The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-24
DISASTER FOLLOWS IN
WAKE OF Big STORM
CONTINUED from Page one.9

Many of the best parks of the city
are located within the district covered
and at least two of these were wreck
ed. Hanscom park, situated near
where the storm originated, was
greatly damaged and Bemis park, one
of the show residence districts of the
city, was struck with sufficient force
to practically wreck most of the resi-
dences within its limits
The tenn perature Friday and Satur-
day morning lowered near the zero
mark. but shot up with remarkable
rapidity and this doubtless was re-
Sponsible for the condition of the ele-
ments which brought on the storm.
That the situation is very grave was
indicated by the action of Mayor Dahl
man in securing the aid of government
troops and the state militia. The re-
cent mobilization in Texas took most
of the federal troops from the two regi-
mental posts located near Omaha. Fort
Omaha, western headquarters of the sig
nal corps, was in the path of the storm
and is believed to have been badly
wrecked. Only two companies of men
are now at that station. Fort Crook
is five miles south of Omaha and was
out of the path of the worst part of
the storm. One part of the area COW
cred by this storm is that located be-
tween Cunning street on the south and
Ames avenue on the north and from
Twenty-sixth on the east to Fiftieth
street on the west. This is the most
thickly populated residence district in
the city and contains ten of the larg-
est public schools in Omaha. Many
of the large churches also are in that
part of the city. Omaha university
was in the path of the storm and is
presumed to have been badly damaged
Huge Property Damage.
Property damage at Omaha will
amount up into the hundreds of
thousands.
The tornado swept in from the south
west and Zigzagged to the northeast
over the residence portion of the city.
leaving in it's wake destruction and
carnage from two to four blocks wide.
Fire sprung up all over this area and
added to the horror of the twister.
Ffremen were unable to respond to the
numerous alarms and many houses
were allowed to burn to the ground.
The police were unable to properly
police the stricken district and the SOL
diers from Fort Omaha were called
out. The tornado zone is now prac-
tically under martial law.
Omaha's suburbs suffered heavily
from the storm Ralston, southwest of
Omaha, was RACED to the ground and a
half score or more are dead. East
Omaha, which felt the tail of the
twister, reported houses demolished bur
no lives lost. Council Bluffs, Iowa.
suffered nine dead. a score Or moro
injured and great damage to property.
largest toll of lives was exacted in the
western part of Omaha and i'll the vi
cinity of Twnty-fourth and Lake. and
from there north to Sixteenth and Bin
aley. This is the residence portion ard
the destruction wrought was well nigh
appalling. Whole blocks of homes
were picked up and dashed into a
shapeless mass. Street cars were hurled
from the tracks and demolished. A
moving picture show at Twenty-fourth
Lax n
and eight injured have thus far been
removed from the ruins. About 50 per-
sons were in the theater at the time of
the disaster and it is feared that moss
of these are buried in the debris.
Bemis Park. one of the prettiest
residence. districts in Omaha, was
RACED to the ground and fires dotted
the park. completing destructive work
of the tornado.
Among the show places of the city
which felt the baneful effects of the
storm was the Joslyn castle. The roof
was torn off and the trees and shrub
berry uprooted.
The convent of the Poor Clares, at
Twenty-ninth and Hamilton streets.
was unroofed and the grounds were
Uttered with debris. An unverified
report said that the Sacred Heart
academy. at Thirty sixth and aBrt
streets, was demolished.
The storm so paralyzed the tele-
graph service that no reports of the
disaster could be communicated to the
outside world. The Omaha telegraph
offices sent their piled up messages
to Lincoln on an early morning train
AT 1880 a. m. Omaha presented a
sorry spectacle as a result of last
nights terrific storm. From the Field
club. which is in the western part of
the city, to the Carter Lake club, sit
uated at the northeast extremity, IS
one mass of debris from two to six
blocks wide. Federal soldiers from
Fort Omaha assisted the police in keep
ing Iooters and morbidly curious at
bay The presence of the soldiers
gives the CITY the appearance of be-
ing under martial law.
It IL impossible at this hour to get