Semi-weekly herald., 1913-03-31

(By Joseph Polcar, editor of the Om-
aha Daily News. Written for the
United Press.)
OMAHA, Neb. March 27.-The Om-
aha storm impresses one with the in
credible power of wind. Under tor
nado conditions wind becomes a thing
equal in devastating might to dyna-
mite, cannon fire or thunderbolts-
and all magnified to hundred diam
eters. This tornado moved a path
across the city of Omaha five miles
long and block wide Within that
zone the destruction is indescribable.
Not house escaped
Entering the city, it plowed through
the wooden houses of the poor and
moderately well-to-do in the. suburbs
and wrecked them. Then it attack
ed the brick and stone mansions in the
best residence part of the city-and
wrecked them. Slate and tile roofs
went like shingles. Stone and brick
were crushed like paper. The show
place of Omaha is castellated man.
sion which would look at home on the
cliffs of the Rhine, and cost a mil
lion dollars. Its roof went and its
battlements crumbled in the same ex-
plosive blow that carried away the
frame house in the next block. There
is no such thing as tornado-proof
building. And it is all mere mat
ter of wind-the same force as the
gentle breeze of summer. This is the
physical mystery and wonder of the
tornado.
Brick and stone houses were shear
ed off like cheese. Their materials
came crashing down in chaos. These
people were in the houses, kept there
by the threatening weather. Why
were there not thousands killed, in
stead of hundreds? This is another
wonder. One exploring these ruined
districts, with houses crowded to-
gether, the streets filled with wreck
age, cellars filled with stone and
bricks, wires tangled across the
streets, electric poles snapped in pieces
and hurled through roofs, roofs them
selves carried long distances and drop
ped at random, can scarcely believe
that these dwellings were all occu-
pied and that this havoc was all done
in moment-and only about about
hundred and twenty killed and less
than three hundred seriously injured.
The Omaha storm came at a time
OF year when tornadoes are not ex-
pested. The houses all had fires burn
ing. From the cellars of the wrecked
houses arose the smokes of a thou
sand furnaces. Perhaps this is the
only tornado which ever visited city
under such conditions. The live wires
sent out their flames of discharging
electricity, and the furnaces smoked
and went out-and yet there were
few fires, and none of any magnitude.
This is wonder, too. The citizens
of the city saw the flames spring up
in several places, and thought, as
the red glow illuminated the lurid sky
of the storm, of the fire that wiped
out San Francisco, after her build
ings were wrecked by an earthquake.
But the Omaha holocaust did not
come. This is owing to the torrents
of rain that came with and followed
the tornado, and which soaked the
debris of the storm. Wherever tor
nadoes of the past have made people
homeless and exposed the interiors of
their homes to the weather, it has
been in summer. They were not call
ed upon to suffer from cold, at least.
But here, as this is written, snow |
storm is falling and the landscape
looks like January, The snow is sift-
ing down through wrecked floors on
rianos, Oriental rugs, brio a brac,
treasures imported from all lands to
grace the homes of the rich. 1t is |
falling on rich carpets and fine IL
braries. 1t is filling little living rooms
of the poor, too, and covering the
future on which the installment man
will ask for payments the first of the