Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-25
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III HE HORROR Of the excursion steamer tragedy
in Chicago Is. OF course not comparable
loss OF life 20 what have TO be everyday
occurrences in warstrcSen Europe. but the nearness
brings IL home 20 with much greater force. WHAT
a sudden fatality to the friends and families Of
the victim Is keenly realized in that small circle. but
wholesale drowning like this multipes the calamity
a thousand-fod. We have had disasters in Omaha. or
affecting Omaha people, but nothing this stupen-
dous scale. our tornado two years ago. in number
OF people killed. yet totaling less than 5O the
worst OF these experiences The Logan wreck which
concluded the picnic Of the Union Pacific shopmen
and their families almost twenty years ago, in way
closely resembled this latest mishap except that 1t
came at the close OF gala day instead OF at its
beginning and the number of casualties relatively
email
happened to have been over in Chicago at the
time of the picnic, returning train that brought
me into Omaha upon that awful Sunday Morning.
The first word OF the wreck broke with the
newspapers picked up at Council Bluffs the full
import OF the affair only when emerged from
the cars Mt the station this side OF the river The
heartrendng scene must have been indelibly i'm
pressed upon the mind or every who witnessed it
for the station crowded with a frenzied mob.
Hundreds of disheveied men. and children had
spent seepless night there vainy waiting the
turn OF their loved and graspng every SCRAP
OF news that filtered in from Logan. Most depressing
or ALL at the side OF the platform drawn up the
wagons from every undertaking establishment in
OMAHA and mattresses and had been UP wait
ing for the arrival of the injured. 1 questioned
few people whom knew, but they were too dazed 10
talk understandaby. Trainmen said that the special
a
soon discovering that the hopeful information
had been doled out 20 the weary walters every few
minutes through the long night and that it was the
suspense OF nnonentary expectation constantly dsap.
pointed, from which they suffering as much as
from their grief and anguish. 1 have no doubt that
the same sad experiences have just been repeated
In Chicago by the quick spread Of funeral pail
over scene Of Joyous gayety.
Apropos OF the coming BILLY" Sunday engagement,
have synopsis OF the report the finances of the
p. Fay Mills revival meetings that were held here in
1888, promoted by the combined protestant churches
OF Omaha For that enterprise which then re.
garded as colossal undertaking. the total amount Of
money received and disbursed by the treasurer H. A
Doud. was n.2S11 of which s2O0l.7S came from TIE
pro rata contributions OF the church organizations and
the remainder from Individual donations street ral-
way bonus sale of books, and rebate on hall rent
The advertising committee spent nearly S4OO most OF
which went for billboards signs posters Ind cards
and none OF It for Newspaper advertising The hall
rent took 900 and the music committee spent s27e of
which only 3l35 paid to musicians The accounts
OF inc treasurer were audited by committee consist.
Ing OF William Fleming, ]. H McCulloch and warren
Switzler As there item covering compensatiop
for the evangelist and his helpers. the presumption ia
that they were taken OF through a thank offer
Ing from tho converts and others Interested in the
meetings.
Let no ono hereafter question the veracity OF the
oaily newspaper In anything II says apperaininR IN
the weather. Here Is a scrupulously conscientious
parish paper which calls itself Church and Home"
chronicing last Sundays hailstorm with the statement
.
base balls" and vouchsafing the additional nforma
ton that our sexton reported that boys caught
quite number of small fish the grass near their
nome, evidently sucked up by the storm from some
nearby lake" DO you get that?
1T may be pertinent to note that the latest on
siaught OF Colonel Roosevelt upon the songsI Didn't
Raise My Boy TO Be Soldier" Families back to the
song written by Captain Jack Crawford. poet scout
one-tme travelling correspondent for The Bee and now
doing chautauaua entertainment in the east en-.
titled MY Mother Raised Her Boy 70 Be a Soldier
captain JACK not long ago sent me copy OF his words
ana music, together with newspaper interviews
Vahantly defending his sentiment against that ex.
pressed by tho author OF the answer which a had
elected from the suffrage camp under the caption az
already stated. II Didn't Raise Ny Boy 10 he a
soldier Captain Jacks song tells how his nothe,
sent both his father and himself to battle for the
Stars and Stripes during the of the rebellion An
which the father first wounded and then lost his
life ms