Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1905 — SCORES KILLED IN WIND STORM [ARTICLE]

SCORES KILLED IN WIND STORM

Cyclone Almost Completely Demolishes Oklahoma Town. CALAMITY COMES AT NIGHT Between 75 and 100 People Are Killed and a Large Num* ber Injured. V Many Persona Killed and Injured In a Frightful Train Accident at Harrisburg, Pa.—Collision and Explosion. Guthrie, O. T., May 11.—Snyder, a thriving town of 1,000 pertons, situated in the heart of the rich Kiowa farming country, which was thrown open to white settlement in 1001, was practically wiped out of existence by a tornado which struck that place during the night. Up to 10 o’clock a. m. no clear estimate of the casualties was obtainable owing to the confusion in the stricken town. A conservative estimate places the dead at between seventy-five and 100 persons and the seriously injured at 150. • It is believed that a large number of the injured will die. In a number of cases entire families were killed, and in almost every family in town some member was injured. < Only Six Houses Left. Every house in the town except six are said to have been either badly wrecked or demolished, many of them being blown away entirely. The havoc wrought is most complete. The business portion is reported entirely destroyed. The mayors of Guthrie, Oklahoma City and some other Oklahoma towns have issued calls for massmeetings to formulate a system of relief for the Injured, and early in the day special trains bearing physicians, nurses, clothing and provisions were started for Snyder. At least one other town in Oklahoma, Quinlan, a small place in Woodward county, was struck by the tornado, and there It is known Mrs. O. W. Cox and her two sons were killed. Rumors that other towns were destroyed are not credited. Correct Estimate Impossible. There was no possibility of securing a correct early estimate of the number of dead and injured at Snyder. The number of dead was placed at anywhere between seventy and 300 at Enyder alone, while the injured were placed at between 100 and 500. At 0:30 in the morning indifferent telephone connection was established with Lawton. Lawton reported that the telephone wire between there and Snyder alone, while the injured were and that from snatches of conversation received the dead at Snyder were placed at between seventy and 100, with the injured at between sixty and 200. Lawton, however, stated that so much confusion existed at Snyder that it was Impossible at that hour to give anything like a correct estimate of the casualties.

Terrible Havoc of Storm. On every hand is wreckage and streets are almost obliterated by piles of demolished houses. In all directions evidence of the terrible havoc of the storm was apparent. The dead and dying lay about the streets, in yards and mixed up with the wreckage, while those who had escaped ran hither and thither in excited attempts to bring order out of the terrible chaos, and to render what meager aid they might. The stonn was not confined to Snyder. On the way to the town dead and injured were passed In plain sight of the relief trains, but these were passed in the efforts of the rescuers to reach Snyder, where there was greater need of their services. Communication Established. A special from J. S. Hennessey, agent of the St. Louis and San Francisco railway at Chickasha, says that that road succeeded in getting up its wire into Snyder at 10:30 o’clock when a message was received from the operator at Snyder saying that there were seventy-five dead bodies and 325 Injured; that the entire business portion of the town had been destroyed, but that the residence portion was not badly damaged. Mayor Messenbaugh of Oklahoma City, and a committee of prominent citizens left that place before noon for Snyder to make a personal investigation- of the needs of the people there. COLLISION AND EXPLOSION Over a Score of People Killed in a Disaster in Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, Pa., May 11.—It is estimated that between twenty-five and thirty persons were killed and about 125 Injured in a double wreck on the Pennsylvania railroad south of this city at 1:30 o’clock In the morning. The passenger train ran into a freight wreck and an engine exploded. This set fire to the wreck and exploded two carload of dynamite In thq. freight. Instantly the two trains were masses of flames. With the crash the passengers, all of whom were asleep in their berths, were hurled in all direction*. Many were tossed free of the wreckage, some down the railroad embank-

ment, some into the Susquehanna river, which parallels the railroad in that locality. . Both trains were entirely burned and many of the dead in the passenger train were roasted alive before the eyes of their Trends and other passengers, who were powerless to aid them. Passengers and trainmen were burned to a crisp, while others were pinned helplessly in the debris. The two who were Immediately recognised after their remains were found were Engineer Thomas, of Parkesburg, Pa., and Mrs. Dougherty, of Philadelphia, both of whose bodies were found clear of the bebris Instead of into it as was the case in several others. The women in the wreck suffered greatly and many of those who escaped were found almost naked. Henry Silverman, a New York jewelry salesman, had a satchel in his berth which contained >17,000 worth of fine jewelry, samples of goods for the Christmas holidays. Mr. Silverman was compelled to leave everything in the passenger coach to escape being burned to death. He could not find his bag in the darkness and had to see his jewels perish in the flames. Harrisburg, Pa., May 11.—Twelve of the dead are at the morgue and other bodies are being brought to the dead house as quickly as they are located. There are about seventy injured persons in the Harrisburg, hotels and private residences, while others are under care of physicians in houses near the scene of the wreck. The identified dead up to the present are: Jack L. Silverman, Philadelphia; Mrs. Robert G. Dougherty, 1205 South Twenty-Eighth street, Philadelphia; U. Kuhlman, 1203 Nlneth avenue, Altoona, Pa.: H. K. Thomas, Parksburft. Pa., engineer of the passenger train; J. B. Phillips, and Victor L. Crabbe, both of Pittsburg, H. 8. Watson, of Clearfield, Pa. Twenty-Nine Killed in Kansas. Marquette, Kan., May 9. When darkness fell upon this stricken town yesterday it was known that twentynine lives bad been lost in Abe tornado that wrecked part of Marquette early In the day, and did much damage in this vicinity, and that over forty persons had been injured. Of the injured thirty-five were seriously hurt, and some of them may die. During the day Carl Warnquist and Mrs. J. A. Carlson died of their injuries. Several of the others are suffering from broken limbs and internal Injuries. The names in the death roll are as following: Gus Anderson, Tillie Ellerson, A. V. Anderson and wife, Mrs. Elmer Hultgren, Blanche Switzer, Lena Switzer, Nina Switzer. Anna Carlson; M. P. Nelson, wife and three children; A. Sjogren, Sr.; Olaf Hanson and wife; Gottfried Nelson, wife and child; Elmer Nelson, Mrs. Postier and child. Nina Roberts, Carl Warnquist, Mrs. J. A. Carlson, Clyde Norris, Elmer Carlson and Arthur Carlson.