"Tornadoes Create Legends in Kansas"

A Moment in Time

Kansas Historical Society

A monthly series from the Kansas Historical Society

Will Keller made sure his family was safe in the cellar before he took another look at the approaching storm. He saw three tornadoes hanging overhead; Keller caught an eyeful that day and took the ride of his life.

The Greensburg farmer survived unharmed. His experience on June 22, 1928, provides one of the best eyewitness accounts of a Kansas tornado.

"Everything was still as death," Keller said. "There was a strong gassy odor, and I could hardly breathe."

A screaming and hissing sound emanated from funnel's tail. A circular opening at the center appeared to be as large as one hundred feet in diameter. He estimated the height at one-half mile.

"The walls of this opening were rotating clouds," Keller recalled, "and the hole was brilliantly lighted with the constant flashes of lightning which zigzagged from side to side."

Small tornadoes formed and broke away from the rim of the vortex producing a hissing sound. The whirling tails writhed around the larger funnel. "I noticed the rotation of the great whirl was anti-clockwise," Keller said, " but some of the small twisters rotated clockwise." Eyewitness accounts illustrate the inherent drama associated with the most violent wind storms.

Tornadoes, most often linked to Kansas actually occur most frequently in Oklahoma. The chance of being in a tornado or even seeing one is remote. Perhaps it's the rarity that makes tales of encounters so fascinating. David Metheney was lifted from his wagon as he drove home at 5:30 p.m Saturday, April 23, 1884. The Westphalia man was carried a distance before the tornado dropped him causing severe internal injuries. His wagon and full load of lumber were destroyed; the horses were carried about sixty feet. Minutes later, photographer A. A. Adams set up at the United Presbyterian Church and snapped what is believed to be the first photograph of a tornado.

A classic cyclone was captured on film as it struck the town of Hardtner. Folks remembered a light shower that fell mid-afternoon on Sunday, June 2, 1929. The mist made way for a giant tornado that twisted a combine beyond recognition and burned beards off the wheat.

The Miller family of Topeka was driving when they felt their car being pulled by a storm on Thursday, May 20, 1960. The couple scrambled to a ditch on the left side of the road. "Harry held on to me with one hand, both of us holding on to the hedge tree with all our might," Mrs. Miller said. "When the funnel had gone, the wind got even worse. We thought the tornado had turned around and was coming back again." The two had been splattered with mud and covered with hedge tree thorns, but their car was in one piece.

The Kansas Historical Society's library and archives contain a large holding of photographs and materials on tornadoes. Forty-four images have been selected for a special photo exhibit that goes on display June 3 in the Kansas History Center. Kansas Tornado focuses on the extraordinary experiences of everyday Kansans and the storms that touched communities throughout the state. Tornadoes depicted in the exhibit include those at Anthony, August 26, 1940; Emporia, June 8, 1974; Iola, February 28, 1918; Lawrence, April 13, 1911; Newton, May 1, 1930; Oakley, May 24, 1918; Oskaloosa, May 1, 1930; Topeka, June 8, 1966; Wellington, May 27, 1892; and Wichita-Andover, April 26, 1991. Kansas Tornado will be exhibited in the Center for Historical Research gallery which is open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Kansas History Center is located at 6425 SW Sixth Avenue in Topeka. The Kansas Museum of History, the Koch Industries Education Center in the Potawatomi Mission, and the Stach School, are also located in the Kansas Historical Society's complex. For more information call 913-272-8681; TTY 913-272-8683.

The Kansas Historical Society does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to, access to, or operation of its programs. The Society requests prior notification to accommodate individuals with special needs or disabilities.

Photo caption: Hardtner tornado June 2, 1929.