Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1913-03-28
omaha CITIZENS
COUNTING COST
OF TORNADO
At Least Two Hundred Persons
Lost Their Lives.
ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED HURT

Extent Of Disaster Appears More Ap.
paIIing Than Those Who Studied
the Result Were Willing to Admit.
Systematic Relief Bureau Is orea.
nized and Assistance Being Given
to Those in Need.
Omaha, March 26.-For the first
time since the disastrous tornado Of
Easter Sunday the people of Omaha
began to count the cost, both in lives
and dollars. When resume was
made it was apparently more appalling
than those who had studied the re.
suit were willing to admit.
Not less than 200 lives were snuffed
out within the vicinity of the city
proper and at least fifty persons in
surrounding towns lost their lives.
Nearly 500 were injured.
The deetitution was augmented
when nearly three inches of snow fell
over the stricken district, making en-.
tirely uninhabitable the houses OF
many who had prepared to retain tenn
porary homes in partially destroyed
structures. But the snow lessened the
danger Of fires starting in the ruins.
So far as money might relieve, con.
ditions were perfect. Ten1er of sums
aggregating $1,000,000 are in the hands
of city commissioners. These offers
came from nearly every section of the
country and were made unconditional
ly. "E
Burial of Victims Begins.
Hearse after hearse wound it's way
through the wreckage strewn streets
bearing victims of the tornado to their
last resting place.
In all the Catholic churches masses
were said for the dead.
Burial of the dead probably will &C.
cupy three or four days.
Every funeral director in the city
was busy preparing the bodies for
burial, and the coroner still retains in
his rooms eighteen bodies, awaiting
either Identification or the care of
relatives.
The greatest work was that of or.
ganiZing systematic relief bureau
with seven branch stations in the ter
ritory covered by the tornado. These
stretched over strip seven miles
long. Those in charge of relief sta.
tons handed out material assistance
to all corners who were able to show
they were in need of aid.
The city and state either have made
or prepared to make appropriations
to meet all emergency cases and re-
lief corps are being organized to care
for every case resulting in restitution.
In addition to this newspapers and
numerous other institutions have
started subscription lists which al.
ready bring the total Immediately
available relief to nearly 100000.
Outside Aid Unnecessary.
City Commissioner. Ryder stated
that despite offers aggregating nearly
81 ,0OO, 900 Omaha and Nebraska would
be able to care for their own.
He, however, expressed his crate.
full appreciation for these offers,
which, he declared, indicate the great
interest the outside world is taking in
the city in it's distress.
While the destruction of homes IN
the city was great there was not a
single large business institution which
suffered a great loss. The storm took
it's toll entirely from the residential
portions of the city and with the ex.
ception of small stores, groceries,
meat markets and similar shops the
loss to business was immaterial.
Sanitary conditions were among the
first considered by the city authori'
ties. City Physician Cornell under
took the enforcement of regulations
which will prevent the possibility OF
an epidemic. Several hundred ami
mails were among the victims of the
storm and orders were given that
their carcasses should be removed at
once and incinerated. Twenty-Five
horses were killed in one barn and
scores of bodies of other animals
were found strewn throughout the
storm stricken district.
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