Omaha daily bee., 1908-05-14

see wrecked around here not soul was
hurt. School will reopen Thursday, accord
lag to regular schedule, as we have ample
rooms ready for class work. 1t is a good
thing that it Is warm weather, because the
heating plant is put out of service by the
loss of the smoke stack"
Rev. e. H. Jenks and Robert Dempster
Of Omaha, trustees OF the college. were
on the campus to lend a helping hand.
Many other Omaha people went down.
Words Of praise were heard on all sides
for the splendid nerve and coolness
shown by the college girls during the
storm. They went to the basement of
their halls and listened to counsel, although
some wanted to go into the open. Had they
not listened to wise counsel they would
have been caught in the debris from Clarke
hall and many probably would have been
hurt.
The japanese cook in the kitchen at the
Fontanelle hall rushed mady out in the
storm to 60 to the rescue OF Mrs. Grain
and her baby Mrs. Grain is the wife OF
the business manager of Bellevue college
and the cook thought Mr. Grain was in
Omaha. 50 his first thought was for the
! rescue of Mrs. Grain and the baby.
when the storm Came UP.
Chester jerks and several OF the stu
dents went onto the hill west OF the col
| lege to watch the storm as it was passing
! over Fort Crook The storm swerved ana
came in their direction, but they escaped
injury by lying flat on the ground. From
| their position they could see the roofs be-
| ing torn from the buildings at Fort Crook
| and also saw several houses to the west
! blown to pieces.
The boys, who had gone to the hill to the
west OF the campus for safety, said they
were able to see three distinct tunnels
! travelling along which were lifting and
twisting everything which happened 70
get in the way These tunnels, probably
accounted for the different directions in
which the roofs OF the buildings were
thrown.
Six of the students thought It would bt
more safe to get out OF the building ant
lie flat on the campus. The six got hole
of one big tree for protection, when tn,
wind blew the tree away.
One young woman was taking her batl
when the fury Of the gale struck the hall
and she was forced TO cali for help ant
clothes before she could get out. sh,
was rescued.
Prof. Jones generally has a music clas
in the room at the top story of Clarke han
|
ball game and consequently was saved a.
he might have been in that room when tn
storm struck. Nothing of the room wa
left.
! Old Structures stand.
The old Bellevue court house which wa
the first capital Of the state Of Nebraska
still stands. although right in the wake a
the storm. 1t is built OF stone and brick an,
has stood since the early sos, being tn
r meeting place OF the first territorial legis
lature
In the old city hall yard, the building
where the first territorial legislature met
the bottom part of the trees were intact
but the top Of the huge cottonwoods wer
cut off as though trimmed.
The house Of Mrs. Estes. which Is sit
uated on the edge OF the cliff near IN
river, was blown over the cliff and com
pletely demolished. The house was abou
to be sold for 5000 but nothing Of tn
house can now be found.
The Interurban & Southwestern Railwa
S company had large force of men workin
:. all night and by morning had the trac
d between Bellevue and Fort Crook repaire
u so that cars were running at daylight S