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It was the first cyclone that has ever
visited Seneca and may the "Lord look upon us" and never send
another like that one. Seneca was looked upon as being cyclone
proof, but she has surely lost its charm.
The cyclone entered the city from the
southwest, first feeding on the Fair Grounds and the southwest
corner of town and then going north near the depot to Rafol's,
then northeast slightly below the Scrafford' second edition.
There are few homes in the city that are not
slightly damaged and the flue or chimney of nearly every house
was blown off.
The fair grounds suffered a total lost;
sheds, stables, floral hall, exhibit hall and all are a mass of
ruins.
The Grand Opera House an elegant structured
40 by 135 feet equipped by electricity and gas, seating
capacity of one thousand is s total wreck and lays flat on
the ground. estimated lost $10,000.
The fine court house is completely
demolished. The cyclone took out the entire center of the west
side and most of the east side, leaving the both ends standing
erect, though badly shattered. Roofs all gone and the cupolas
blown into a large pile of ruins. It is a complete wreck and we
hope the Board of Commissioners will not be short sighted
enough to try and repair the old structure for if they do it
will always be a rickety old trap. While it is a lost to the
county of $25,000, yet the Court House never cost the county a
cent, as it was built by Lappin and Scrafford. They built the
first one and when it was destroyed by fire the insurance
company built the present one.
If it was one thing about the city that our
people generally felt proud of it was the fine grove of
ornamental trees that gave Seneca the appearance of being
located in a veritable wood land; Shade trees and fruit trees
that people have been caring for years are nearly all torn out
by the roots and carried from their original location.
A terrible storm swept over this city at
about 6:30 o'clock last Sunday evening , leaving destruction,
death and devastation in it's wake. Sunday afternoon the sky was
covered with heavy dark clouds which seemed to overspread the
entire canopy of the heavens. About 4 o'clock light peals of
thunder were heard and the potential for a good rain, but the
air gradually took on a peculiar temperature and became
somewhat sultry.
We heard several remarks that the air seemed
"cyclonish," but the people who made such remarks were regarded
as cranks or wandering Willies. About half past five the clouds
from opposite directions seemed to move to one concentrated
point. This procedure was slow and easy. Finally, several miles
west of town, a huge bank of dark cloud took a definite potion
and it stood out like a peninsula extending it the sea. This
clouds were apparently the bartering ram of the elements. It's
nose was pointed southwest while it's long bulky body was
pointed northeast towards the city. Small clouds would emerge
from some invisible spot and move slowly along the right side
huge but instant they reached the point of nose of this aerial
demon and followed a line like a letter C, were carried back
into its body where they would disappear as if taken under the
wing of the large cloud. This sort of play by the elements
continued for a while and the cloud that moved out became larger
and finally the nose of the cloud or monster would bend around
a bit in hanging onto a cloud that was driven by it's nose and
the cloud after passing the point of the cloud came back in
usual C line, but began to dive under the big cloud and come
around again on the other side. People who saw this were not
long in making up their minds of what was taking place. The
point of the big cloud kept bending the point of it nose around
farther and farther after the small clouds in their circulation
rout. It seemed as if the big cloud was filling up and preparing
for some terrible fray. Finally, the nose of the heavy clouded
monster hung onto a train of small clouds in the circulation
rout and gradually the whole bulk of the big cloud followed the
nose into the whirl. The whole mass moved around for a while and
took a shot for the ground, the clouds took the shape of a
funnel. This shape would shoot down and then raise up again as
if it were elastic, finally the point went to the ground and
instantly dirt, boards, shrubbery, etc rose in to a
disbelieved mass into the air and the cyclone was a reality.
The cyclone started on the C. R. Bassett
farm about three miles southwest of town and took a direct line
to the city. There was a terrible rumbling noise and people
begin running in every direction to seek a place of safety.
They packed cellars and caves and realized the terror was
approaching and knew it was breathing hell's furry. The light
was of a strange quality. It seemed like a soft Calcium
effulgence. Houses began to crash; chimneys and trees toppled
over and general aerial pandemonium prevailed. Trees stock and
debris went sailing through the air. The cyclone lasted about
five minutes, but it seemed like an hour. Then there was calm
and people timid and weak from fear emerged from their places
and to inspect the damage. Such a sight.
Destruction was everywhere and cries of the
injured and supplications of the homeless were enough to the
hardens heart.
Instantly, hundreds of people were on the
grounds and the dead and injured were taken in care and removed
and taken to the homes of more fortunate citizens. Women
fainting and frantic moving about the streets and everything
was in confusion and excitement. Side walks were swept away and
what remained were blocked with trees and debris and the
streets were almost impassable but the surging determined mass
of humanity soon had pathways cut through the fences, trees and
debris and people were making the rounds viewing the ruins.
Mothers with their children crouched about them were ringing
their hands and crying over the death of one of the family or
some member injured or perhaps the little home swept away. And
all the household goods swept to the four winds. Men were busy
removing the wreckage and freed those caught in it or
imprisoned in cellars. The face of many brave men were pail and
moistened with tears at the horrible sight; - pictures of
destruction and ruin which will never fade from their memory.
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Four people were killed
outright, many injured and may miraculously escaped instant
death. Indeed many statements of narrow escape seem almost in
creditable and the wonder is that no more people were
killed. If the cyclone had occurred at night hundreds would
have been killed who thus escaped.
It is an incalculable damage
to Seneca and it will be years before she will recover from the
effect and the devastation before the region again built up.
The lost sustained by the city will be $250,000.00.
Many families are without
homes, household goods, and almost without clothing and are left
penniless. It is upon these that this awful calamity falls
with a heavy hand and not alone our most fortunate citizens,
but people living about Seneca, should extend the hand of
charity and assist the hand of charity, and assist these
sufferers. Here in the city the spirit of charity was manifest
from the very moment the awful destruction occurred and the
hospitality of our citizens is commendable.
The killed here in the city
are: Wilber Vorhes , Lela Connet Willis Connet and Frank
Assenmcher.
The injured are: Mr. and Mrs. Jus Parceils, David Dabler,
Little girl of Grand Dabler, Little boy of Jack Brown, W. T.
Belshaw, Ann Manovski, Rose Karnovski, A. Hawley, M. E. Vorhes,
M. R. Connet, A. M. Sams, Henry Kampart Sr., G. W. Plummer,
Will Assenmacher, Ed. Assenmacher, M. and Mrs. W. H. Young,
Mr. Milton Hobbs, Miss Eva Hobbs, John Phillips, Mrs. Daniel
White's Mother, Jas Larew Sr.
Editors
Note: The "Seneca Tribune" listed only the four above four as
killed however The "Courier-Tribune" listed an additional four
more people as killed, they being
Ruby Sherrard, Zera Sherrard,
Adrey Sherrard, Mrs. Jacob Meisner, Hatty Bahne, Mrs. Jacob
Kotte, Ellen Carey and W. C. Machamer,
Plus
injured as two Kotte children, Laronzo D. Hawley, W. H. Young,
Mrs. W. H. Young.
Would
this be because these people were colored people. More on this
later.
One of the most destructive
wrecks especially on account of the lost of life was the
destruction of the home of M. E. Vorhes joining neighbors. When
they realized that a cyclone was about to make its debut, they
sought places of safety. There being no cellar to the Connet
house, Mr. Vorhes asked them over there and Connet and his
family started for the Vorhes house to get into the cellar. Mrs.
Nifer and children also came running into the house and Mr.
Vorhes had already got his wife and children, Mrs. Connet and
Mrs. Nipher and her children in the cellar and was in the act
of getting the other children in where the house was wrecked
and the furies of the storm danced on wreck in hellish glee over
its victory. Mrs. Connet and Mrs. Voghes who were in the cellar
as soon as the storm was over. They picked up Willie Connet age
11 years from the cellar way and laid him on a box in the cellar
and then discovered he was dead. Both woman in a fainting
condition emerged from the cellar and began swinging their hands
and crying. The storm had passed over and both women were
screaming, attracted the attention of J. P Sams who was
extricating his horses from the wreckage of his stables. He left
his horses and ran to the assistance of the women. At a glance
he took in the terrible sight. He saw one child, Roy Vorhes ,
pined in the ruins and began to extricate him. After pulling
several of the planks and boards away, to his surprise the
little fellow was alive and began to scramble out. Close to him
in the ruins were two other children, Wilber Vorhes, age 11 and
Lela Connet, age 14. They were dead having died in each others
arms, the girl having her arms about the boys neck. After much
difficulty these bodies were extracted from the wreckage.
Next and right in front of
them with his back almost on the dead children, lay Mr. Voches.
He was securely pinned in the debris, one leg lay on top of
stringer and several large pieces of timber lay on top of his
leg holding him firmly. Mr. Sams then went to cutting away and
removing the debris and finally rescued him. The timber that
freed Voches also released Mr. Connet, and he began to crawl out
of the mass of ruins and was raised to his feet by Mr. Sams.
Mr. Viches was was pretty badly hurt but not seriously and Mr.
Cornnet was only slightly bruised.
At Pete Asseumacher's only the
three boys were at home. When the storm began the boys tried to
shut the doors, preparing to going to the cellar but were to
slow. As Frank Asseumacher came out of the bedroom into the
living room, a piece of timber was driven in the south door,
striking him on the back of the shoulder blade, inflicting a an
ugly gash and a mortal wound from which he died in a few
minutes. Just as Will Asswumacher started to come into the north
door of the house a current of air struck him and carried him
300 feet. He says part of the time he was on the ground and part
of the time in the air. He was badly bruised. Ed Assumacher was
struck on the hand and head by flying debris and badly hurt.
Note by web
page editor. This was a sad and devastating ordeal for Seneca.
When reporting the dollar lost it seem very small to today's
values, however it would take a lot of calculation to figure it
in today's money. A home's value then was the value of a home
now in regard to number of hours of labor it took to pay for
their homes. Therefore a loss of $1000 could be more like a
thousand time that, or $100,000 now and perhaps more. There is
much more to this story in this paper and later editions. Where
does one stop on such a story. Some of the details are mixed in
the history on other pages. There is indeed much more that
could be added and perhaps later that will happen.
How much
did this tornado slow down the growth of our town? No one will
ever know. Let us say a prayer and ask God that a tornado
like this should never again be repeated in our city of
Seneca.
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