The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-05-03
Not House Left When Cyclone Swoops Down Hamlet
Riding on Wings of Storm Death
Sweeps Over Little Oklahoma Town
At $50 Sunday Evening; Relief is
Rushed By Special Train and Airplane

Muskogee. Okla. May 3-More than
so persons are known to have been
killed and approximately 100 were
injured in cyclone that virtually
wiped out Peggs, small village IN
the. northwest corner Of Cherokee
county, about 3 o'clock Sunday night
Forthy-three bodies have been re-
covered by rescue workers from Mus
kogee, Tahlequah and Locust Grove.
More are believed to have been still
in The wreckage.
Only three buildings remained stand
ing after the storm had passed Whole
families were wiped out by the
storm Seven members Of the fam
lily Of John Littlefield were killed
white nine perished at the home or
N. Stevens
Forty-two coffins are being sent
to the scene OF the storm from fah-
lequah. This is as many as could
De found in the city.
Temporary hospitals have been Or
ganized amid the working and scores
severely injured are being given first
aid. Those who can stand the trip
tc Tahlequah are being taken there
where they will be placed in hospat-
ais.
Tahlequah doctors were the first to
reach the scene of the tragedy. Six
physicians left there Immediately af-
Ter the storm was sighted last night
from Tahlequah. Later they sent
calls for more assistance and at six
o'clock Monday morning one hundred
automobiles with men and women re-
lief workers were on their way to
carry succor to the injured
The only physician in Pegs, Or.
I. Hill was killed
When the rescuers arrived In Peggs
they found only heap Of twisted
mud,splattered debris. A heavy rain
and hail accompanied the storm and
wnen the workers began collecting
the bodies from the muck and ruo-
Dish many were plastered with mud
that they had to be washed before
their identity could be established
The dead were collected In shei>
ters left by tangled walls and roofs.
twenty wire piled in one nook whine
the searching parties ranged the I'M
mediate vicinity.
Forty-four bodies had been fecov.
cred at Peggs by rescue parties. up
until noon today. The dead whose
bodies had been extricated from the
debris are:
John Littlefield, Willie Attleield.
Lizzie Littlefield. Jimmy IAttlefeld.
Soggy Lttlefeld, Dan Iittlefeld.
Baby" Llttlefield, Jack Wagner. Paul
Kenyon, Mrs. Paul Kenyon, Baby"
Kenyon, DR.. I. Hill. Jim Frank.
Dort Frank, Monroe Frank, Virgia
Frank, N. Stevens, Roscoe Stevens,
Sam Stevens, Mary Stevens. Forbes
Stevens. Roy Stevens, Baby" Stew
ems. John Stevens, Mrs. John Stevens,
Mr.. Wadkin, - Wadkin Child,
Willie Blevins, Mrs. Willie Blevins.
BABY" Blevins, Yedda Ford, Baby"
Ford, Jack Willlerson, Wiley Wilker.
son, -Wilkerson Child. -
Wilderson Child, Jack Bond, Park
Frank, Mrs. Park Frank, Maud Frank,
Baby" Frank and Mrs. Hall.
Doctors, nurses. and assistants Inn
pressed into service, have worked un-
ceaslngly since early this morning
caring for the wounded. DR.. w. T.
Fite who headed the Muskogee party,
was an army doctor during the war
ard the aid given the injured was
similar to that given to wounded
men at the front. None Of the in
jured has reached Tahlequah as yet,
but number are on the way, Iiue to
the rough county and poor roads 1t
will likely De late this evening be-
fore they can be placed in the Tah.
lequah hospital.
One of the freaks Of the storm was
that a small frame shack, uninhabit-
ed was left standing in the heart OF
town while brick buildings housing
many persons around 1t were ra2ed
to the ground. The Peggs school
house, a concerto building was crush
ed like an egg shell.
Nine members Of toe Stevens fam.
lily were killed; seven OF the Little
field family, eight persons by the
name Of Frank and five members OF
the Wilkerson family are numbered
among the dead.
The storm covered an area three
miles long and one mile wide, ap.
parently dropping down just In time
to hit the village and rising soon
after leaving II.
peggs was a village Of approximate
ly $50 population.
Sheriff c. w. Sanders Of Chero.
kee county was one of the firyt on
the grounds after the report OF the
storm reached Tahlequah.
Squads were organized and system
was used in getting at the bodies.
While part Of squads lifted the heavy
beams and broken tiJnbers others
crawled under the debris and drag
ged out the luckless victims. The
hot sun which caused steam to
rise from the soaked ground and
timbers added to the difficulties and
uupleasantness Of the rescuers' task.
Town Wiped OFF the Map
Muskogee, Okla, May S.-Fifty per