The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-03-28
Thirty Killed in Motion Picture
Theater and so More in a
Pool Hall - Bodies
Buried in Ruins.
STORM HITS COUNCIL BLUFFS
Bio Fire Follows Gale and state
Troops Are Called Into Service 10
Ffqht Flames and Prevent Loot'n9
of Bodies and Fallen Buildings
Lives Lost in Iowa Town.

Chicago, March Zo.-A uedIh VII
probably reaching 800 with Sl5'ooo'-
600 property loss was taken by Twin
equinoctial tornadoes which swept
through the middle west
Omaha. Neb.. is the heaviest sui
ferer with at least $50 dead and De
vestation totaling twelve millions.
This takes no reckon of the hundreds
more who have been injured, scores
perhaps fatally.
A broad section of the resldentlal
district of the city, abiding places OF
the wealthy classes was wiped out
Fire added to the general haVoc.
Panic ensued and state and federal
troops have been called out to MAIN
tain order.
Other Nebraska towns felt the
death-dealing force of the wind which
swept over into Iowa as well Mis-
souri,, Indiana, Illinois, Montana, WIS
consin. Kansas and South Dakota.
Storm Hits Chicago.
AS far east as Chicago the fatal
force of the storm was felt, the TOLL
there being five killed with S5Oo,ooo
damage. III Milwaukee, 100000 prop
erty loss was sustained.
AS Omaha was the center OF one
of the tornadoes, Terre Haute, Ind,
became the oenter of the other.
Twenty-six are dead from the storm
which hit the latter city. Fifteen
were lost in Yutan, Neb.. between
twenty-five and thirty-five in surround
ing Nebraska towns, ten in Council
Bluffs Ia, while deaths Of from two
to fifteen persons are reported from
score of other small towns through
the nine states encompassed by the
two storms.
The history of the middle west con-
tains no record of storms of such vio-
lence and attended by such appalling
loss of life.
200 Killed and 700 Hurt.
Omaha, March 25.-Two hundred
persons were killed and 700 injured
in Omaha by two tornadoes which
struck the Nebraska metropolis with
In half hour of each other.
Residences, churches, colleges and
stores were leveled in an area eight
miles long and from two to six blocks
wide.
The property loss is estimated at
more than $12,000000.
In the path of the storms devsta
ton are some of the city's finest build
ings, and two of the most handsome
parks of the city were ruined.
More than $50 residences were to
tally destroyed and ESQ were badly
damaged.
Forty blocks in Omaha are virtual
~ in ruins. Scores of persons were
buried in the ruins of their homes
and others were fatally injured By
falling debris.
In a picture theater the entire audi
ence of thirty was buried when the
building collapsed under the weight
of the wind
Council! Bluffs in Storms Path.
Council Bluffs, just across the Mis-
souri, river, as we'll as South Omaha
and a half dozen suburban towns
were greatly damaged. In Council
Bluffs thirteen persons are known tc
have been killed and scores of others
injured. Dozens of persons were hurt
in South Omaha by falling timbers.
All the principal churches, school
houses and other public buildings
were converted into temporary hos
pitfalls, having been provided with cots
where the injured are treated. Many
who escaped death or injury are
homeless.
Early in the day the city's public
spirited citizens started a relief funt
and responses were rapid and gener
Gus.
Until noon Omaha was virtually GU
off from all communication, bare
telephone wire to Denver being thu
only available means of sending mes
sages. Shortly after noon, however
a telephone wire was placed in work
ing order between Omaha and Lin
coin.
City Is Swept by Two Storms.
Omaha. Neb,, March 25.-Omahs
and vicinity were swept by two dis