Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-03-27
Destructive Cyclone.

UtSuuClIVc UyIIUIiC.
$50 Homes Destroyed in Omaha
Alone, With Hundreds Dam
aged. and Loss Estimated at
$5,OOO.OOO.
According to the latest and most reli-
able information from the storm area in
the Middle West, 22s persons were killed
and 72O injured, the area of devastation
extending from Missouri to Michigan,
while the damage will run into millions.
By far the greatest damage was done
in and near Omaha, through part of
which a tornado wind swept Sunday
evening, throwing down many substan-
tial buildings, ripping off roofs and sid
ings of hundreds of houses and killing
men, women and children by the score.
More than 200 persons were killed and
injured in Omaha, the tornado also de-
molishing 45O homes, damaging hundreds
of other buildings and causing none
tary loss of SIS, 600, 900. according to re-
ports available 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 circulate news of the disaster.
Fire broke out in the debris of many
wrecked buildings in the Nebraska me-
tropolis, 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.
No great number was killed in any one
place. The wind swept along, taking it's
toll here and there. The tornado even
jumped over portions of the city in its
path, swooped down again and dashed
structures to earth. The gale left Oma-
ha, only to sweep on to towns in Iowa in
the same destructive manner that it had
attacked villages in Nebraska. The rage
of the elements even extended in a some
what abated form to points far to the
east of Illinois.
No sooner had the great wind passed
than a second violent gale swept over
much the same territory, but with less
ened fury.
What seems to have been separate
storm swept portions of Indiana, being
greatest in and near Terra Haute. There
nearly score of persons were slain and
hundreds were hurt. Other places in
Indiana report lesser damage.
The sleet and wind storm of the last
few days had reduced telegraph and tele
phone companies to sore straights, as
hundreds of poles and thousands of miles
of wire were carried down in a terrible
tangle. The Easter tornado added to the
havoc to the west of Chicago, although
wires were repaired to the East. In
many cases large regions were unable TO
use commercial telegraphic facilities, and
news associations were compelled to send
reports in the most unusual ways in order
to reach the newspapers.
Floods swept through several Wiscon-
sin cities, damaging many thousand dol
lars worth of goods in Easements. Dams
were washed out in many places and the
released waters swept over the fields
below.
In Chicago all the elements seemed to
meet shortly after Easter Sunday had
closed. Wind blew a violent gale, snow
flew before it in some places, hail crash
ed in windows in other parts of the city.
After the storms had passed the wind
died to gentle breeze, the sun shone
brightly and the warmth of spring pre-
vaded the air.
A snowstorm which seriously hamper
ed ruscue work at Omaha, set in early
Tuesday morning and continued until
more than three inches of snow covered
the debris in the section of the city hit
by the cyclone. The snow fell over a
wide area, extending from Colorado to
Central Iowa. Intense suffering is ex-
perienced in many places.