The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-04-02
FEARFUL TORNADO.
MANY PEOPLE KILLED OR HURT
At OR In OMAHA

| AT OR In OMAHA
GREAT PROPERTY Loss
More Than Two Hundred People KILL
ed, Over -Four Hundred Hurt and
Nearly -Four Thousand Buildings,
Homes, Churches, Schools, Etc,
Wrecked and Damaged.
More than 200 persons were kill
ed and 400 were injured in a wind
storm that demolished $50 homes,
damaged hundreds Of other buildings
and caused a monetary loss of So
100000, according to reports avail
able up to a late hour Monday night
from the main path of the tornado
in and near Omaha.
Fire broke out in the debris Of
many wrecked buildings in the Ne
braska metropolis, and these were
menaces for some time, as the fire
companies were hindered by fallen
walls and blockaded streets. A heavy
rain followed the wind, however, and
drenched the hundreds of homeless
persons, but also put out the flames.
OF the 202 known dead within the
area covered by the storm, 152 were
residents of Omaha. The remaining
dead are scattered over a consider
able range of territory, with Council
Bluffs reporting 12; Yutan, Neb., 16;
Berlin. Neb., Z; Glennwood, Ia, s.;
Nicola. Ia, 2; and Bartlett, a., 2.
The same cities and towns report an
aggregate Of 400 injured and $50
homes damage.
While the loss Of life is much less
than at first reported, the damage by
the tornado was fearful to both hu-
man life and property.
Perhaps 1900 persons are home
less. Aside from this, 5000 build
ings were more or less damaged,
some Of these being churches and
school buildings. Eight Of Omaha's s
public schools were wrecked.
All forms Of communication were
almost annihilated by the wind and
only two or three wires were in
working order out of what for twenty
hours had been chaos.
The storm swept the western part
of the city for it's entire length. The
eastern half of the city-generally
composing the business section-was
out of the path of the storm but sui
fered greatly. The section damaged
is the residential portion Of the city.
A number of outlying business thor
oughfares also are in. the destroyed
area.
The storm appeared to have start
ed at 54th and Center streets. From
there it travelled north. vcerins
slightly to the east. to Leavenworth
street. Then it took norheasterly
course to 40th and Farnam streets,
sweeping it's way through everything
Still travelling little east of north
it covered a course from 40th street,
east, to gath street, a distance Of sis
blocks.
Striking Bennis Park, where the
homes of the well-to-do Omahans
are located, the storm turned sharp
" to the east and passed along Park.
er and Blonde streets to oath street
where it's path was six blocks wide
In the latter section the damage is
complete. Many handsome residences
in this section were demolished and
many people killed or hurt.
Finally at 14th and Spencer streets
the storm swept over the bluffs, high
above the Missouri River, demolisl-
ed the Missouri-Paciflc roundhouse,
levelled the big trestle Of the illinois
Central Railroad over Carter Lake,
wrecked a number Of buildings near
the Rod and Gun Club, a fashion
able outing place, and disappeared
to the northwest.
The streets of Omaha are filled
with wreckage Of houses, uprooteo
trees and tangled electric wires
Street car movement Is impossible
wagon and automobile travel almost
so. The storm came almost without
warning, the day which opened with
overcast skies having cleared in the
afternoon. It took the tornado only
a few minutes to do it's work Of de-
struction.
The little town Of Ralston, three
miles west of South Omaha, first felt
the fury Of the storm, which there
took a toll of a half dozen or more
lives and practically destroyed the
town. In a northeasterly direction
and almost straight line it traV-
elled, wrecking many handsome
homes in the fashionable West Far
nam and Bemis Park districts.
Many business buildings in the vi
cinity Of oath and Lake streets were
| destroyed or badly damaged. Here
the heaviest loss Of life occurred
Electric light and trolley wires were
| o.rr;od down hv the storm and pOWer
had to be shut off in the devastated
districts so that all work in the night
might be done by the light Of Ian
terms and only an imperfect idea OF
the extent and character Of the dam
age could be formed.
The work of rescue was at once
undertaken but only slow progress
was made in the darkness, and the