Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1912-07-04
TORNADO Sweeps
REGINA, CANADA
PRINCIPLE PART OF CITY IS
DESTROYED BY TERRIBLE
STORM, SUNDAY.
City Was Gaily Decorated for Dominion
Day Celebration - Converted Into
Mass Of Debris-North Side is Wiped
Out-Property Loss Estimated at Ten
Million Dollars-Other Towns Hit,

Winnipeg, Man.-Dead and injured
to number estimated between 400 and
500 persons, and property loss of
$10,000,000 is the toll taken Sunday by
a windstorm that converted into a mass
OF debris the greater part of Regina,
Sask., and then swept on through the
province, leaving destruction in its
pathway.
| Great destruction of building has
been reported from Qu'Appelle, and
also from Melville.
The magnitude of the calamity which
Regina had suffered cannot be estimat-
ed. 1t seemed certain, however, that
the casualties would roll up to total
of between 400 to 50O
Crowds of volunteers all over the
city We're assisting in the work of
searching the wreckage, and for hours
hardly minute went by that a human
body or the mangled form of some liv-
ing victim was not uncovered.
City in Gala Attire.
The sweep of the storm, the worst in
the history of the Canadian northwest
was over city which only a short time
before had completed the work of
decking itself in gala attire for the
celebration Of Dominion day.
Bunting and flags covered buildings
everywhere and networks of electric
lights were strung and ready for illu-
mination Through these gaily decor
ated streets the tornado swept, and
within half hour Regina had been
turned into city of mourning. The
tornado swooped down just few
blocks to the north of the southern
limits of the city, cutting swath sew
eral blocks wide, right into the center
OF the town, leveling the buildings in
it's wake.
In twinkling three of the handsom-
est churches III Regina were laid in
ruins.
One of the most serious losses to the
city was that of the warehouses and
the row of grain elevators in the Ca
madam Pacific yards. Upon these the
farmers of the district were depending
for the storage of their crops this sea
son. Only one grain elevator remains
and that is much damaged.
North Side of City Wiped Out.
The whole north side of the city viz
tually was wiped out by the storm
Six hundred families are homeless. The
mayor and city council have started
fund and are providing for the desti-
tute.
The tornado came from the south and
first struck the new parliament build
ing just completed at cost of ,-0oO,-
600. The building is of steel and con-
crete, and while it still stands it is
badly shaken.
1t then swept northward, moving a
swath six blocks wide through the
most fashionable residence district,
Transforming it into mass of wreck
age.
Along Victoria street from Six
teenth to Eleventh street, 200 houses
were destroyed, and many persons kill
ed. Automobiles filed with persons
were hurled high in the air and de-
posted blocks away.
At Eleventh street, the business dis
trict, composed of wholesale ware
houses, banking institutions and retail
stores, were made a heap of ruins,
while the air was filled with flying
wreckages. Past Eleventh street, Al
bert, Smith, Cromwell, Searth, Hamil-
ton and Rose streets the storm reached
the retail section, which received the
severest force.
Across the railway tracks several of
the largest wholesale houses in the city
were unroofed, their heavily laden floors
falling as their supports were loosened.
Fires Start, But Are subdued.
Two fires started, but as most of the
fire halls escaped the storm and the
water pressure was not impaired, the
flames were confined to the ruins where
they started.
All electric lights and power wires
are useless and the city is in darkness.
The storm continued northwest from
Regina through central Saskatchewan,
doing great damage, but no loss of life
is reported outside of Regina.
A special train left Winnipeg with
doctors, nurses and telegraph and tele-
phone repair men.
An $11,00O,o0o Loss.
Regina, Sash.-Forty are known to
be dead and a number of bodies remain.