The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-04-02

| than krlnSky famlly-WaS cOmpeltely
wiped out.
1t was at first reported that anoth-
er thirteen men and women went
down to death in the Diamond moving
picture theater on Lake street near
Twenty-fourth, where one negro
escaped after six hours of confinement
in the ruins, alive and well. But time
proved that no deaths occurred here.
Several were killed within a radius
of three blocks of the fatal Fortieth
and Farnam corner On the south
side of Farnam from Forty-first to
Forty-second three were killed, Geo.
J. Duncan, Miss Mabel Mcbride and
the venerable A. j. Peck, and a fourth,
Ray Talbot, barely escaped, coming
out with severe, though not mortal, i'll
iuries.
Cellars Sought for Safety.
People generally where possible
rushed to cellars and easements for
safety and, as the facts show, the vast
majority of them did not go in vain,
though scores did.
Next to the loss Of life and homes,
the destruction of shade trees was
dsheartening. Beautiful naples, elms,
oaks and others by the score were
destroyed, some whipped into shreds,
some torn from their sockets by the
roots and others badly distigured.
While such devastation was common
all along the path OF the storm, it was
most noticeable, perhaps, in Bemls
park, where the trees in their pestine
glory so graciously adorned that pic
turesque section. 1t has been the cur
rent comment that it will be years be
fore these old friends will be re.
placed, if they ever are.
Rescuers Work by Night.
The public utilities, especially cleo
trio light and power, were badly smit-
ten by the storm. Lights went out
street cars stopped in the very spots
where the tornado overlook them.
Many fires were caused by Overturning
stoves or furnaces or gas lights and
the firemen had a strenuous night OF
it, vieing with the policemen and 9th
ers in the work of rescue and salvage.
All night long men carrying lanterns
could be seen searching ruins for miss
ing men, women and children, and
now and then strobe solemnly by four
men in khaki uniform bearing a
llSlCllSl, vi "A1Su LAY q uSeIA VI
dying or injured victim of the vicious
wind. Soldiers from the federal forts
were quickly on hand with their am
balances and did heroic service. So
along this same line did civilians,
many of them owning autos putting
in the whole night at this human task.
Hospitals were thrown open and
filled with manned sufferers. Physic-
ians and nurses had a busy time Of it.
Private homes in many cases were
converted into Ravens of refuge.
Names were not asked; the only re-
uuirement for admission was to be in
jured or homeless.
Monday Mornings Awakening.
The city officials, led by Mayor
Dahlman, Police Commissioner Ryder,
the other city commissioners, Chief
of Police Dunn, Fire Chief Salter and
others, were quick to respond to the
call for help and put in, most Of them,
a ceaseless night of toll, laying i'm
plans for the important re-
lief work to be carrid on indefinitely.
The city aWOke, as cities usually
do under such circumstances, stupe-
fled by the appalling disaster, not yet
fully to comprehend or ap-
preciate what had happened. The |
lane of devastation presented bleak
and forbidding spectacle, indeed.
Monday became largely holiday
though not formally so. People-men,
women and children-tramped all day
long over every vestige of the waste |
places, though not all simply in curl
osity, for ever and always there was |
the helping hand outstretched. With
out delay the work of restoration real
ly began in the efforts to clear away |
debris. The city set large numbers |
Of laborers to work and private indi-
viduals looked out for their own and |
others, but day of ever so strenuous
toll made but little impression upon |
the twisted ruins.
Relief Work Organized.
Bright and early Governor More
head came up from Lincoln, made a
tour of the ruined districts, repaired |
to his hotel appalled, at the magnitude |
of the disaster, to reflect upon what |
to do. Before leaving Lincoln he had
ordered out four companies of the |
state militia and soon he augmented |
the forces to 600 troops. Martial law
was declared throughout the zone OF
lines stretched and sent
inels placed in charge.
At midnight Police Commissioner
Ryder had delivered system of
passes" to be used in case of neces
sity in getting through the lines and
these were printed and ready for dis
tribution at daybreak. The city po-
lice and officials co-operated with the
young men of the National Guard and
soon the system of patrol was estab-
lished on a systematic basis.
The big task now was relief to the
stricken. Hundreds of people had to
be housed and fed and clothed and
that would require vast sums of mon
ey, stores of provisions and raiment,
and the city bent to as if it had been
schooled in the facilities of such a
service.
A citizens relief committee was at
once formed of Police Commissioner
Ryder, r. J. Byrne and c. G. Rosewa-
ter, and an executive board of these
three, with r. J. Mahoney, Father
John Williams, Mayor Dahlman, Com
missioner J. M. Guild of the CONNER
cial club and City Commissioner Dan