Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1913-03-27
RICH AND POOR ALIKE SUFFER
Storm Hits Aristocratic and Iowly
Parts Of Omaha.

Parts Of Omaha.
Omaha, March 25.-After a night
of terror, in which women and chill
dren frantic with grief walked the
streets cold and homeless, Omaha
awoke to a scene of almost unbeliev-
able devastation. Ralston was entire
ly wiped from the map. Then the
tornado swept past the city hospital
TO the west and continued In north
aasteriy direction, taking everything
in it's path It travelled east to the
river and lost itself some place in the
Iowa bluffs.
Buildings were blown down or
picked up and hurled with terrific
force many yards, trees were leveled
and small structures were completely
wrecked by the wind, which swept d.
rectly across the most aristocratic al
we'll as the most lowly parts Of the
city.
Some of the finest homes, those To
Gently erected by some of Omafa's
wealthiest men, are mass Of ruins
Hundreds of families saw their
homes swept away or damaged So
badly that they were uninhabftable
and the occupants were forced to the
street during the torrential rain that
followed the twister.
Fire Adds to Horror.
Following the tornado and the rain
came an even greater menace in the
fires that broke out in a score Of
places. At least twenty-five houses
were destroyed by flames. To add to
the horror Of the night the electric
lights failed, wires went down ana
not only the house lights but the
street lights were extinguished, 1eav-
ing only the fitful flare from hundreds
of lanterns to light up the scenes of
horror, while the rescue parties were
at work.
The sections of the city which have
reported the heaviest loss of life are
the districts surrounding the county
hospital and the children's institute.
From every point in the path of the
storm reports were received of people
killed, injured or buried in the ruins
of their homes.
Shortly before 6 p. m. the storm
was first noticed southwest of Omaha
coming toward the city with the
speed of an express train. The roar
OF the wnirling, twisting widns could
be heard long before the storm struck
and the people in the southern por-
ton of the city asserted they could
hear the angry rumble Of the storm
when it struck the village of Ralston-
Big Fan.shaped Cloud.
The vanguard of the storm was
huge fan-shaped cloud, dark and low
ering, which gradually narrowed into
a funnel-shaped cloud that dipped
earthward and wherever it struck left
wake OF death and injuries and
wrecked homes.
Almost all over the city people
stood and watched the storm ap-
proach, even when in it's very path.
some seemingly without the power to
rlove or not knowing which way to 60
The streets in the storms path
were filled with debris.
Although dazed for a time BY the
suddenness of the storm and the dam
age done. the people living in tho
wrecked portions of the city who were
unhurt and those residing nearby
hastened to the task Of rescuing the
injured.
Every available motor car and was-
on was pressed into service, physi.
clans and nurses were hastily sum.
moned and hospital and other pub
lic buildings turned into relief STA
tions for the injured and morgues for
the dead. Every undertaker's estab-
lishment in the city and even in South
oma6a was taxed to the limit in car
ing for the dead.
{ City ofhclaIs % Rescue Work.
AS tne night wore On the devasta.
ton wrought by the storm became