The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-01
TORNADO CLAIMS
TOLL OF 500 LIVES
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IULL UF 0UU llvE0
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miles east Of Regina. and also at Mel
vile. on tho Grand Trunk Pacific
Fire which broke ou' in the j. +
Cairns department store tonight spread
so rapidly that the building was speed
lily destroyed. The loss. T., is estl-
mated. viii Ice over 100000. other
store buildings in the vicinity we're
threatened
The magnitude of the calamity
which Regina has suffered. while
growing in realization as the rescue
work proceeded. could not be fully
estimated at late hour tonight. It
seemed certain. however. that the
casualties Will roll up TO a total of be-
tween 4oe and 500. and that the prop
erty loss could hardly be under So
100000 at the lowest estimate.
The confusion was such that to de-
terinine number OF fatalities were out
Of the question Every ambulance In
the city was working to its limit. car
Iyins the bodies OF the killed and the
8 scores OF injured to the hospitals,
Mich were filled early In tho evening.
and 10 a number of improvised hospi-
tails in some of the larger buildings
left standing Crowds of volunteers all
7 over the city arc assisting in the work
Of searching the wreckage and FOR
hours hardly a minute went by that a
dead body or the maneled form OF
some living Victim was not uncover
ed
Hurrylns men and women speeding
on errands OF marcy Allied the streets
as the night wore. while the authori-
ties stFoye their best 10 bring order
out Of confusion. succoring the living
and 10 determine as best they could
the numbers OF the dead.
The sweep of the storm. the worst
In the history OF the Canadian North
west was over a city which only n
short time before had completed the
work Of decking itself In gala attire
far the celebration OF Dominion Day.
Bunting and ilags covered buildings
everywhere. and net works OF colored
electric lights We're strung and ready
for Illumination. ThroeEh these gaily
decorated streets the tornado sweep,
and within a half hour Regina had
been turned into a city of mourning.
In rho track OF the storm. building
after building lay In ruins. swathed
in its shroud OF gay colored bunting.
The tornado swooped down just a few
blocks TO the north OF the southern
limits OF the city. cutting a swath
several blocks wide right into the
centre Of the town. leveling the build
ings in It's wake
In a twnklimg three OF the hand
soonest churches in Regina were laid In
ruins They were the Methodist. Bap-
fist and Knox Churches. and the first
OF tho citss large buildings to go
down The Methodist Church fell with
a crash that sounded above the bowling
Of the storm and the roar OF the cloud
burst that accompanied the terrific
wind. Then the roof was swept from
tho Young Mems Christian Association
building. across Victoria Square. and
the walls of the structure shattereds
while just beyond tho handsome now
Public Library was badly wrecked and
the church of tho Presbyterian denom-
ination was laid in ruins almost as
complete as those OF the structures
farther south. In rapid succession the
Masonic Temple and the Telephone EN-
change building were attacked and
practically leveled
The storm seemed to spend its great
est fury on the latter structure. I'm
der the mass of wreckagc left was the
forms OF many victims. the greater
part of them girl operators of the
telephone switchboards. Fortunately.
although many OF the girls were Sc
riously injured, none was killed
One OF the most serious losses to
the city was that of the warehouse
ma the row OF grain elevators be- |
side the Canadian Pacific Railway
yards. Uron these the farmers of the !
district were depending for the storage |
of their crop This season. But one /
grain elevator remained and that one
much damaged.
The freaks OF the storm were re-
ma rkable around the railroad yard,
Hardly a car remained whole. Several
cars were picked UP bodily and car
ried long distances. Ono was hurled
through the freight shed.
OF numbers of persons out on thu
waters Of the lake when the storm
broke. five are known TO have been
drowned.
The whole north side OF the city
was practically wiped on, by the storm
Sin hundred families are homeless. The |
Mayor and City Council have started
fund. and are providing for the des-
tltute. Families were widely separated
in tho confusion. Tonight husbands
are searching for their wives and moth
ers Tor their children. Men stopped
from time to time in THAR work of res
cue to ask pa ss!ng acquaintances for
news of friends and relatives