Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-06-27

owns cOZy HCtle nome at z1l4
Eighth avenue. Mrs. Walker is our
efficient agent here and she is doing
nicely with the items from Council
Bluffs. Mr.. McRaven and Mr.. Stew.
art are working at the Elks club. Mr.
Rose, Mr.. T. S. Britt and Mr.. P. F
Means are working at the Grand hote
and are doing we'll. Mr.. Harrington
has moved into the city from the
country and is doing nicely.
Crossing the river into Omaha, to q
visitor and stranger the first thing
that would strike your observation is
the wreckage Of the tornado which
struck that city on the 23rd day Of
March, 1918. This was Easter Sun.
day and the storm came about $3.50 in
the evening. It will be an evening
long to be remembered by the citi.
zens of Omaha. Pen or tongue can
not give you a complete idea of this
disastrous tornado, which ripped and
smashed its way through the CITY,
leaving a track from four to six
blocks wide, sweeping from southwest
to northeast through some of the
wealthiest residence districts of the
city and the heart of the colored resi-
dences. I can only sum UP this ter
rible catastrophe by stating that it
caused 140 deaths, 800 injured, with
property loss of over $5,O10,O0O. In
all about 1900 homes were damaged
or destroyed, with $500 people rem
dered homeless. cannot describe to
you the terrible suffering, sorrow and
destruction. The storm lasted but a
few minutes, but in that time it
worked almost unbelievable ruin to
Miss Henrietta Hawkins was called
home last week to Mason City, Iowa,
100 Of our people. The savings of a
life time were swept away in the
twinkling of an eye and families and
relatives were torn apart, some dead,
some injured and dying and others
without clothes to put on and who
were running helplessly about trying
to find their lost relatives. People
who were in comfortable Circumstance
es were left homeless and penniless.
Barns, horses, cows, hogs and poultry
were rolled and tossed in every direc-
ton. Mansions upon the hill as we'll
as novels in the bottoms we're struck
alike and scattered to all parts of the
city. After the storm the overturned
stoves, gas and electric lights set fire
to the debris and people could rot put
the fire out because of so many live
wires, and the fire department could
not reach the scene. Screams Of the
injured and dying and excited women
and children all added horror to the
history Of Omaha that night. In the
neighborhood of Twenty-fourth and
Lake streets at least sixty persons
were killed In the Idlewild hall near
Twenty-fourth and Lake streets sew
enteen colored people were crushed to
death. The most of the colored homes
that were damaged or destroyed that
I could secure the names Of were
lions Baptist church, the largest COL
ored church in the city, pastored by
Rev. Bolts; the home of T. H. Ma
hammitt, editor Of the Enterprise,
Lawyer Pinkett, DR.. A. ]. Edwards,
formerly Of this city, Sergeant Saun-
ders, retired from regular service,
Mrs. j. H. Anderson, Mr.. Obee's I'M
dertaking parlors, Mr.. John Hardy,
who mormerly lived here, MIR. c. Coch-
ran, Rey. D. Phelps and score of
others whose names l could not re-
call. Even now when any little cloud
appears and threatens storm people
begin to flee for shelter, as they are
still frightened. Most of them
thought that judgment day had come.
Some have left the city, never to re-
turn again, and still others whose
homes were destroyed have become
reconciled and have begun rebuilding.
When the homes are rebuilt they will
be much nicer and more modern and
this section of the city will lie very
beautiful Doubtless it will be very
hard for some, but the relief commit
tee is helping many of them to re-
build their homes. Rev. Father J. E.
Williams, the Episcopal minister, is
the only colored man upon the relief
committee and he is looking after the
colored people nicely. Mr.. Maham-
NETT, Lawyer Pinkett and Mr.. Ander-
son have their homes about completed
and ready to move in. They are in
deed very beautiful and modern, a
credit to any race and to any city
and are built on the latest styles and
designs. Mr.. w. H. Washington is
still working at the same place. His
little boy is clerk in the Peoples drug
store. Rev. w. F. Bolts is a very
busy pastor of the lions Baptist
church, as they are building very
beautiful and modern church, with all
the necessary equipments that any
church needs. I, will cost perhap:
about $4,000 when completed. VIZ
will probably run cut shortly of this
church in the paper. Mr.. and Mrs. j
S. LaCour, formerly of this city, are
doing nicely. Their daughter, Miss
Margrete, is taking a post graduate
course here, as she had finished hel
high school last year. She is a very
refined young lady and we in Des
Moines claim her as our girl yet
Mr.. C. C. Trent is still working on the
fire department. This is one of the
few cities in the west that has ar
exclusive fire department operated by
colored men, eight in number, o.
which I here below publish q list o.