Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-25
Estimates From Sixteen to
Fifty Dead in Hurricane
That Visited Terre Haute
Sunday Night.
ILLINOIS POINTS
STRUCK BY GALE
Chicago Has One Dead and
81 Injured; Desplaines
Has Two Dead and Mo-
line Reports Girl Killed.

Terre Haute, Ind, March 24.-Seven
teen victims of tornado which
swept the southern part of Terre
Haute and Vigo county late last night
had been identified today and more
than seventy-five injured were being
cared for in improvised hospitals
Some more bodies are expected to be
found when the ruins Of 200 homes
razed by the storm, have been cleared
away.
At the request of Mayor Gerhardt
Governor Ralston ordered out co. b OF
the Indiana national guard to patrol
the devastated district and help In the
rescue work.
Telephone messages reaching here
from Prairieton, nine miles south
state that nearly every house in town
had been destroyed and that many
homes between here and that place
had been levelled.
Torrential rains accompanied the
tornado and, probably saved many per
sons pinned in the wreckage, from
burning to death, as electric wires and
lightning fired the debris at different
places,
The bodies of Moses Carter and
his wife, the first recovered, were
found under the crushed roof of their
home, while the mangled body OF
their child was found fifty feet away
Mrs. Flora Woods was found uncon.
scious seventy feet from her home
She had her small baby clasped In
her arms.
They were carried into the Third
United Presbyterian church. which,
together with the Greenwood school,
had been converted into temporary
hospital, and given medical atten'
ton.
and Fifth streets, every house was
levelled to the ground when the am.
balances and automobiles which
were pressed into service reached
the devastated district. The injured
had to be carried two blocks on ac-
count of the debris which blocked
the streets.
The Root glass factory was de.
molished and the Garland foundry
was severely damaged. The glass
plant employed 300 men and the loss
is estimated at 100000.
The storm was accompanied by q
severe electrical display and rain
that almost equalled cloudburst
Crossed wires and lightning started
fires throughout the debris but they
were quenched by the heavy rain.
Boy Killed In Chicago.
Chicago, March 24,T-One person is
known to have been killed and 81 in
1ured-for the most part slightly in a
severe wind and rain storm which
broke over the city this morning. Fully
a score OF houses were blown over and
others were moved from their founda-
tions
The one death reported to the po-
lice was that Of Oral Slocomb, "a II
year old boy who was crushed to
death. His home was blown against
an adjoining structure and collapsed.
At 2:30 a. m. every available fire
apparatus in the north and west sides
stations had been called out to ex-
tinguish fires which broke out IN bust
ness blocks and dwellings partly
wrecked by the storm. Reports OF
missing people who had either fed
from the fires or were believed to have
perished in ruins continued to pour
in to police stations until late today
but 1t was thought the fatalities If any
were few. iOrlo Slocomb IL years OLD
was reported killed in his home IN the
north section Of the city. His parents
escaped out of windows when the
house toppled over.
Electric lights in wide areas were
cut, thus leaving scores Of people in
total darkness when they sought safety
in the streets.
Physicians and ambulances were
busy all night responding to calls for
people reported injured in the blowing
over Of frame dwellings in tenament
districts.
Floods In Wisconsin.
Fond du Lac, Wis, March 24.-Fol-
lowing an all-night rain the worst in
many years, Fond du Lac is facing the
most seriously flood conditions since
1881. Five schools are closed and the
Easements of business houses along
the river front and a dozen residence
streets are flooded. Occupants Of 100
homes are marooned. No loss of life
Continued on PAGE III