Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-04-05
OMAHA STRICKEN BY
AN AWFUL TORNADO
More Than Two Hundred Persons Were Killed in
The Nebraska Metropolis
Perhaps fifteen hundred people are

Where Greatest Losses Were.
The greatest loss of life occurred
sectionally, and three points in the
path of the storm offered the greatest
sacrifices. These were at Fortieth
and Farnam streets, where a crowd
had sought refuge in garage: at
Twenty-fourth and Lake streets, where
a moving picture theater was demol-
ished, and at Twenty-fourth and Viii
lis avenue, where poolroom had at
tracted a crowd.
In each of these places the list Of
fatalities was large.
No such catastrophe has visited the
city before and the city was over
whelmed with it. It quickly rose co
the situation, however, and measures
of relief were organized.
Governor Morehead arrived in the
city early in the day and took per
sona1 charge of the policing of the
city.
Three companies of the state mill
tia augmented the federal troops
which were early sent to the city
from Fort Crook, and now the wreck
ed part of the city is under martial
law.
A Newspaper Man Killed.
The home of George J. Duncan, adj
vertising manager of the Omaha Bee.
at 4101 Farnam street, was destroyed
com pletely. Mr.. Duncan died at a
hospital Monday afternoon. Mrs. Dun
can is in a critical condition.
Five Schools Closed.
Five public schools are out of COM
mission in Omaha. Seven churches
are partly or wholly wrecked. One
private school for girls is a total
wreck, although the students escaped.
The rest of the loss is to homes.
The destruction began with the
millionaire homes in the exclusive
West Farnum and Bemis Park dis
trfct. Few lives were lost in this ex-
elusive district, but farther northwest
the buildings collapsed more easily
and large number of deaths resulted.
Rescue work started as soon as the
residents of the town were able to
hurry to the stricken district, but the
nights work was by the light of Ian
terms and little was accomplished.
The storm in passing took down all
the wires in the path of the tornado
and the electric power was shut off
Immediately to prevent further loss of
life.
The work in the city to relieve the
suffering is progressing. Cots have
been placed in the city auditorium
and those without shelter, will be
housed there The city purchaser has
arranged for beds for all who were
made homeless by the tornado.
Buryinq the Dead.
Omaah, Neb.-Fifty funerals ST.
lently winding their way to ceme-
teries brought home with greater
force to the people of Omaha the
full realization of the extent of Sun
days tornado.
All day long as fast as hearses
could deposit their grim cargoes of
bodies at graves, a continual death
procession was kept up.
Cabs and hearses that few hours
before had served as death vehicles
for negroes were in many cases
pressed into use by mourners of
white families, color, creed and ma
tionality being forgotten. 1t was a
general burial So many churches
had been destroyed or partly demol-
ished it was necessary to hold most
of the funerals from undertaking es-
Establishments.
There was little ceremony. As
quickly as one funeral was over an
other began. Undertakes cooper
ated in arranging burials. In several
instances where entire families were
killed or where more than one men,
Der of a family awaited burial. one
funeral service was held Five bodies
of negroes, killed in the Idlewild pool
hall, were buried at one time by
fraternal lodge
During the night the work of res
cue continued. Only one body was
reported recovered, that of another
negro buried in the Idlewild pool hall
debris. The authorities are taking
steps to uncover all of the wreck at
once. in order to remove any bodies
that may be buried beneath the mass
of brick and broken timbers of de-
molished buildings
The Real Estate exchange has taken
steps to prevent the raising of rents.
Already cases of attempted extortion
have been reported, some by mem
bers of the exchange itself Execu-
tives of that body decided to deal
harshly with any owners found tax
ing advantage of those unfortunate
enough to be forced TO secure new
homes on account of the tornado.