Death In Cyclone

[genealogynut]

The Courant
May 31, 1917

Mrs. Henry Mayne is Crushed By the Awful Whirlwind

Much Destruction of Property, Crops and Stock

Friday afternoon, May 25, shortly after 5 o'clock, storm clouds were seen forming west and north of Howard.  They appeared to be rain clouds, but moved very rapidly, indicating wind high in the air.  There was no wind in town, although some rain fell.  There was an unusual warmth of temperature, and with the aerial disturbance plainly visible, everyone felt that there was trouble in the elements.  The clouds appeared to assemble and pack together to the northwest, and then they moved to the east.  Rain falling between town and where they seemed to be the thickest prevented our seeing anything of the cyclone formation, but as they moved toward the neighborhood northeast of town, a roaring noise was plainly heard in town.

Very shortly after the clouds had moved away northeast, reports of the devastation began to reach town, and very soon it was known, the Mrs. S. H. Mayne had been killed and others seriously hurt.  Many wild rumors of death and disaster were heard and nearly all the autos in town tried to go to the scenes of destruction, but as the wind was followed by a very heavy rain, and the roads were full of uprooted trees, many turned back.

It was soon ascertained that Mrs. Mayne was the only one killed near Howard. Mrs. Mary Wells suffered a broken hip, and Alfa Myers, a 12 year old boy, had some bones broken.

The following details of the track of the storm are taken from yesterday's Citizen:

The storm started about four miles northwest of Howard, about 5:30 Friday evening and traversed for several miles in a due east course.  Buildings on the farms of W. R. Dunkelberger and C. T. Baughman were slightly damaged but the first serious damage was on the S. H. Houghton farm, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Young.  This place is three miles due north of the Howard depot.  The house, barn and all outbuildings were destroyed on this farm and Mr. Young lost a mule and several of his horses were badly crippled.  Crops and fences were destroyed.

The house and barns on Mrs. Abbie Adams farm were damaged somewhat, and trees and fences were torn up.   Two different cyclones formed on this place, but fortunately they passed on both sides of the building. Jim Hupp is the tenant.

Mr. and Mrs. John Hebb who live on the Charley Williams farm, north of the poor farm, were the next victims of the storm.  They ran and crawled under a culvert, and thus perhaps saved their lives, as their home was completely demolished.  They suffered the loss of two horses, and other fences and crops.

Otho Elliott, just north of the Williams farm, was in the path of the storm.  The house was removed from the foundation and other buildings and fences damaged.

The buildings on the farms of W.P. and C.E. Heisler were damaged, but they were not in the direct path of the storm.

On the Coonrod and Williams places was a hedge fence running east and west.  This fence was forty or fifty years old and was perhaps the biggest hedge fence in the county.  These great trees were poulled up by the roots and many of them carried a long distance.

A mile east of the Williams farm is the Mrs. H. S. Douthitt farm occupied by the Myres families, Lewis Myers and wife and son Alpha, a lad about 13 years old and George Myers and his wife and babe.  George Myers is a son of Lewis Myers.  The house, barn, and all the outbuildings on this farm wre swept away, and all members of the famiy were injured.  The worst of those injured was Alpha Myers, who suffered a broken collar bone and received some deep cuts on the head.  The Myers family lost five head of horses besides three that were injured.  One calf was killed and all of their chickens.  This farm was swept clean of every thing, even the fences and crops. Only a couple of months ago the Myers family lost their home and contents in a storm.

Ed Maxey, wife and little daughter, who live just east of the Myers home on the Lawrence farm, escaped with their lives thoughthey had a close call.  The house was twisted and torn and the force of the storm was such that the little girl inside of the house was thrown violently to the floor.  Ed had four horses badly injured, and his crops, outbuildings, and fences were destroyed.

The I.N. Kling home south of Maxey's was damaged, and several big trees torn our by the roots.

The Fairview school house, just across the road west of Klings was slightly damaged.

East of the Maxey's is the Henry Mayne farm, where Mrs. Mayne lost her life.  Here the destruction was complete, the accumulative of nearly a life time were piled in a worthless heap and a home broken up.

Just east of the Mayne farm is the farm owned by Mrs. Mary J. Wells.  It is occupied by Mrs. Wells and son, and also by her daughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Lew Hebb and baby. The house and buildings on this farm are a complete wreck. Mrs. Wells was dangerously injured, her hip was broken and she was badly bruised.  Mrs. Hebb and her week old babe were carried out of the house and some distance and piled under a tree.  Although they were covered with mud, niether were seriously injured.

Bert Clark was the next victim of the Storm King.  His house was removed, barn torn down, one horse killed and three crippled.

Chas. Kling suffered some severe bruises.  He and his wife were carried some distance, and over two wire fences.  The house and barn were destroyed and two of his horses injured.

The house and barn on the Dave Morgan farm was blown down, also the barn on the John Morgan farm.

The house and barn on the Mrs. Cummings farm were destroyed, as were the barn and outbuildings on the Cliff Dershem farm.

Perry Dempsey's barn is down and his Ford missing.

The barn on the Kincaid farm was blown down.

The W. P. Flock house was damaged also the barn and furniture in the house.

The big barn on the John Woodall farm was destroyed and much other damage done.

James Woodall's house, barn and buildings were all destroyed and Mr. Woodall's loss from killed and injured stock is heavy.

T. I. Woodall and his fine Herefords out in the pasture here and his loss is very heavy.  Some 19 of the animals were killed or injured.  As they were valued at from $100 to $500 per head it will be seen he suffered a heavy loss.

Bert Staley lost his barn and contents; Kanar, house and barn;  Sallee, house and barn; Ryan, barn; Al Sallee, barn; Bidwell, house and barn; house and barn on the old John Thompson  farm;  Seaton house and barn; just one-fourth mile south of Fall River.

The house and big barns on the James Fritzmorris farm southeast of Fall River were destroyed and also the Catholic church in that neighborhood.

Other losses over in Wilson county were on the Burr, Shinkle, Chisham, Fiscus, and Nicholson farms. The storm continued over to Chanute, Humboldt and on east.

The nearest the storm came to Howard was on the Vice farm, two miles northeast, where the house was missed but five big apple trees just east of the house were uprooted, and at the B. B. Hughes farm where a hay barn was blown down.

A heavy rain accompanied the wind.   Great crowds visited the scene of the storm Saturday and thousands would have been attracted there Sunday but for the heavy rain that made the roads all but impassable.  The usual freaks of the cyclone are in evidence such as blowing straw into telephone poles, etc.  There was no wind in Howard, though about the time of the storm the air was sickly hot for a few minutes.

There were three babies in this storm and all escaped srious injury.

Mrs. Mary Wells and the Myers boy are the most seriously injured.

[genealogynut]

Here is a picture that was taken after the cylcone that was taken of John T. Morgan's barn, who was my grandfather.  The other half.