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Note: Stephen was killed (along with dozens of others) by the great Marshfield c yclone on APRIL 18, 1880. His brother Burr Emerson Doss lifted the corn er of the building that was on Stephen off of him to no avail. Several mem bers of the family were in Marshfield for a horse sale. Burr Emerson Do ss and a Doc Doss donated 25 cents each to the diaster fund. It is not kno wn who Doc was, but he is not listes as a doctor who treated those survi ng the cyclone. Stephen had no children. Marshfield, Missouri Tornado April 18, 1880 THE TORNADO. Marshfield, Mo., Leveled by a Hurricane. The Debris Immediately Takes Fire in Several Places. Eighty Dead Bodies Taken Out and Many More in the Ruins Two Hundred People Wounded and No Physicians Left to Attend Them Relief Trains With Doctors, Nurses and Supplies Sent From Neighboring Town s A TERRIBLE DISASTER. St. Louis, April 19. � Reports have been received that nearly the whole to wn of Marshfield, Mo., was blown down by a terrific wind storm last evening a nd then burned, resulting in frightful loss of life. Telegraph wires are all do wn and nothing direct from the seat of the calamity can be obtained. LATER � From passengers who passed through Marshfield on the St. Louis & S an Francisco railroad at 8:30 o�clock last night, a few facts concerning t he terrible disaster are gleaned. A man who came to the depot at the edge of the to wn while the train was there, reported that at 6:30 o�clock a furious hurricane str uck the place and leveled all that part of the town lying west of Centre square fl at to the ground. The debris immediately took fire in several places and the flam es could be seen at some half dozen points by passengers on the train. FORTY DEAD BODIES Had been taken out and many more were supposed to be buried in the ruins o r burned up. There were also many living still imprisoned in the debris of f allen buildings. All the physicians of the town were killed, excepting two, a nd there was great need of doctors to attend the wounded of whom it was said there we re some 200. A relief train with twenty physicians and nurses and full supplies le ft Springfield, Mo., this morning, for Marshfield. Probably other trains wi ll arrive during the day. The storm was general in southeastern Missouri, and other places probab ly suffered damage, but as the telegraph wires are all prostrated no advices have been received. A violent hail and rain accompanied the wind. St. Louis, April 19. � A telegram from Springfield, via Vinita and Kans as City, to C. W. Rogers, general manager of the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad sa ys a hurricane passed a few miles south of Springfield at about 7 o�clock la st night, doing an immense amount of damage and KILLING A GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE. Fifty deaths are reported on the James river, six miles south of Springfie ld, and a great many are missing. A train dispatcher of Conwry, fourteen miles th is side of Marshfield, reports arriving there from Springfield at 11 o�clock and sa ys he found a terrible looking country. From Northview seven miles west of Marshfiel d, to the latter point trees three feet through are torn entirely out of the groun d, telegraph poles twisted off and everything wrecked. The town of MARSHFIELD IS DEMOLISHED brick as well as frame buildings being torn down. We did not see more th an half a dozen people as we came through that town. The place seemed deserted. The doctors and nurses who came on our train from Springfield, about twenty in number, went from the depot alone to hunt up the people, there being no o ne at the depot to receive them. We sent a relief train from Lebanon to Marshfie ld at daylight this morning with about fifty doctors, nurses and helpers and fu ll supplies of provisions clothing and medicine stores; also material for repairing t he telegraph line. The line is down at different points between Springfield and Conwa y, perhaps ten miles altogether. A new Catholic church at Cuba: ninety miles from her e, was blown down. No damage was done the railroad except the destruction of o ne small section house. The names of the killed and wounded at Marshfield have not been received y et, telegraphic communication not being restored at this writing. There are al so reports that the CITY OF GRANTBY [sic] about one hundred miles southwest of Springfield, was greatly damaged, a nd that Warrenburg, non the Missouri & Pacific, sixty-five miles this side of Kans as City, was badly injured, but the reports are not verified. St. Louis, April 19. � A special to the Post Despatch [sic] says: The torn ado which caused such frightful havoc at Marshfield last night passed entirely throu gh Green and Webster counties, following the course of the James river in a northwe sterly direction. It struck the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad in four plac es, and left it near Frank�s station, 110 miles this side of Marshfield. The latter pla ce presents A TERRIBLE APPEARANCE, there not being more than a dozen housed unharmed in the entire town. T he court house and many other buildings took fire, and the scene and effect we re of a dreadful character. At one house two children were found dead, and anoth er badly mangled but still alive. The parents could not be found. In another ca se a woman lost entirely and seemed to have been carried away bodily. No details of the calamity are yet received. The force of the wind stripp ed bark from the trees and lifted others entirely out of the ground, and telegra ph poles and wires were carried hundreds of rods into the woods, and tied and knotted a mong the trees, like cotton strings. Everything possible is being done to assi st and succor THE WOUNDED not only at Marshfield, but at other places. Physicians throughout the cou ntry are flocking to the point of the most injured, and are doing all they can to a lleviate the suffering. Doctors went from Springfield to the James river country, six m iles south, as well as to Marshfield, and scores of kind hearted people have vo lunteered as nurses. Captain Rogers, general manager of the St. Louis and San Francisco railroa d, is sending special trains with relief wherever any good can be done, and a ll are doing everything possible to aid the injured and dying. Last nights storm did no serious damage in this city but caused a gener al shaking up. Many farmer�s families have been destroyed and not yet reported. Sev en of the wounded on the James river died this afternoon, five at Marshfield. At t he latter place ALL IS CONFUSION and the people in such an excited state that it is almost impossible to g et an intelligible report. Many families are homeless and have taken refuge in t he depot and empty cars standing at the station. The court house is still standi ng and has been converted into a morgue. The school building is used for an hospita l. Up to 7 p. m., they have a death list of 78 and a prospect of increasing it befo re morning. Many are yet missing and a number of people have been buried of whom no re cord is kept. It is impossible to get a LIST OF THE DEAD but the following are the names of some prominent persons and their famili es who were discovered early in the day: MRS JUDGE FYEN, DAN WRIGHT AND WIFE REV. E. CONDO, MATILDA WIDENMEYER, FRED. WIDENMEYER, HENRY BALLINGER, J. M. LEEDS, WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN, Sheriff JOHNSON�S WIFE CHILD OF J. L. RUSH, MRS. TODD, DR. BRADFORD, SIDNEY BRADFORD, MARY RAY and CHILD, MRS. CHAS. HOLLEY and CHILD. MRS MALINDA POTTER, MRS FLORENCE MOORE, HUGH KELSO, Eightyfive of the wounded are in the school house, among wh om are the following seriously injured: ADDIE WIDEMEYER, MRS E CONDO, JAMES M. HICKS, MRS. DODGE, FOUR CHILDREN OF MRS F. MOORE, F. N. MOORE, FANNIE RUSH, BERTIE RUSH, MRS J. L. RUSH, NATHAN SMITH, SAM�L CRISMEN, wife and six children, and C. C. SMITH. This list includes the most serious cases a nd many of them will die. A great many colored people are killed, but no list of them has been prepa red. ONLY FOURTEEN BUILDINGS are left standing, and there is not a house in town but is more or less in jured. A number of citizens from Lebanon and Springfield are ding all they can to r elieve the suffering. A car load of provisions were sent from Springfield to-da y, and contributions are coming from all the towns along the line of road. TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATIONS with Marshfield is restored to-night, but only one wire is working and t he prospects of getting full details of the ravages of the storm are very poor. Captain C. W. Rogers, general manager of the St. Louis and San Francisco r ailroad, just received the following from D. H. Nicols, assistant superintendent: � Advices are coming in constantly from different parts of the country showing ma ny killed or injured in remote districts.� A child was found at Marshfield lodged in the crotch of a tree thirty fe et above the ground, and but slightly hurt. Four hundred dollars was raised to-day at Rolla for the sufferers at Marsh field, and twelve doctors and nurses left here for that place to-night. AT GRAY�S CREEK, four miles from Jefferson City, seven houses were demolished and sever al of the inmates injured. A log house was blown into a deep cut on the Missouri Pac ific railroad at this point, and the passenger train from the west ran into i t, ditching the engine, and severely wounding the engineer, James McCourt, and James Murphy, the fireman. THE NEWS FROM MARSHFIELD. MARSHFIELD, April 19. --- This town and county were visited by one of t he most destructive cyclones on record, last evening. After passing through sever al miles of country in Christian, Green and Webster counties, destroying everythi ng in its pathway, leveling houses, barns, mills and timber. It struck this town abo ut 6:30 o�clock. Eye witnesses of THE APPROACHING STORM say it was a frightful looking black cloud lined with fleecy white funn el shaped clouds and moving in the manner of a screw propellor [sic]. It moved with wonderful velocity, literally destroying and blowing everthing [sic] in i ts path which was about half a mile wide at this point. Large sized trees were twisted o ff, telegraph wires snapped, and the bark was literally pelled [sic] from sma ll trees. House [sic] were blown from their foundations, cattle, hogs, sheep, hors es and poultry were whirled into the air and carried a great distance. The noi se of the storm, the crash of falling houses and the cries and screams of the terrif ied people made A SCENE OF HORROR that beggars description. What was a beautiful, peaceful, quiet town of 8 00 people 24 hours ago is now a waste of devastation. Out of 200 dwelling houses n ot more than 20 are left standing, and but few of the remaining are uninjure d. Of the business houses around the public square, all but three are utterly demoli shed and their contents blown away, burned or badly damaged. About three o�clock, a freight train from Springfield brought about 300 pe ople with provisions and medicine for the sufferers. As rapidly as the bodies of t he dead and wounded could be extricated from the ruins there were prepared for interme nt. The wounded were conveyed to the only available structure left standi ng � the public school building, which was not badly damaged. It was turned in to a hospital. There are now 50 wounded in the building under the care of noble women fro m Lebanon and Springfield, who are doing all in their power to alleviate t he suffering of those under their care. THE LOSS by this terrible calamity is estimated at $350,000 to [illegible]. Every h ouse in the place is in ruins and the stocks all destroyed except two. Of 800 inhabita nts of Marshfield, who yesterday had happy, comfortable homes, seven [illegibl e] eight are without homes, clothing, food, or means to procure them. The destituti on and suffering is terribly [sic]. A great many bodies are lying in the court ho use. OF THE TOTAL KILLED which is not far short of a hundred, not more than a dozen have been burne d. Nothing like a complete list of the killed and wounded can be obtained to- night. Marshfield is the county seat of Webster county, 215 miles from St. Loui s; situated on the plateau of the Ozark mountains, but not of great altitude or partic ularly exposed. The following names of the killed, added to those already telegraphed wi ll make so complete a list as has yet been made up: WM DOSS, LUCINDA GOODALL, N. SMIT H, JULIA STARR (colored). FANNIE JOHNSON (colored), ANN WOODS (colored), MRS. UNDERWOOD and INFANT, MRS. SHORT, MRS. A KING and INFANT, TWO EVANS CHILDREN, MINNIE SMITH, REBECCA SUTHERLIN, ALBERT SUTHERLIN. The Dubuque Herald, Dubuque, IA 20 Apr 1880 The following is the story of the �Marshfield Cyclone� as told by Mr. Will iam Thompson Sutherlin, my gg grandfather. Martha is my g grandmother Submitted by William S. Napier My home, before the cyclone, was north-east of the public square, and T he house was built of heavy logs, with a frame kitchen built on the west side. My f amily numbered seven, viz: Myself and wife, Martha, our eldest daughter, Rebec ca aged eight years, Cora, Lillie--a babe not yet one year old, and Mrs. Saunder s, a hired woman. My wife had been very sick, and Dr. Bradford, our attending physici an, had given her up to die. Believing that "while there was life there was ho pe," I had summoned other physicians, but with the same sad result; there was no hope . Neighbors and friends had come and gone, on their last errand of duty a nd respect toward her. Sunday, April 18th, 1880 Mrs. Saunders had been out in the ya rd and came in with a very large hail-stone and handed it to me. I he ld it in my hand a few minutes, mentally comparing its size with others I had seen fall on the Pl ains, contemplating the possibility of a hail-storm containing hailstones of su ch large proportions descending on Marshfield. In such a case the roofs of houses w ould be completely riddled. I laid the hailstone down and my daughter Rebecca pick ed it up and ate it. I stepped to the kitchen door to assure myself of the condition of the ele ments. For the first time I saw what appeared to be a large column of smoke as if ari sing from many burning buildings, but as it moved onward toward town, and there w as no blaze distinguishable, I made up my mind it was fire impelled by a stro ng wind, and the blaze smothered by a heavy rain or hail-storm. I did not wish my wi fe to get an inkling of even a fire in town, so I returned to her bedside to allay a ny fears that might possibly arise. Mrs. Saunders said it was not fire, and I return ed to the kitchen door, to look again on that distant cloud resembling smoke, thisti me feeling convinced it was not fire, but thought it was a hail-storm, a nd if it kept the path it appeared to assume, it would barely miss our house. I conjectured we were about to experience the hardest hail-storm that h ad ever passed through this country. I knew that log wall was impervious to the la rgest sized hailstones, and a standing position close against the south si de of the house would insure our safety. My wife's condition prevented me from seeking she lter elsewhere, had I so desired. Again I took a position in the door and watch ed the cloud, and this time I could see it boiling, whirling and sucking up every thing in its path. Before I could realize it was a cyclone, it was too late to take act ion. There were two blasts which struck my house. The first tore away the kitchen and smashed the windows in, scattering fire and ashes from the fireplace, thro ughout the room, and taking the roof off of the house. My wife wanted to get up a nd I assisted her to the side of the bed and started across the fireplace to g et a bucket of water, my wife with unacountable agility, arose to her feet and caug ht hold of the foot of the bed, Mrs. Saunders jumped up to hold the door while Rebec ca and Cora clung to their dresses. They were all blown out in the yard east of the house, mangled in debr is of the south and east walls. The arch of the fireplace was blown on my leg, and l ogs were blown across me, also around Martha and Lillie in such a manner as to prot ect them from flying timbers. My wife was blown on a pile of logs, with logs a cross her, above and below her knees. It took five men with fence posts to pry them o ff, and while the men were thus engaged, she told them to go to her children firs t, that she was not suffering much. Rebecca was found with a log under her; Cora w as lying near her, with her leg across Rebecca's knee and a log across Cora 's knee. Cora was not injured, whereas Rebecca was killed, and no visible sig ns of a death blow on her. Not one log of the house was left on another; but what was n ot blown away caught fire and was consumed. I was terror stricken to see the fire b reak out at the feet of my family and begged the assistance of many passers-by. Eve ry one was so intent on searching for their own lost and stricken ones that th ey paid little heed to my entreaties. Mr. Ad Shelby led my wife to the residence of Joseph Wisby, and my childre n were taken there also. The next day I started to find a wagon to convey th em to the country and while on that errand parties came and took my wife to the hospital. My brother and I buried our dead children in one coffin, and one tombstone now marks the resting place of Albert and Rebecca. It is said, " Every cloud has a silvery lining." The cloud that took our home and dear litt le girl, snatched from the jaws of death, a wife and mother. From the moment the st orm struck the house and she jumped to the foot of the bed, there was a magica l transformation wrought. The shock sent new life and energy coursing throu gh her veins; her will-power returned, and the strength we deemed artificial, nev er left her. The vital spark, instead of being extinguished, received new impetu s, and today she is a living witness to the truth of what I write.
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