Yellowstone monitor. [volume] (Glendive, Mont.) 1905-1928, 1913-03-27
CYCLONE DOES
FEARFUL HAVOC
Omaha and Vicinity Ask
Aid in Hour Of Need.

Omaha, March 24.-More than 200
nersons were killed and 200 were in
iured in a windstorm that DEM olished
45O homes, damaged hundreds of other
buildings and caused monetary loss
of 1000, 900, according to reports
available up to a late hour tonight
from the main path of the tornado In
and near Omaha.
Most of the casualties were IN
Omaha, which was stricken as never
before. Nearby towns in Nebraska
and across the Missouri River in Iowa
also suffered severely. !, Wires were
snapped off in all directions and it
took many hours to gather and circu-
late the news of the disaster.
Fire broke out in the debris of many
wrecked buildings in the Nebraska
metropolis and these were menaced tor
some time, as the fire companies were
hindered by fallen walls in blockaded
streets. A heavy rain followed the
wind and drenched the hundreds OF
homeless persons, but it also put out
the flames. "
The greatest loss occurred section
ally. Three points in the path OF the
storm offered the greatest sacrifices.
These were at Fortieth and Farnum
streets, where crowd had sought re-
fuge in garage; at Twenty-fourth
and Lake street, where moving pic
ture theatre was demolished, and at
Twenty-fourth and Willis avenue,
where a pooh DOM had attracted
crowd. In each of these places the
fatalities were large. No such cat
astrophe has ever before visited the
city and it was overwhelming. The
residents quickly rose to the situation,
however, and measures of relief were
organized promptly.
Trinity cathedral, parish of Oma-
ha, was temporarily turned into cof-
fee house, priests visited homes
that had been destroyed, in many cas-
es administering the last rites Of the
church, and public organizations be-
gan forming relief committees. To-
night $lOO, 600 had been subscribed for
the relief of the destitute.
Governor Moorehead arrived in the
city early in the day and took person
al charge of the policing of the city.
EMayor James C. Dahlran opened
negotiations with the governor for the
protection of the city and for the relief
of those who had been made homeless,
with the result that not only the state
officials became active in the work, but
tonight majority of the members OF
the legislature, in session at Lincoln,
came to this city to secure such in
formation as might be necessary IN
tax ng up the work of state relief.
The number of buildings destroyed
was placed in the neighborhood of L.
200 and the property damage loss at
several million dollars. Belated re-,
ports coming to Omaha tended to in
crease the enormity of the havoc
wrought and indicated that a much
wider territory had been caught in the
path of the storm than was at first
shown. Next to Omaha, where the
dead will probably not exceed 200,
Yutsn and Ralston, Neb., reported 16
and IA respectively, and Council Bluffs
IL.
The hospitals in Omaha tonight are
full Of injured, many Of whom have
not been identified, apparently be-
cause their friends either are dead or
among the injured.
Tonight the stricken section Of Oma-
ha is patrolled BY government troops
from Fort Omaha and the state militia.
Governor Moorehead hinlsalf has ta-
ken personal charge Of the saate troops.