Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-04-10
SEVERAL HUNDRED OTHERS
INJURED; PROPERTY LOSS.
RUNS UP Into THOUSANDS.
Oklahoma and Texas Farm
Districts Hard Hit
Many Homeless.


hundred known dead had been
listed as victims of the tornado
which yesterday struck north
cTn Texas, southern Oklahoma
and par of Arkansas when Or
der bagan 10 be attained today.
Tie injured, some OF whom
cannot recover, are expected 80
Admber several hundred. The
property damage, while it will
ran into many thousands OF
dollars, will be smaller than at
first expected, since the storm
passed by an OF the principal
cIues, striking only farm
houses 'and smaller VIIIageS.
Last night the homeless were
cared for at the homes of their
neighbors. The storm in its course
did not devastate any entire region,
often leaving several houses un-
touched and then dipping in and
demolishing the next few homes.
the temperature dropped to freez-
ing along the northern line of the
counties and added to the discom-
fort, but so far as known all Of
those whose homes had been crush
ed were cared for.
The counties mostly damaged
were Grayson, Fannin, Hunt, Wood,
Van Zandt, Wichita, Collin Camp
and Titus in Texas and Bryan, Co.
ten and POntotoc in Oklahoma. The
oil nf Of
southern Oklahoma suffered many
thousands of dollars damage in
wrecked derricks and machinery.
Caught People Asleep.
The hour at which the storm
struck probably caused the high
death rate. Nearly all of the
houses dest trOyed contained sleeping
people In most cases the first the
Occupants heard OF the storm was
when the walls crashed down upon
their beds.
The entire storm did not last
more than an hour after the first
sign appeared, leaving wrecked
houses, orchards and forests. Many
communities described it as not
more than a few hundred yards in
width, its limits being well marked,
while in other places a swath of
ruined homes and fields was a mile
wide.
A plea for help from the storm
area has been received here by
Mayor Frank w. Wozencraft from
r. c. May, mayor of Leonard, and
SO tents and quantity of supplies
we're rushed to that town at once.
Leaves Trail of Ruin.
At Mineola, Texas, the storm was
preceded by a wind and rain storm
of great force accompanied by an
extraordinary electrical display
SChe tornado first struck a negro
Statement on the edge of the town,
encircled the town on the east, de
molishing 10 houses and travelling
along Lake Fork bottom to the
north and east for Is miles. leaving
a path of ruin from a quarter of
nile to mile in width. Four bales
of cotton on a farm at Mcmillan
were picked up and carried quar-
ter of mile and set down intact.
Storm Cellars save Many.
Storm cellars saved many lives.
a large share OF the homes in the
v mole TeBlOl DSIuS tQuippEu "l64
them. It was almost unprecedent-
ed for a severe storm to strike be-
fore daylight. tornadoes having
heretofore come late in the after
noon. At Belba community the
store was swept away and a heavy
iron safe, weighing nearly ton,
was left upright in the road about
sixty yards from where the store
stood
Only One House Left in Village.
In Wood county the property |
damage was estimated at S150,000, /
and more than one hundred fam |
lilies were left homeless. Only one |
house was left standing in the viii
lage of Mulberry near BOnham,
wfere seven persons were killed |
and others injured
In Denton county few houses
and barns were unroofed, but no |
I YES we're lost, the damage being |
restricted chiefly to loss to crops |
by the washing rains and wind.