The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-14
TOWN OF HERMAN WIPED OUT.
TERRIFIC TORNADO LEFT DEATH
AND DESTRUCTION.

Reported That the Fatalities VIII
Run Up 10 100 or More-TweIve
Bodies FOund-Every Dwelling in
the Place DestrOyed-ReIief Crews
at Work Among the Injured-Many
of the Wounded Will Die-Omahn's
Streets Flooded.
Omaha, Neb., June ia tornado struck
the town of Herman, in Washington
county, this evening. and wiped the place
out of eXistence
Herman is a place of about 800 inhabt-
ants, in the extreme northern part of
Washington county. 1t is on the line Of
the Chicago, ST. Paul, Minneapolis and
Omaha Railway.
The tornado wrought fearful destruction.
A conductor on the evening train from
Sioux City passed through the place not
long after the storm, and he says not a
building is left standing in town.
He counted twelve dead bodies lying in
the streets.
The fatalities may run up to 100. If not
higher
A special train has left Blair, the county
seat, ten miles distant, for the scene of
the disaster, carrying surgeons and all
needed supplies.
The wires are all down north of Her
man, and it is not known how much far
ther north the storm went, but reports
are coming in 10 the effect that a large
portion of country north of Herman is
laid waste.
The entire eastern portion of Nebraska
is being swept by a terrific wind and cleo
tric storm tonight.
The streets of Omaha are flooded, and
the play of the lightning is fearful
Every Dwelling Destroyed.
Additional details are dribbling in con-
cerning the tornado at Herman. Advices
received by the Bee up to IL O'Clock to-
night state that every dwelling in the
town was destroyed except the public
school and a small dwelling, both of which
are on the outskirts.
The force of the wind was terrific as
scarcely one piece of many structures de-
stroyed was left intact.
The scene in the streets of the once
thriving and beautiful little town is one of
destruction, wrecked buildings and broken
furniture are strewn all around, while
dead bodies lie In many places, the corpses
badly disfgured and some of them hardly
recognizable.
The means of the injured mingle with
the calls of the rescuers as they pursue
their humanitarian task in the darkness
by the fiickering gleam of lanterns.
Many Killed and Injured.
The relief train from Blair arrived about
one hour after the storm and the work OF
picking up the wounded was begun. Will
ing hands did what they could to help
the injured and in the course of an hour
the train pulled out for Blair with ninety
five injured on board They were taken
to Blair, as there is absolutely no pace
at Herman at which treatment can be
administered.
All the citizens of Blair have thrown
open their homes to the wounded and the
unfortunates are being cared for by COM
petent surgeons.
Many of the injured viii die, but some of
them received but slight injuries. 1t is i'm
possible at this hour, owing to confusion
TO ascertain the number of dead, but
twelve are known to have been killed and
the list will run very mucn higher.
Superintendent Jaynes of the Omaha
road was at Tekawmah when he received
word of the disaster and left at once on a
special car, taking two physicians with
him to assist the suffering.