Volume 18 , Issue 35

May, 1893, Cyclone Horrors in Oklahoma Territory

The Muskogee Phoenix, out of Muskogee, Oklahoma, dated 4 May 1893, Thursday, page 2, reported "Cyclone Horrors." Awful effects of the late tornado in Oklahoma, April 27, 1893. At least forty persons were killed and a large number injured. There was enormous destruction of property, also.

Found on Newspapers.com

Norman, Okla. Terry. (1893) -- It was the most serious cyclone in the history of Oklahoma territory. In this (Cleveland) county it made a clean sweep, destroying fields, demolishing houses, barns and agricultural implements and dealing death to everything in its path. At this 1893 writing thirty-seven persons were known to be killed and many others seriously injured and dying. The most damage done was in the vicinity of this town in the western and central portion of Cleveland county.

It was about 5:30p.m. that the people of Purcell, a town of the Chickasaw nation, fifteen miles southwest of Norman noticed a dark cloud overhanging the western sky, which soon began to send down shoots like carrot roots.

The correspondent observed the formation of these cyclones through a field glass. Points projecting from the clouds slowly assumed a cylindric form, then conical, which very much resembled great funnels, out of the end of which destruction poured.

Their course was from southwest to northwest. At first they moved slowly, but seemed to gain force rapidly as the points touched the earth.

That portion of the Chickasaw nation where the cyclone formed and first struck was sparsely settled and little was as yet reported, but passing northward and slightly to the east it crossed the South Canadian river about midway between Purcell and Norman. Here it struck the thickly settled portion and only missed this town (Norman) by about one mile.

This cyclone killed four persons and several were injured. Seven dwelling houses and two school houses were destroyed, besides machinery and stock, numerous outbuildings, fences and barns. No sooner had this cyclone passed and spent its force by the time it reached Little river, about five miles northeast of town, than the people in town who had witnessed the destruction being wrought were hastening to the relief of their country friends.

In about on hour a afterward another funnel shaped cloud was seen approaching from the west which passed on the other side of town, its course being about the same direction as the other, but it had formed several miles further off. This last and most destructive cyclone passed about fives west and north of Norman, through what was known as ten-mile flat along the Canadian river, and the most prosperous agricultural vicinity of the county. Its force was spent a few miles further north when it reached the divide between this place and Moore station.

Death Roll Increased
Purcell, I.T., April 27 (1893) -- A terrible tornado passed through this county Tuesday evening at 6:30 o'clock. It started five miles southwest of Alex, Chickasaw nation, traveling northeast, gathering fury as it went, passing from this to Oklahoma territory, razing everything in its wake.
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