Perry, Oklahoma Tornado
April
20, 1912
Perry, Okla.,
April 21. - - Two children were killed by the tornado which swept over this
place late yesterday. The dead:
John Gerdes, aged 13, and
Mary Gerdes, aged 3.
More than 100 wooden houses were blown over, and fourteen persons slightly
injured.
The Washington Post, Washington, DC, 22 Apr 1912
At Perry, one man was killed and twenty
persons reported to have been injured, several
of whom will probably die. Twenty-five
buildings, including a stone business structure
and a schoolhouse were completely wrecked.
Numerous buildings were unroofed and, according
to passengers who arrived in Guthrie to-night
aboard a Santa Fe train, residents of the little
city are panic-stricken....
The town of Perry and surrounding country are
reported flooded....
The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, IN 21 Apr 1912
Perry Dead and Injured List.
Perry, Ok., April 21.-The tornado which
Saturday afternoon swept through the town of
Hennessey, thirty miles southwest of here,
killed two persons and injured fourteen others
in the town of Perry and the country immediately
north of here. About 100 buildings were blown
down or damaged here. The dead:
JOHN GERDES,
aged 12.
MARY GERDES, aged 3.
The injured: MRS. M. W.
GERDES, FRANK PEARSON, F. T. BRIGGS, W. H.
HUSSELLTON, W. L. EDWARDS, J. M. CRAWFORD
(may die), M. JOHNSON
(may die),
PAUL TETAK, JOE SKLINDA, EDWARD WILCOXEN, MRS.
J. T. CHESCHER, J. T. CHESCHER, J. M. O'DELL,
MRS. M. W. MOORE.
The tornado raised after leaving Hennessey and
again made its appearance about eleven miles
southwest of Perry, moved rapidly in a
northeasterly direction, mowed a path about 200
yards wide through the southeast section of the
town and continued on toward the northeast for a
distance of about six miles. Every farm building
in its path was blown down. The occupants
escaped in storm caves.
The Perry Country Club building was picked up
and carried a quarter of a mile across a lake
and set down on the opposite side. Little
FRANK PEARSON,
whose arm was broken, was playing in the barn
when the tornado picked up the building, carried
it over the house and orchard and dropped it
into a ravine 200 yards away.
A horse on the
Schindling farm was carried about 200
yards and dropped in a wheat field.
Dallas Morning News, Dallas, TX 22 Apr 1912
Transcribed by Linda
Houston. Thanks, Linda!
 Search
for more information on the Perry Tornado
and other disasters in the Historic
Newspapers Collection. The number of
newspapers on line has recently doubled - search
over 1000 different newspapers. Use this
Free trial to search for your ancestors.
Search for ancestors in
Perry, OK among billions of names at ancestry.com. Use this
Free trial to search for your ancestors.
1890 Veterans Census for Oklahoma & Indian Territory
Use this
Free trial to search for your ancestors.
|
