FARMINGTON TIMES, Farmington, St. Francois County, Missouri, Thursday, April 20, 1911 DESTRUCTIVE CYCLONE IN LEAD BELT _________ Fifty or More Persons Injured, Eight or Ten Seriously -- Forty Houses Demolished or Wrecked -- Federal Lead Plant Damaged -- List of Injured _________ [The Lead Belt News furnishes the following complete account of the destructive tornado that swept over that portion of our county last Thursday afternoon. The Times' publication day being on Thursday, this paper was out before the storm occurred.] Fifty persons were injured, ten of them seriously, and great property loss was sustained Thursday afternoon about three o'clock when a cyclone swept from southwest of Elvins, cutting a swath fifty yards wide from the East Hill section, across the Federal Lead Company's property and through a portion of Norwine Town in Flat River. The storm passed on to Esther, where five houses were damaged and two persons slightly injured. The scene of the storm's path is practically one of complete ruin, there being not less than forty houses either wholly demolished or wrecked beyond use. The Federal Lead Company sustained a heavy loss, and many of its officials, who were in the company office on Federal Hill at the time, had narrow escapes from injury or death. The old mill and plant of the Federal is entirely out of commission, much of the machinery being wrecked beyond repair. New material has been ordered by wire from New York, Chicago and St. Louis. FLYING TIMBERS HURT MANY Of the fifty injured, practically all received wounds on the head, chiefly from flying timbers, glass and broken furniture. The heavy percentage of women and children injured is accounted for by the fact that most of the men were at work in the mines when the storm struck, or were just coming off shift. Many of the men returned to their homes to find them destroyed and in many instances their wives and children injured. CYCLONE FOLLOWS HAIL STORM About 2:30 p.m. a severe hail storm broke over the entire lead belt and continued for thirty minutes. Some of the stones measured two and one-half inches in diameter. Just at the conclusion of the hail storm the cyclone cloud appeared without warning from southwest of Elvins, sweeping to the northeast with a roar exceeding that of a fast train. The cloud was of the typical funnel shape, very black and fringed with white. The lower end of the spiral swept a path about fifty yards wide. It first struck southwest of Elvins, where former Justice of the Peace G. W. Porter and Sid Stricklin were injured. East Hill, Elvins, was the next place to suffer; then Bulgarian town. The new mill of the Federal Lead Company was in the path of the storm and here the chats conveyor was wrecked and many window lights broken. The canvas plant of the Federal was blown around and Phillip Jarrett and Eugene Papin were caught under it. Jarrett was severely hurt and was removed to his home near Farmington. A mule was killed at this point, being pinned to the earth with heavy timbers. The old mill of the Federal, which was next in the storm's path, was heavily damaged. The chats conveyor was absolutely wrecked and the large wooden tank was blown into the power house, demolishing the large Irondale engine. All of the buildings were more or less damaged. The smoke stacks were blown down and a box car was blown from the track in the Federal yards. Many of the men had narrow escapes from flying timber. John C. Haney, at Mill No. 3, was severely cut in the head by a flying timber. In the Federal office at the time were gathered practically all of the officials, including Manager H. A. Guess, Superintendent C. J. Adami, Assistant Superintendent Johnson, Parkhurst Sleeth, Harry Horn, P. J. O'Neal, H. C. Washburn and others. Windows in the office were blown in and shingles torn in great bunches from the roof. The men expected to see the office go at any moment and the majority of them were very badly frightened. The group of houses just across the road from the Federal office were practically all wrecked, three being totally demolished. It was here that William Wiles and Mrs. Rabideaux were injured. The Wiles house was picked up and thrown in a heap against the house occupied by John Pipkin. Wiles and Mrs. Rabideaux were crushed in the wreckage of the house. The storm passed on to Esther, but had expended the most of its force on Federal Hill, and but little damage was done. On East Hill, Elvins, the damage was most complete and it was here that twenty-four persons were injured, some of them severely. Nine houses were completely swept away, there being nothing on the ground to indicate where they stood. Several others were demolished. The Elvins injured are in a temporary hospital adjoining the Howell store. In Bulgarian Town, near No. 6 shaft of the Federal Lead Company, eight persons were injured, several seriously. THE INJURED -- AT FLAT RIVER Those injured on Federal Hill, with the extent of their injuries, are as follows: William Wiles, back broken, probably fatally injured. Mrs. Robideaux, mother-in-law of Mr. Wiles, seriously injured about head. Miss Kely Pipkin, cut on forehead by flying timber. Mrs. Cora Smith, head cut by glass. Lehmann Wilson, 4-year-old son of L. S. Wilson, head cut. Velva Wilson, 8-year-old daughter of L. S. Wilson, head cut. Mrs. William Laws, head cut. Mrs. Frank LaRose, head bruised and cut. LaRose, small child of Mrs. LaRose, head bruised and cut. Mrs. Lillie Delaney, deep cut on forehead. Mrs. Nellie Mills, head bruised. Albert Benedict, 28 years old, arm broken and head and back bruised. Robert Benedict, 12 years old, back injured. John C. Haney, gash on side of head. Philip Jarette, head and arm bruised; side injured. Eugene Papin, head and foot bruised; side injured. ELVINS (EAST HILL) INJURED Those injured in Elvins (East Hill), with the extent of their injuries, are as follows: Mrs. William Perry; internally injured, condition serious. Gilbert Perry, cut and bruised. Etta Perry, cut and bruised. Gordon Perry, cut and bruised. William Perry, Jr., cut and bruised. Dempsey Perry, arm and shoulders badly bruised. Rachel Perry, cut and bruised. William Adams, internally injured; condition serious. Mrs. William Adams, left ankle broken. Gladys Adams, cut and bruised. Edith White, cut and bruised. Sarah White, cut and bruised. Irvin White, right leg broken. Edna Mauk, 2 years old, right leg badly shattered. Mandy Mauk, cut and bruised. Delia Mauk, cut and bruised. Mrs. Gus Wady, crushed, condition serious. Mrs. Joseph Gann, cut and bruised. Mrs. Charles Gann, cut and bruised. Child of Mrs. Gann, seriously bruised. Mrs. Lee Hurry and three children; all slightly injured. Mrs. William Vandyke, head bruised and cut. Julius Wady, 3-year-old son of Gus Wady; face crushed. INJURED SOUTH OF ELVINS In the storm to the southwest of Elvins several persons are reported to have been injured, among them being the following: Former Justice of the Peace G. W. Porter; reported serious; lives on a farm two miles southwest of Elvins. Sidney Stricklin, living on same farm with Judge Porter; also badly hurt. INJURED IN ESTHER Mrs. John Hart, cut and bruised. INJURED IN BULGARIAN TOWN Peter Donald, 30 years old, head cut and bruised. Peter Christ, 35 years old, head cut and bruised. Charley Martin, 43 years old, head cut and bruised. Steve Vanno, 40 years old, head cut and bruised. August Mourlin, 43 years old, injured in neck. Marie Susack, 19 years old, seriously injured. Katie Hudak, 22 years old, side, back and hand burned. Katie Hudak, infant, badly burned. THE PROPERTY DAMAGE -- FLAT RIVER Federal Lead Company: Power House at Mill No. 1 badly wrecked, much of the machinery being broken; large wooden tank wrecked at Mill No. 1; chats conveyor from No. 4 shaft to Mill No. 1 completely wrecked; canvas plant for recovery of lead from slimes wrecked; small buildings blown down or moved from foundations; office building badly damaged, partially unroofed and windows broken, and smoke-stacks down. Minor damages at shafts No. 6 and 7. Windows broken in new mill. Messages for new supplies were filed by the Federal Thursday night for transmission to St. Louis and New York. Houses occupied by the following persons were either completely demolished or badly wrecked: William Wiles, totally demolished. Frank LaRose, totally demolished. Albert Benedict, totally demolished. Badly damaged: John Pipkin, William Laws, Stanley Pipkin, James Boyd, Sid Gordon, Geo. Vandergriff, Lem Wilson, Ed Baker, Mrs. Nellie Mills, Elmer Smith, J. D. Jones, Barbier, William Hopkins, James Orr, E. R. Wilson, Pink Rhodes, John Delaney. THE PROPERTY DAMAGE AT ELVINS EAST HILL Houses occupied by the following families were completely demolished and blown away: James Henley, wife and two children at home; no one hurt. Joseph Gann, wife at home; slightly hurt. Charles Gann, wife and one child at home; both injured. Robert Gann, wife at home; not injured. Lee Hurry, wife and three children at home; all slightly hurt. Gus Welty, wife and two children at home; no one hurt. John Kennard, wife at home; uninjured. William Tandyke, wife and little girl at home; wife slightly injured. Russell Cunningham, wife and four children at home; no one injured. William Adams; wife and three children at home; all injured. William Perry wife and six children at home; all injured, two seriously. Gus Wady, wife, Laura Wady, and son, Julius, at home; both seriously injured, Mrs. Wady probably fatally. PROPERTY DAMAGE IN BULGARIAN TOWN In Bulgarian Town near No. 6 shaft of the Federal Lead Company, the wind struck with particular fury and about twelve houses were wrecked. The damage to the company's property was not heavy here. PROPERTY DAMAGE IN ESTHER Charles Burks, house demolished. John Hart -- house occupied also by Charles Hart, turned over and wrecked. R. Duncan, store moved from foundation. Crawley Shaft of the St. Joseph Lead Company out of commission immediately following storm because of breaking of wire carrying the current from Doe Run Shaft No. 15. The underground men are out and the water is said to be partially flooding the workings. DEVASTATION BY ELEMENTS WIDESPREAD The cyclone that swept the Lead Belt last Thursday was but part of the devastating work of a disturbed condition of the elements that was felt in three States. In our almost immediate vicinity, besides the damage done at Elvins and Flat River, the tornado waged with great violence at Valle Mines, wrecking buildings, uprooting and blowing down trees, and it is reported three persons were killed there. This latter, however, has not been verified. The little town of Cadet was practically blown away, every house and barn in the town being wrecked or damaged. Here Mrs. Mary Coleman was killed and fourteen others injured. The same afternoon St. Louis was visited by a tornado, which killed three persons and injured fifty or more, and damaged property to the amount of $3,000,000. Hail and rain accompanied the tornadoes in every place, jagged chunks of ice half as large as a man's hand falling in many places. At Plummersville, Ark., three men were killed, and at Van Buren the roofs of houses were broken in by hail and immense damage done to crops. The day before (Wednesday) three towns in Kansas were cyclone swept, 13 persons killed and over 50 injured, while the farms along the track of tornado were suffered greatly. Joplin, Mo., was also visited by this tornado; much damage was done to property, and one man was picked up in the street, carried about 100 yards and dashed against a building, probably fatally injured him, while a half dozen others were more or less seriously hurt. IN REYNOLDS COUNTY The cyclone struck there at 2:30 p.m. from a southeast direction, going northwest, destroying farm residences and barns and blowing down trees. It is estimated that the timber loss is from 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 feet. The first to suffer in the storm's course was John Farris, whose barn was wrecked, then George May's residence with all its contents, the family taking refuge in a storm cellar. Another house on the Vanover place; the residence of James Weible was destroyed, the family taking refuge in the barn which was to one side of the track of the storm. Then the Warrens, new comers, who had just built a two-story frame. The family took refuge in a cellar, but a heavy cook stove struck the top of it and crashed through, but luckily none of them were hurt. Below the Warren's, Wm. and Jim Gober, two old men, lived, and two girls were in the house with them; the thigh of one of the little girls was broken and Gober was injured in the back. The school house near by was blown away. Avery Tate and family saw the storm coming and started to run out of its track, but the storm was soon on them and they lay down on the ground and tried to hold together, but the wind caught them and handled them roughly. Netta, a grown daughter, was thrown 50 feet and dangerously hurt, receiving a double fracture of the lower jaw on the left side and her left leg was punctured by a limb or snag; the wife had the left leg broken and was otherwise injured, the others escaping with only slight injuries. Their dwelling house, barn, crib and all outhouses were blown away, their best horse killed and another crippled so that he had to be killed. He lost nearly everything. Fowls were killed, the feathers in some instances being blown off of them.