Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1896 — TRAILS OF DEATH LEFT. [ARTICLE]

TRAILS OF DEATH LEFT.

Eigbt Persons Killed Outright In a Kansas Cyclone. - A cyclone swept through Clay County, Kansas Saturday night, leaving a trail of destruction and death to mark its visit. Eight persons were instantly killed and four fatally hurt, so far as known, although investigation is likely to add to this grewsome list. In addition a number of others were more or less seriously hurt, and property worth thousands of ~dotfacrß7 herds'or stock and growing crops became the plaything of the devastating tornado. To add to the terror of the occasion, the storm came at night, arousing the paniej stricken pebple from their slumber to face death in terrible form. There was scant warning, a few fleecy clouds in the evening giving no sign of the howling tempest that was tp descend three hours later. The list of killed, so far as reported, is as follows: E. Beltzor, Mrs. Beltzor, Jessie Hall, aged 5 years; Mrs. Ole Halverson, J. Haynes, Mrs. Frank Peterson, Selma Peterson, aged 10 years; Joseph Trembly. The fatally injured: John Morris, Frank Peterson, aged 40 years; Julia Peterson, aged 8 years; Mrs. Frank Wilkerson. ■A mile east of St. Joseph.the first victims of the storm were found. There dwelt a well-to-do Frenchman, Eli Beltzor, his wife and six children. The farm house and outbuildings were torn to pieces and Mr. Beltzor and his wife killed. The family were preparing to go into the cellar the storm struck them. Just east of there another farmer. Joseph Trembly,

was killed. None of the family, so far as can be learned, whs injured. Three miles south of Clifton several houses were torn down and a Sophs? killed. = The cyclone took tne people unawares. There had been indications of a heavy rain all day, with local showers, but no--body expected a storm. So far as learned, the victims were in their houses, and most of them had retired. The storm struck Peter Anderson’s house at 9:30 o’clock. This was about a mile from the starting point. The house was demolished in an instant. Every member of the Anderson family was injured. When they had extricated themselves from the debris they discovered that Anderson’s grandchild was missing. The dead body of the child was found in a ravine half a mile away. It evidently had been carried there by the wind. Anderson alarmed the neighbors who lived out of the track of the storm, and search was commenced for victims. A large number of cattle and horses were killed, and fruit in the storm’s track was ruined. It is impossible at this time to estimate the damage to buildings and other property. Heartrending tales of suffering are told by persons who visited the scenes of the storm. Many of the injured lay all night, pinned down by wreckage or paralyzed in the mud, while others crawled or hobbled across the country to a neighbor’s house. In several instances people were lifted into the air by the cyclone and carried for a distance, and then suddenly dropped. Buildings were liftbd up and then hurled to the ground with foree enough” to demolish them. The wife and daughter of John Morris were reading when the shock came. The house waadivided. The women managed to get out. when the wind picked them up, carried them 200 yards and let them safely down on a pile of straw, just away from the storm’s track.