Putnam patriot., 1913-03-28
Tornado and Floods In The Middle
 West

Omaha. Neb.. March 25--Tragedy and ruin stalked hand in hand through the streets of Omaha, grinning hide cusly at the damage done by the cyclone which tore through the city on Sunday evening Two hundred lives, twelve million dollars of man made property and inealeulable an guish aud physical suffering make up the price paid by the Gateway of the West" to the angry elements. Across the river, at Council Bluffs, and environs, a similar situation ex- ists though the comparative damage is less. Soldiers patrol the stricken districts of both cities and business is at standstill.
 offers of aid are pouring in from all sections of the country and from foreign lands, but Omaha is shon.der. ing her burden brayely, B. Sid San | Francisco, and dsclargs she will ac- | complish her own rehabilitation. Already the york of clearing away the debris has commenced and Mayor | DahlmaE declares that sentimental cor ions will obtain in the city within AS hours.
 i The storm signs were first noticed l iu Omaha shortly before o'clock Sunday evening The vanguard of the storm was huge fan.shaped cloud, dark and lowering. which gradually l narrowed into & fauuelshaped cloud that dipped earthwart. and wherever 1 it struck lott d wake of death, injuries
 and wrecked homes. Almost aii over l the city people stood and watched tie
 storm approach even when ln its very
 path. some sc.mug without power to
 move. or not knowing which Way lo
 go.
 Entering the city from the south
 west. after wiping the hamlet of Rais
 ton entirely from the map, the tornado
 swept past the county hospital to the
 west In northeasterly direction. talk
 ing everything in its path. It travelled
 east to the river, and lost itself in tht
 Iowa bluffs.
 Buildings were blown down ol
 picked up by the terrific force of the
 wind. Trees were levelled and small
 CT structures were completely wrecked
 by the wind. which swept path to
 itself directly through the most costl,
 residence section as well as the mos
 lowly parts of the city, Some of th'
 finest homes. those recently ereete'
 by omahas wealthiest men, are
 mass of ruins,
 The reports of property damag were more than confirmed by the in spectiou. The path ol the storm wa six blocks wide, and along the wa
 houses were slashed to bits, torn | , shreds, or heaped in queer piles. Forty.seven city blocks, most C them in the residential section of tn city, felt the full fury of the tornado
 There were l50 houses demolishe' ! and 25O badly wrecked Fiftee 5 churches and eight schools were d' 1 stroyed.
 i Fire followed in the wake of th
 great gale. The streets were blocke a with debris, and il was almost impo i. sibie to get the fire apparatus to th D fires. The fire departments Of nearb F towns and cities were summoned.
 was hours before the flames were u | der control In all fifty alarms hs [ been sounded at the central office { ] the department
 .- Decatur and Franklin streets in th
 residence portion of the city wei d nned with debris and lined with bla d ing homes for three-quarters Of mi e immediately after the tornado. As n s fires spread the destitute famills '. wrapped their wet garments aho' l. themselves and hurried toward n k central part of the city The h,Sh hi \ overlooking the scene of cesolation e 1 the Decatur district was early crow !. ed with the destitute and injured vi