during the storm
and escaped injury which seems mir
aculous in the face of so much flying
debris. Mrs. Stanton and two little
boys doubtless owe their lives to
crawling under a bed which stood in
a corner and the entire end of the
house blew over them without depos-
iting any of the flying timbers on
them. Cattle, horses and poultry were
killed and many so badly nlained as
to have to be shot
The storm also wrought hovac at
the home of William Dietz. A stone
house was partially destroyed and one
of the finest barrs in the country was
1eveled to the ground. Farm machin-
cry, poultry, a valuable registered
bull and. other stock was killed His
twelve year old daughter went to
window to try to hold it il when
hail stone struck the glass causing
piece to enter her eye injuring it so
seriously that she was taken to the
hospital at Hays the next morning
to have the eye operated on.
George Hobbick's place escaped
serious damage although his barn
was moved and things blown around
good deal.
The Bert Stanton place was another