Barber County KS Archives News.....Cyclone Kills B. B. Allen & Sarenda Hughes and David Shumate April 20, 1883 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Debra Crosby http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002467 February 7, 2020, 5:52 am Columbus Courier (Columbus, KS) Apr 26, 1883 Pg 3 April 20, 1883 Horrible Death of Mrs. Shumate The Kansas City Journal of yesterday publishes the following correspondence from Medicine Lodge, which will be sad news to the people of this city where the Widow Shumate lived so long. The Mr. Allen that was killed was Mrs. Shumate's son-in- law and the husband referred to is evidently one of Mrs. Shumate's sons, either Joseph or David, as Mrs. Shumate was still a widow: Medicine Lodge--April 23--On Friday night at about twelve o'clock m Sun City, a little town in the north-west part of the county, and twenty five miles from the Lodge was visited by a terrible tornado, which almost entirely destroyed several buildings. Two stocks of goods belonging respectively to Mr. O. H. Douglas and F. J. Saunders were badly damaged. The storm came from the north-west and raised a little before reaching the town, which accounts for the fact that the town was not entirely destroyed. On Turkey creek some two miles northwest of Sun City the tornado was most violent and destructive in its course. It stuck a house occupied by Mr. Allen and Mr. Allen and family and also by a man and wife by the name of Shumate. Mr. Allen and Mr. Shumate and wife were all killed. Mrs. Allen and the children were more or less injured. Mrs. Shumate's brains were dashed out and he [sic] was otherwise mutilated. Mr. Shumate was found some 200 yards from the house and in a horribly mangled condition. This is undoubtedly the worst storm which has visited this section for years. The track of the tornado was narrow, being variously reported at from forty to eighty yards in width. ----------------- Kingman County Citizen (Kingman,KS) Thu Apr 26, 1883 pg 4 THE CYCLONE In Barbour County The following report of the tornado in Barber county we glean from the Cresset: "The cyclone came with a whirring noise, but the majority of the people were soundly wrapped in slumber and heard it not, till roused by the crashing of broken timbers, unroofed houses, heavy, sharp strokes of thunder rolling through the air with lightning rapidity, all telling in an instant the terrible destruction that must follow in the wake of that seething, howling cloud. "It is evident that the cloud was not sweeping the ground when it passed over Sun City, from the fact that all log buildings were blown off at about the same height, and other houses simply unroofed. The indications are that the cloud struck the ground with full force, at a point near the brown of the hill, about a half mile north of the town, then bounded, and did not strike again till beyond Pierce's. in the Turkey creek valley. "The storm came and passed in a minute, without warning to the sleeping inmates until the destruction was past and gone. The storm track was narrow, from forty to eighty rods. Where it passed through the timber the trees were stripped of their bark, limbs twisted off, and large trees uprooted. "The storm cloud was now sweeping across the valley with terribly destructive fury, and in its very center was the residence of B. B. Allen. Mrs. Shumate, the mother-in-law, David Shumate, a brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Allen and their three children were the occupants. In the twinkling of an eye the house was caught up and crushed and torn into a million pieces. The dead bodies of Mrs. Shumate, David Shumate and B. B. Allen were found from one to three hundred yards distant, stripped of their clothing. The path of the storm was littered with fragments of flesh, bone, hair and brains. The top of Mrs. Shumate's head was blown off even with the lower jaw, here limbs broken and flesh torn. David Shumate was found beneath the waters of Turkey creek, badly mangled and torn. Allen had both legs and one arm broken, but was not badly disfigured. Mrs. Allen, Willie, Ollie and the baby were found in the basement, injured but still alive. "A heavy, new lumber wagon was completely torn to pieces and scattered in every direction. A cow was found with a rail driven entirely through her body. A number of head of stock were found dead and wounded. A feather bed was found, but little injured, in the top of a tree. "No words can portray the terrible reality of the ghastly scene presented, when the morning sun crept over the hills and lighted the little valley, so snugly nestled there. Kind neighbors gathered the mangled bodies together and sought to assuage the grief and loneliness of the widow and orphans, in their hour of such terrible bereavement, but neither time nor friends can repair the havoc made by the fiend of the storm." ----------------- Barber County Index Fri Apr 27, 1883 pg 4 CYCLONE It Strikes Sun City, and Three Persons Killed, and Others More or Less Injured. Houses Blown Down and Destruction Follows in its Wake Sun City, a thriving village twenty-five miles west of this place, was visited Friday night by a cyclone that almost destroyed the town. It blew down or damaged the main business houses in the town, consisting of two general supply stores, one hotel, livery stable, blacksmith shops, etc. Our informant says the storm struck the town from the southeast about half past eleven, Friday night. There was a fierce gust of wind, a momentary calm, a sudden crush, and the work was done. Houses were blown down or unroofed, timbers and bricks filled the air, men, women and children alike uttered an almost death-like cry as they were either picked bodily up and blown blocks away, or their houses unroofed, the contents snatched as if by unseen human hands, while the rain fell in torrents. The sky seemed a mass of flame; the wind blew a strong gale, which rendered locomotion almost impossible. Neighboring houses which could be seen by the lightning flashes were reached, and the hospitality of the inmates knew no bounds under these circumstances. The coming of daylight was awaited with anxiety akin to fear, lest it reveal the mangled corpses of neighbors and kinsmen. At last it came, and, to the surprise and joy of all, the inhabitants of the little town were safe. But the destruction of property was to be seen everywhere. The store house of F. J. Saunders, a frame building 25x75 feet, is almost a total wrech. The roof is gone, walls either down or in a tumbling condition, merchandises drenched and scattered over the country for a quarter of a mile in the course of the storm. The store house of C. H. Douglass, a frame building, was unroofed, and goods damaged and scattered over the country. Saunders hotel and the livery stable were unroofed. The residence of Jennie Fishburn, a log house, in which was kept a millinery stock, was blown down and the contents almost entirely blown away or destroyed. The residence of Mrs. Hookster was unroofed. Three unoccupied houses were entirely demolished. Early in the morning word reached the town that the residence of Mr. Wilson was blown down and the family more or less injured; also the residence of Benjamin Allen, and a part of the family were missing. A committee of willing ones started at once for the scene. As it proceeded up Turkey creek the force of the storm had been demonstrated wherever it met and object that offered resistance. The residence of Mr. Wilson bore but little resemblance of a human habitation. The roof was gone, both ends, windows, doors, and household effects all gone. The family are more or less injured and their escape is a miracle. Half a mile further on was the spot where Allen's house had stood. Nothing remained except the basement. A search in the timber some fifty yards distant revealed the fearfully mutilated and lifeless body of Mrs. Shumate, nearly all of the head having been beaten off by the timber. A little further on was Allen, whose disfigured face and broken legs and arms told the story of his death. In the bed of Turkey creek young David Shumate was found. His body indicated that life had been extinct before he reached the creek. Certainly the death in each case was instantaneous and without warning. Mrs. Allen was found at Daniel Pierce's, nearby, badly hurt; her daughter, four or five years old, is badly injured, but will recover; a son, aged fourteen years, is injured interally, and his recovery is doubtful. The bodies were removed to Sun City school house and by loving hands tenderly prepared for the grave. Sunday morning the bodies were taken to Mr. Pierce's, where a large concourse of people had gathered, and Mrs. Allen looked for the last time at the mutilated remains of mother, husband and brother. After an impressive discourse by Rev. J. M. Adams, the bodies were interred in the cemetery near Sun City. Mrs. Shumate was about 58 years old; David Shumate 24, and Benjamin Allen 39. The trail of the storm was about one hundred yards wide, and along the streams the timber, as was the case with houses and fences, succumbed to the force of the storm. A branch of the storm went up Mulberry creek, and demoished the house of Isaac Bailey and severely injured his aged mother. Arrangements are being made to at once rebuild the houses destroyed at Sun City, which indicates that the loss of property does not in the least discourage the business man of the little city. LATER SUN CITY, April 26, 1883 The injured are all better and in a fair way to recover. No trace of the storm is found far from its passage across Turkey creek. A strong force of hands has been at work in town repairing damages. Douglas' store has been inclosed and is almost as good as new. Saunders will build "from the stump." He will erect a first-class two story building as soon as he can get the lumber on the ground. People have got over their scare and will build good and substantial buildings in the place of those destroyed. X Additional Comments: 1875 State Census Salamanca Cherokee Co. KS S M Shumate 43 Ark moved here from Texas Sarinda Hughs Carter Shumate J T McCormack 30 KY detective T W Shumate 17 Ark moved here from TX Bell Shumate 15 Ark moved here from TX Joseph Shumate 13 Ark moved here from TX David Shumate 11 TX moved here from TX Wm J Hill 38 MD (medical doctor?) Mary Hill 31 Theresa Hill 2 [Can not find Sarinda in 1870 but she is not deceased as she shows up in the 1875 census of Cherokee County with sons and daughter, but sons and daughter show up in the house with their sister Miriam Elizabeth] 1870 Spring Valley, Cherokee, Kansas Benjamin B Allen 21 TX Miriam E Allen 19 AR [Miriam Elizabeth Carter/Shumate Allen] William Allen 1 KS Thomas Shumate 12 AR Bell Shumate 9 AR [Clarabelle Shumate] daughter of Calvin & Sarenda Joseph Shumate 8 AR David Shumate 6 TX (Went to Texas between 1860 - 1870 as indicated by son Joseph W. Shumate who gives an interview in Woodward Co. Oklahoma and David's birth being listed as Texas) 1860 Prairie, Washington, Arkansas Aaron Hughs 59 TN Nancy Hughs 60 TN Stephen Hughs 23 ARK Thomas Hughs 18 Ark Calvin Shumate 24 TN Seranda Shumate 27 Arkansa Elizabeth Shumate 10 Ark <--Miriam Elizabeth Carter(daughter of William Carter and Sarinda Hughs) John 4 Shumate Ark Thomas Shumate 1 Ark (She is married to Calvin Shumate by 1860 but haven't been able to find the marriage record.) U.S., Federal Census Mortality Schedules Index, 1850-1880 Surname: William Carter Year: 1850 County: Washington CO. State: AR Age: 20 Gender: M (Male) Month of Death: May State of Birth: TN ID#: 126_1923 Occupation: NONE LISTED Cause of Death: DROWNED 1850 Prairie, Washington, Ark Aaron Hughes 41 Nancy Hughes 50 James Hughes 25 Franklin Hughes 21 Sarah Hughes 17 Stephen Hughes 14 Nancy Hughes 12 Thomas Hughes 9 Salinda Carter 18 (Salinda is shown alone here without William in her fathers house and doesn't show her daughter Miriam Elizabeth as being born yet. William died in May of 1850) Name: Salinda A. Hughes Age: 18 Sex: Female Husband: William Carter Event Type: Marriage Event Date: 13 Jan 1850 Event Place:Washington, Arkansas Event Place (Original): Washington, Arkansas Gender:Male Age: 19 Spouse's Gender: Female Spouse's Age:18 Submitter is not related and has no further information File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/barber/newspapers/cyclonek1402gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/ File size: 12.7 Kb