The Washington herald., 1913-03-25
RESCUE PARTIES
DELVE IN ruins

DAA IL IA AAOAA W
Continued from Page One.
/ dences razed were those of George JOS
lyn. the "million-dollar castle;" Howard
Baldridge, W. +. Baxter. Charles r.
Sherman. c. Z. Black. c. H. P1ckens,
Sidney D. Rarkalow, Z. A. Parmalee.
and c. L. Hammer.
| The work of rescue was handicapped
by many things. The storm had carried
down all wires so that the section of the
city which bore the brunt of the blow
was in darkness. Falling houses had
broken gas pipes so that the flow was
turned off in the mains. Then, on the
tail end OF the blow came the torrent fall
Of rain which swept and drenched every
thing under millions of gallons OF water
The rain was accepted by the rescuers
and the sufferers as n benediction, for
without 1t a confiagration would have
swept the city. Fires started in scores
of places, more than fifty alarms being
sent in, but the rain swept through the
district in such sheets that no blaze
could last long. But fires burned under
fallen roofs. protected from the downpour
and these were fought by the fremen
from o'clock last night until dark to-
might.
Firemen Control Flames.
At one time 1t seemed that the fire
was spreading today, after the rain had
ceased. but the firemen. who had been
working continuously without rest. CEN
tered their forces on the worst part OF
the threatening flames and conquered
| them.
| Undoubtedly much valuable property
has been lost in the many fires. Families
ran from their homes or were pulled out
dead and dying, and their valuahles, in
| Guiding jewels. money, and securities
| were left in the ruins, 10 be consumed
| later by the spreading fires.
Scores OF families lost every piece or
| clothing they possessed, excepting what
| they wore at the time the tornado struck.
Emergency rescue work was begun
in the devastated district almost before
the tornado had passed. and long before
the torrents OF rain had ceased Inc
first 10 enter the district We're handi- |
capped by having 10 lights. Others. In
cluding the police. then arrived with IAN
terms. and the search Of the wrecked
homes continued throughout the night
by this inadequate light few search |
lights were later supplied by automobile |
owners. and a few headlights were oh |
tanned from the railroad yards. But the
work of rescue throughout the night |
was hampered by the darkness.
Emergency morsues and hospitals were
established at many points. and calls |
were sent 10 all hospitals for available
physicians and nurses. With the physi |
clans came the nurses. and these young |
women worked vaiantly through the
long. cold. wet night. min!ster!nS TO the
injured.
Among the buildings destroyed were
eleven churches and eight schoolhOuses. !
No loss Of life occurred in the wreckinE !
OF these structures. Fifty persons in tho !
Convent Of the Sacred Heart escaped just
before it was wrecked. They were t@ken
care Of at 50. Josephs Hospital.
city in Darkness.
Al the moment that the storm struck /
every light IN the city was cxtin-
guished. Fires started all over the |
destroyed section. Torrential rains
came shortly. however. and reduced |!
this added danger TO minimum.
Panic at once ensued. Mayor Dahl |
man took personal command Of the sit |
uation. and called out all the available |
State troops. appealing at the same time |
to Gov. MOrehcad for re-enforcementS |
Before the roar of the tornado had died !
out in the distance the work of rescue |
had begun. II continued uninterrUptedly |
by lantern light all through the night. |
and with the arrival today of the Gov
eTIpE Win aCtIllDIdI state troops sup
plemerted by the Federal troops from
Fort Omaha, order is rapidly being re-
stored and accurate accounting made OF
the extent Of the damage.
The hotels in the downtown section Of
the city. which escaped with little dam
age, have been turned into hospitals Tor
the treatment Of the hundreds Of
wounded.
Aid Reaches Stricken City.
Trains bearing physicians. nurses. and
supplies have been arriving all through
the day. Money, too, is pouring into the
city from all quarters, and offers of aid
are being received from all sides.
The situation is appalling. but 1t IS
believed that the authorities now have
it well in hand, and there remains but
the work OF locating all of the dead.
caring for the wounded. and clearing
away the wreckage preparatory to re-
building.
It was a night Of unimaGinahle ter
ror in Omaha. following the sudden
bursting Of the storm. 4 thousand
incidents were related today OF its
fury ana the effects which followed in
its wake. While it still ragged the
streets in the stricken section were =
bedlam OF panic-strtcken people fleeing
from the torrent of flying brick and
timber. while building after building
crashed into the streets.
The Child Saving Institute at s19
South Forty-second Street. was 4 ver-
table death house within half an hour
after the storm struck. Every avail
able room there was pressed into serv-
ice. as one after another of the dead
were brought into the place.
On the porch OF the institution a young
girl sat watching over the dead body of
her mother, Mrs. John Newman. who