The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1913-04-03
Four Hundred and Fifty Homes De.
motjshed and Hundreds OF Other
Buildings Damaged in Ne.
braska city-1,5o0 Per-
sons Homeless.


alone Estimates of the dead vary
from 232 to 800.
The snow storm which seriously
hampered the work of rescue began
shortly after midnight and continued
| with gathering force. More than three
inches of snow covered the debris in
the section of the city which was
struck by the tornado.
Privations of the storm sufferers
were greatly increased by the snow
following so closely in the wake of the
beams, hoping against hope to find the
living dear ones beneath the tons of
wreckage; men, gruffly cheering their
sorowful mates; weeping children,
wrapped with shawls and blankets-all
these figured in the scene which feder-
al soldiers watched while patrolling
I the afflicted district and keeping the
wrecked buildings from constituencies
| looters.
City officials gathered within the
lines drawn around the tornado district
and hepled the soldiers and distrib-
| uted clothing and other necessities
among the sufferers.
! Omaha, March 26.-More than 200
! persons were killed and 400 were in
jured in wind storm that delnol-
ished 450 homes, damaged hundreds
( of other buildings and caused none
tary loss of $5,000,000, according to
! reports available from the main path
OF the tornado in and near Omaha.
Most of the casualties were in Oma-
ha, which was stricken as never be-
( fore. Nearby towns in Nebraska and
across the Missouri rived in Iowa al
so suffered severely Wires were
snapped off in all directions and it
took many hours to gather and circu-
late news of the disaster.
OF the known dead 152 were resi-
dents of Omaha The remaining dead
are scattered over considerable
range of territory. with Council Bluffs
reporting IL; Yutan, Neb., is; Berlin,
Neb., q Glenwood, Ia, 5; Nicola, la,
and Bartlett. Ia, 3.
Perhaps 1900 persons are homeless.
Three thousand buildings were dam
aged to some extent. Eight OF Oma-
has public schools were wrecked.
All forms of communication were
interrupted by the wind and only two
or three wires were in working condi.
ton when daylight relieved a night
of high tension, which at times al
and national troops, poured into the
city Monday and patrolled the
residence districts, aiding the police
to maintain order and relieve such
cases of suffering as come to their
notice.
Loss Occurs Sectionatiy.
The greatest loss of life occurred
sectionally. Three points in the path
of the storm offered the greatest sac
rifces. These were at Fortieth and
Farnanl streets, where a crowd had
sought refuge in a garage, at Twenty
fourth and Lake streets, where NOV
ing picture theater was demolished
and at Twenty-fourthsa Willis ave
nue.. where a pool room was wrecked
in each of these places the fatalities
we're large.
visited the city and it was overwhelm
Ell by it. The citizens quickly rose tt
the situation. however, and measures
of relief were organized promptly
Trinity cathedral was temporarl,
turned into a coffee house; priests
visited homes that had been destroy
cd, in many cases administering the
last rites of the church and public
bodies began the organization of re
lief committees In one night owe
500, 900 was subscribed for relief o
the destitute.
Telegraph Communications Again.
Telegraph and telephone communi
cation, which were at standslill 70
"a hours. were improved, lntra-stat'
AS we'll os Interstate communication
Is far from normal and it is believes
that t,,n full effects of the storm ma
not be known tor several days.
Reconstruction was begun at ono
when at a meeting OF the real estat
exchange a committee was appOinte'
to take NJ his work.
? Insurance companies experience
heavy losses, most OF their fire pollcle
carrying a tornado clause.
|, Came Without Warning.
: The storm. came almost withOu
warning, the day which opened wit
) overcast skies, having cleared In tn
afternoon.
, The little town OF Ralston, tire
, miles vest of South Omaha. first fel
: the fury OF the storm which there too
> a toll Of a half dozen or more live
, and practically destroyed the town.
4 In uortheasterly direction and a
most in Il straight line it travelled wit
incredible speed, wrecking many hant
some houses in the fashionable Yves
: Farnam and Bemls park districts