Norwich bulletin., 1913-03-25
Omaha Worst Sufferer.

By far the greatest damage was done in and near Omaha, Neb., through part Of which @ tornado wind swept Sunday evening, throwing down many sub- stahtial buildings, ripping off roofs and siding off hundreds of houses and kill ing men, women and children by the score.
 The storm kept it's work a secret from the rest of the world for hours by breaking down all wire comnunica- tioE. Messengers with news stories had to go by train to Lincoln, the state capital, to give out the first def mite news of the disaster.
 During the early hours of the night uninjured citizens worked desperately to move such persons as had been caught beneath razed buildings. The debris caught fire in many places and many persons were painfully burned before they could be extriceted from beneath broken tmbers.
 A Record Violent Gale.
 No great number was killed in any one place. The wind swept along, talk ing it's toll here and there. The tor nado even jumped over portions of the city in it's path, swooped- down again and dashed obstru ctions to earth.
 The gale left Omaha only to sweep on 70 towns in Iowa in the same de- structive manner that he had attacked villages in Nebraka. The rage of the element even extended in a somewhat ebated form to points far to the east in Illinois
 No sooner had the great wind pass ed than a second violent gale swept over much the same territory, but with lessened fury.
 Nearly a Score De&d at Terre Haute.
 What seems to have been a separate storm swept portions of Indiana, being greatest in and near Terre Haute There nearly a score of persons were slain and Hundreds were hurt. Other in laSSPr .Oa age
 The sleet and wind storm of the last few days had reduced telegraph and telephone companies to sore straits as hundreds of poles and thousands of miles of wire were carried down in a terrible tangle. The Easter tornado added to the havoc west Of Chicago although wires were repaired to the east In many large regions railroads were unable to use commercial tele- graphic facilities and news associa- tions were compelled to send reports in the most unusual ways in order to reach the newspapers.
 Floods in Wisconsin.
 Floods swept through several Wis consin cities. damaging many thou sands dollars worth of goods in base ments. Dams were washed out in many places and the released waters swept over the fields below.
 In Chicago all the elements scene to meet shortly before Easter Sunday had closed. Wind blew a violent gale, snow fell before it in some places, hail crashed windows in other parts of the city.
 After the storms had passed, the wind died to gentle breeze, the sun ehonc brightly and the warmth of spring pervaded the air
 Churches as Coffee Houses.
 No such catastrophe ever had vis- ited Omaha and it was overwhelmed by it. The citizens quickly rose to the situation, however, and measures ot relief were organized promptly. Trin- ity cathedral, parish of the Omaha Episcopal church, was temporarily turned into coffee house. Catholic priests visited homes that had been destroyed, in many cases administer ing the last rites of the church, and public organizations began the forna- fIon of relief committees Tonight s10o OOO had been subscribed for the relief of the destitute.
 Insurance Companies Hard Hit.
 Reconstruction was begun tonight when at a meeting of the real estate exchange a committee was appointei1 to take up this work.
 Insurance companies experienced heavy losses. most of their fire insur- ance policies carrying 9. tornado clause.