The Snyder Signal-Star. (Snyder, Okla.), Vol. 3, No. 25, Ed. 1 Friday, May 19, 1905 Page: 1 of 4
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THE SNYDEll SIGNAL-STAR.
vol. a
HNYI’M*. KIOir.\ COl'NTV. OKLAHOMA. FIJI I» \ V. WAV Is*, |t«
NO. IS
• • • • 4 F • |,„t
A Most Teirible Storm
Snyder in Ruins—More Than a
Hundred Dead—Another Hun-
dred Wounded
■ ■
o o o oo o© x ok© j
Virsc Tl>i nr-1
Heart Rending Incidents—Hundreds Homeless
The Most Daally Storm Known to the West.
Articles Carried Fifty Miles in Track of Storm.
"> I a* tunr Ifaihoai
larr IrtiM got .ter *<,»
.. If im Ifn.t.
tlMik* or v\rt at mil
■lofr.
Slancr 8l Flaxman,
Hobart, Okla.
cokoo:-:^:-:
(p*
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\ o«f II I iiiifri • a III
tf«'l «M«r |<r'■•«>)• t aii.-ii.
lloii \\w |at r i|>rr,a
■'liarpaa uitail good* or
•Irrril from ua.
^'^cst "*torc in Southwestern Oklahoma. ©
... ■— -----
S5 An >»»»«»*« «ock of DWY GOODS. CLOTHING, SHOES. HATS.
\n MiLUNERY, CARPETS, MATTINGS and LINOLEUM.
It would Ukn it pit|M<r equal in
•*' to thn HL Latin nil'I Kansas
tlity Siuklitv |«*t|M-rH to ta.lt all the
•dory ui.1 give full particular*. Ho
much wiui crowded into thn two
milhuUm of horror hu.I the rniult*
wun ho far reaching that it wouhl
take out) mini niunv month* to gntli-
u|i up ami chronicle every little de-
tail mini incident of the awful Htorm
of May ltith.
The chief of the U. S. Signal
Station located at Oklnhoina City
have followed the tract of the Htorm
from formation to Snyder and from
natoa token by him iH gathered the
laet that the storm formed 12 miles
went ami 2 miles south of the town
of Olusteo in Greer county uearlv
fifty miles distant front Snyder, near
the residence of Mr. Bolin. It trav
eled in a general nort heast course
Myrtle mill a smaller •Iniii'ht.-r were
all seriously injured though it is
1io|mhI not filial. The Johnson res-
ilience, Dr. McCoy's, Frank Taylors
houses and linrus. Otter Valiev
School House, J. W. Bhu-hiuores
and F. Fugle houses aud outbuild-
ings were all destroyed. At the
Fugle home the monster again de-
manded human aacritieos to wl.«t
his a petite for the tiunl feast at Sny
tier and three of the family were
killed aud four were injured. W.
S. Bussell's unoccupied claim house
was taken aud the entire group of
liue buildings on the Beckham ranch
were made into kindling wood.
Then Jack Holder's home was de-
stroyed and he and his wife aud boy
all iujured—his wife having since
died. The Addison aud tile Lan-
caster house joined the monster in
covering the ground at rate of j its march on to Snyder. Its tract
ft I II 111 I. I to 1 l /l 11 .... Y_. 4 1. M, 11. ..It A 1. .1 M.. m• a - — - .. L. A .. ...
been accounted for by the fact that
tUn denmon in crossing the river
about 30 miles an hour. In places
it took a zigzag course but bound
by an iinplacaldelaw of n ituri never
deverted from the general northeast
course. The first damage done was
at the Hughes residence where it
destroyed the home aud killed the
entire family of three. The next
residence struck was two miles futli
er on, then cames the houses McCoy
Colvills, Jos. Penland, G. W. Brake,
and G. D. Berry; the Outhill barn
sheds, buggy and implement, G. B.
Balstons residence, killing Mr. Rals-
ton and his wife and daughters.
Then came the J. W. Sledge aud
G. W. Sledge houses. Then the little
village of Lock eontisting of 2 stores
uchool house and Win. Ralston and
Mr. J ay lor s residences were wijied
out of existance. Then on the Four-
uientia farm three large buildings,
two threshers and about 30 cultivat
ors were gathered up and only
dropped from the grip of the mighty
monster after they had been twisted
into useless rubbish—a loss of about
$5,000. John Roberts house and
farm buildings were next visited
and totally destroyed, then the
Francis school house. The cyclone
then lifted and contented itself with
roaring until the mouth of Otter
Creek was reached. Here another
twister which had formed some lit-
tle distance south of there aud de-
stroyed the Burnett home on the
west side of North Fork united with
the one which had come so many
miles and they entered upon amerrv
waltz up Otter Creek, following up j and doors weighing
the creek until it takes a turn to thousand pounds wa
through and rnvoges in town were
told of before. After leaving town
it took the uudreWH farm buildings,
the Beardsley aud Peyton buildings
aud some others further on which
ucr gin. This is ilenniustrated by
the fact that an iron pump and pipe
were lifted from the well This
could not have occurred except in
the vacueiu which is always in the
center of such twisters.
Those who were to one side and
in ]HiHitiou to see the storm say it
was like u huge smoke hanging tail
down from the clouds wiggling
along as if seeking to touch aud
fasten onto everything in its tract.
Pictures aud papers which were
in the wrecked Nupyer houses have
been picked up in Caddo county on
the other side of Saddle Mouu tain
55 to (JO miles away.
Many acts of heroism wore enact-
ed which will never be chronicled.
One of the strongest was when Mrs.
Geo. W. Bailey with compound /ZfZ
fracture of ankle and bone protrud- '©A
iug through the fiesh, a fracture of
one hip aud tilled with punctures
made by slivers and nails crawled
to her husband's side and putting
her knee against his baek to assist
her pullod a piece of timber out of
We Can Save You Money.
By liojlmr pond* Ml nur •lore. One price to all, nn.1 that the lowest.
OCR MOTTO, \VF MIHKKPRKSKNI* NOTHING. \VK OVFR
CM A RUK AT NO TIMH. A fiyUARK DUAL ALWAYS. THK
POUCV OF OUR STORK IS TO BK HONKS I'. We *re auxiooa for
your trade. OUR PRICKS ASWAYS A I.ITTLK LOWKR AND
GOODS A LITTLE UKTTKIt THAN KL8BWIIKRK.
V* M CAN SUPPLY YOUR WANTS.
In KVKKI I’ll 1 Nil IN Ol)It LINK. Tilli ONI.Y HTOUK IN THIH
TAIIT OP THK POP NTH Y THAT <^.N HO IT.
SLANER & FLAXMAN. !§!
Hobart,
Oklahoma.
— uuA noti it piuuo ui Limner out oi
have not been reported at the office, j ^ back which hll(1 1)0eu drjven
The names and losses of Snyder through him, and when rescue
property owners cannot be given at
this time as a complete list has not
been made. This will be given in
a later opine as will other detailed
sailed in the air over the Sicnai,
came begged them to core for her Star building but remembers
husband first. j nothing from the time be was
The ghouls who robbed the dead j snatched from the door and some
and wounded didn’t got all the vul- J minutes after the storm when he
___1.1 ... X r i'ii x r i i -l OlYC urn l» nu 1 lin nn I I miwl/v l.ir 4 La
- ... ana woumiea didut get all the val- i unuuies oner uie siorm wneii ne
!Uttble8- Miss Matilda Murphy had'answered the call made by the
Z<Z xT' z
mittee, etc.
That all the killed ond injured
w ere so covered with a coat of bluck
slime as to bo unrecognizable was
heretofore mentioned. This has i
Aviinn iunwiutt aTI. HI j»Jl > mill .... .................
a little over 1700.00 on her person editor for parties whose house
when injured and Miss Lola Fd- llad been destroyed in that viein-
wards wore a diamond ring. In *ky> lleigel then talked and act-
many instances however valuables
were taken anil in some, rings of
ed as if very much dazed.
Two whole families were snuff
very little intrinsic value were tak- ed out of esixtance—the Fessen-
sucked up all the water" iu reach as en‘ A 8raa11 &oId WGtltlinS riu« den snd U. C. Jones familes. Of
well os all in Gif.er P.-onL- „.„i ti,„ which had been nearly worn out the Hibbard but one boy was
was taken from the finger of Mrs. L. 'left.
Coleman.
well ns all in Oiter Creek and the
ponds and lakes along the creek.
To this water was added all the
black slimy mud at the bottom of
the ponds scooping them out until
nothing but hard ground was left.
All of this was spread out upon its
Snyder victims giving them a most
J. W. McCart will live,
is minus an arm.
but ho
The youngest baby in town
was carried across tlio strict| At this writing Matilda Mars
and gently laid on the ground p|ly living but no hopes
L T fg 4
are entertained for her recovery.
without even a scratch.
the north west, where it left the
creek and began its journey straight
northeast across the prairie for Snv-
der. In it* tract this side of the
North Fork the tenant’s house on
the McCowan ranch was destroyed
and Roy Moss killed. The father
R. K. Moss had an arm broken and
his wife, non Earnest, daughter
hideous and repulsive appearance.
INCIDENTS.
Posts standing to one side of the
storm were driven full of straws aud
and small stems of wood—just as if
they were so many nails.
Iu the south-east corner of tho
Smnal-Stau building a narrow piece
of the thin end of a shingle was
driven as if it was so much irou, aud
it still remains there.
A heavy iron vault door frame
two or three
turn to thousand pounds was picked up and
father and mother, Floyd Hib-
tfJiad and wife wore more roughly
used though not seriously injur-
ed.
The Surgeons had to amputate a
foot,
Miss Alice Dunn is making a
brave light fer life. Her sweet
WHEN YOU DECIDE TO BUILD
It will Pay You to Figaro with
iJ.S.MA YelELD LUMBERCO.
j _____ ___
jmFIFY always have on hand a Well-Assorted 8lock of Lnm-
II her, Shingles, Doors and Windows, also Lime, Cement
|and Brick. Prices as Low ae can t>e made. Fair, Square
j Treatment and Satisfaction Guaranteed.
MORRISON, Manager.
befi ire
carried more than a block
dropped.
An upright piano was found 8 points,
miles from town sitting on the
prairie iu the same position as it
was when picked up by the cyclone,
The center of the storm
Hundreds of tel* grams weie uncomplaining disposition has
received by the committee asking endeared her to all tho hosbital
after people who were known to attendants,
have been near Snyder, I
The marshal of the town of An
ounty roner Burke did no adarko with a party of gentle-
ble work in caring for the dead, j men were modestly at work on
He took charge of the morgue OUr streets for two days. They f
and directed preparation of the' e and went unheralded and 'i
dies for burial. Through the;nono would have known who *
liberal use of ice lie was enabled 1 they were had they not have been r
to keep many bodies until their . recognized by one of our prouii £
relatiAes arrived from distantInent citizens. '?
$ Do You Need j
DRUGS AND MEDICIEE \
t
for which lie deserves
the thanks of all.
A. B. Seigal who was in the
telephone central office when the
Otany kind, If so
the place to get
them FRESH and
PUKE is at
Many men who came from r
oteer towns seeing our needs t
worked on our streets like com- £
____r...................... „mon laborers though w r h their #
storm began was snatched out,1*10'1* thousands. That was
The. Eagle Drugstore.
------— —. passed BWH iu u eg an was suaiciiea outl «"vu3a.,u-,. iiiau was a ^
acro6t. the railroad just between the 1 of the door and carried 2 blocks 'time when their hands could do j
old Midway restaurant and the Wag to the southeast. Hu must have ~c„„iin»wi 5
Stationery, Blank Books, School
Supplies and Druggists Sundries
always on hand.
V
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Allison, W. M. The Snyder Signal-Star. (Snyder, Okla.), Vol. 3, No. 25, Ed. 1 Friday, May 19, 1905, newspaper, May 19, 1905; Snyder, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc496316/m1/1/: accessed March 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.