The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-03-25

NANh WIN 6iASA "uAhCu lhN
streets cold and homeless, Omaha
awoke to a scene of almost unbeliev
able devasta ion. Ralston was entire
ly wiped from the map. Then the
tornado swept past the city hospital
TO the west and continued In a north
easterly direction, taking everything
In its path 1t travelled east to the
river and lost itself some place in the
Iowa bluffs.
Buildings were blown down or
picked up and hurled with terrific
force many yards, trees were leveled
and small structures were completely
wrecked by the wind, which swept di.
rectly across the most aristocratic as
well as the most lowly parts of the
city.
Some of the finest homes, those re-
Gently erected by some of Omaha s
wealthiest men, are a mass of ruins.
Hundreds of families saw their
homes swept away or damaged so
badly that they were uninhabitable
and the occupants were forced to the
street during the torrential rain that
followed the twister.
Fire Adds to Horror
Following the tornado and the rain
came an even greater menace in the
fires that broke out in a score Of
places. At least twenty-five houses
were destroyed by flames. To add to
the horror of the night the electric
lights failed, wires went down and
not only the house lights but the
street lights were extinguished, leav-
ing only the fitful flare from hundreds
Of lanterns to light up the scenes of
horror, while the rescue parties were
at work.
The sections of the city which have
reported the heaviest loss of life are
the districts surrounding the county
hospital and the children's institute.
From every point In the path of the
storm reports were received of people
killed, injured or buried in the ruins
of their homes.
Shortly before 6 p. m. the storm
was first noticed southwest of Omaha
coming toward the city with the
speed of an express train The roar
of the whirling, twisting widns could
be heard long before the storm struck
and the people in the southern por-
tion of the city asserted they could
hear the angry rumble of the storm
when II struck the village of Ralston.
Big Fan-shaped Cloud,
The vanguard of the storm was a
huge fan-shaped cloud, dark and low
---- .-.-
a funnel-shaped cloud that dipped
earthward and wherever ii struck left
wake of death and injuries and
wrecked homes.
Almost all over the city people
stood and watched the storm ap.
proach, even when in its very path
some seemingly without the power to
move or not knowing which way to go
The streets in the storms path
were filled with debris.
Although dazed for time by the
suddenness of the storm and the dam
age done, the people living in the
wrecked portions of the city who were
unhurt and those residing nearby
hastened to the task OF rescuing the
injured.
Every available motor car and wag
on was pressed into service, physi
clans and nurses were hastily sum
moned and hospital and other pub
lie buildings turned into relief sta
tions for the injured and morgues fo1
the dead Every undertaker's estab
lishment in the city and even in Souti
Omaha was taxed to the limit in car
ing for the dead.
City Officials Do Rescue Work.
AS the night wore on the devasts
ton wrought by the storm became
more and more evident and the cit!
commissioners, headed by Mayo
Dahlman, took personal charge of tn
relief work. Headquarters were es
tablished in the Telephone Exchang
building and Major Hartman's offer I,
take charge of the patrolling Of tn
devastated district with between 20
and 800 regulars was gladly accepted
Every policeman and firemen In Oma
ha, South Omaha and Council Bluff
was used In an effort to prevent loo,
ing of the buildings, In the rescue 0
the injured and in putting out fires
Before morning call for local CON
panies Of state troops had been IL
sued, and state troops will aid regu
lars and city officers in guarding tn
wrecked buildings and searching ruin
for dead and injured. AS soon as day
light appeared Mayor Dahlman an
Major Hartman made tour along tn
storms path and planned the work c
caring for those rendered homeless b
~ 90 M Co yn1tntrO ~ he