Drexel, MO (Other Towns) Tornado, Jun 1912

TWENTY-SIX DIE IN WINDSTORM.

TORNADO SWEEPS MISSOURI; FIFTY HURT, MANY OF THEM BADLY.

Kansas City, Mo., June 17. -- Twenty-six persons are known to have been killed and fifty injured by a tornado which tore its way through Bates, Johnson and Henry Counties late Saturday evening, mowing down trees and demolishing homes in its trail.
The storm hit the earth near La Cygne, Kas., and increased in fury as it swept northeast into Bates County, Missouri, killing whole families, until its force was expended five miles northeast of Drexel, Mo. Women and children for the most part were its victims.
At Merwin the tornado blew from the track a Kansas City Southern work train with fifty Greek workmen aboard, half of whom were so badly injured that they were brought to a hospital here today in a special train.
Some of the Dead.
MRS. ALEXANDER, and three children, near Merwin.
MRS. BRYCE, near Merwin.
HENRY CAMERON, and three children, near Merwin.
DAN CARLOS, and wife, Leeton.
MRS. ELLSWORTH CLARK, Montgomery.
MRS. ALBERT COREY, of Kansas City.
MRS. FRANK COREY, Drexel.
GIBSON GROVES, near Merwin.
FRED GROVES, near Merwin.
HERB GRAY, Kansas City.
MRS. HOWELL, near Merwin.
MR. JOHNSON, near Merwin.
MRS. LEE PARKER, Creighton, Mo.
MRS. GEORGE REED.
MAX SPITSKOFSKY.
West of Merwin the brick house of MARION STITT was destroyed. At the COREY house the storm was merciless. The legs of the two women killed there were broken.
ALBERT COREY, head bookkeeper for the Fidelity Trust company in Kansas City was in Drexel and escaped death. His three children also escaped death. He had started to go to the COREY farm in the afternoon to visit his father, but remained in Drexel awhile. His wife and children went ahead of him to the farm. They had just reached the house when the storm broke. COREY'S wife and mother were killed. MRS. ALBERT COREY was MISS STONER of Perry, Ill., where all formerly lived.
A big brick residence near Drexel, in which lived two families of seven persons, was scattered over two acres but no one was injured.
Twelve houses were destroyed at Prairie View church east of Drexel. The handle of a pitchfork had been stuck in the stump of an oak tree in the COREY neighborhood. The iron prongs were twisted by the storm.
The path of the storm when it hit within a half mile of Merwin was half a mile wide and five miles long. The ALEXANDER home was swept away. The CAMERON baby's body was blown three miles. The bodies of GIBB and FRED GROVES were found half a mile from their home.
The houses of CHARLES GARNER, JAMES TINE, JOHN BENNETT, SILAS GUTH, MRS. DEDE, LESTER GODE, and JOHN WEIR were swept away.

Waterloo Reporter Iowa 1912-06-17

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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!