The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-03-27
Chief Of the keokuk Fire Department
Returns From the Stricken Me-
braska City and Tells Of
Disaster.
DAMAGE DONE QUICKLY
Presence Of His Daughters Home in
the Devastated Section Cause Of
His Trip to
Omaha.

Fire Chief Anderson returned this
morning from Omaha where he had
been to see about the safety of his
daughter and family, as their home
was in that part of Omaha struck by
the cyclone. Speaking of the storm
and It's awful effect upon the city he
said.
When | heard OF the tornado at
Omaha and that it passed from the
southwest part of the city to the
northeast | knew it was near nv
daughters home and being unable to
get word either way and hearing moth
ing, naturally we became very much
alarmed and | Immediately left for
Omaha. The tornado came upon the
people at five fifty o'clock on Sunday
evening and in few minutes 1t was
all over and destroyed completely not
less than fifteen hundred houses and
damaged several thousand more. This
includes houses from the palace to
the howell. 1t entered the city where
the humble are located and thence
entered the swell residence district
and from there proceeded to where
those in medium walks of life were
located, thence it entered the section
where colored people are located and
passed over and out the northeast end
of the city.
The property damages will be ten
millions. Only five per cent carrying
tornado insurance. In fact, don't
think there will be 100000 tornado in
surance.
No one can describe the desola-
ton and ruin in the path of the storm
which was about five blocks wide and
five miles long, and for a distance of
block or more from the path Of the
storm thousands of houses suffered
minor damages such as chimneys
blown over or porches crushed and
carried away and windows broken in.
In the Bemis Park residence district
II seemed that the storm was like
fifty hells all broke loose at once.
Trees twisted and turned, houses SHOW
ed through one another and trees full
OF household furniture The tele-
phone company and electric light
companies will loose half a million
easily. The street cars will not run
on some streets for week. The West
davenport street district where the
nome of Mr.. Joslyn is To-
Gated and which has always
been the show place of Omaha
with it's ten acres of fine trees
and shrubbery is all destroyed and
this place looks as if an invading
army had riddled it with shell. I'M
mediately west of this one block is the
nome OF our former townsman, w. F..
Wapplch. was damaged, the roof gone
and rain poured in, destroying every
lhlng, and no tornado insurance. ON
me street just south of the Joslyn
house is the home of Col. S. S. Curtis,
winch was twisted and part of the roof
gone and if anything worse damaged
uan Wappich's, for Curtis was in the
pain OF the storm. Just south of the 4
Curtis home houses were twisted and
"Su oNSl. NICK GuCKerC who was
merchant tailor and cutter in Keo-
kuk some years ago, was completely
wiped out and his house flattened like
pancake and nothing left but the
foundation
). II. Mcdonald was going into
sarage when 1t collapsed but he
escaped with few minor bruises.
Fire Department Busy.
The fire department had MANY fires
70 contend with during the storm and
~ some places half dozen houses
were afire at time But the heavy
urehching rain which followed the
storm Is all that saved the city from
complete wiping out BY fire. The
department could not get around in
me tornado district for there we're
'eiephone poles, live wires, trees
aercss the street and houses and
sheds piled UP and in some instances
'ons detours had to be made. And
WIN the thunder and lightning and
''e wires 1t was a night not soon to
Se forgotten by the inhabitants of the
u'strlct covered by the storm It was