The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-03-15
TORNADO DEATH
]. LIST NOW SCORE
MARTIAL LAW rs DECLARED AT
NEWCASTLE, IND.
RUINS GUARDED BY TROOPS
All Saloons Closed and Work Of
Cleaning Up Town is Under Way.
Appeal for Aid Promptly
Answered.

Newcastle, Ind, March 13.-The
finding alive of several persons report
ed killed in the tornado lowered the
death list somewhat, but one of the in
Jured died in hospital and the list
shows 20 dead.
A score are injured seriously and at
least 100 are suffering minor injuries.
Three persons are missing.
Newcastle recovered as rapidly as
possible during the day, but settled
down to face another night of cold and
darkness. Suffering among many of
the homeless is intense.
Gas which was turned off to prevent
tires. has not been turned on, and those
who tried TO prepare food in the re-
mains of their homes had to use what
ever poor means they could.
One OF the first to respond to the,
calls for assistance was Charles w.
Fairbanks, who contributed $1,000 for
relief work.
Early In the day the food problem
presented serious aspect, with crack
ers selling at 2 cents each and ba-
ananas at s cents each.
100000 Fund Started.
Before noon food distribution points
We're established and public buildings
and scores of private homes were
thrown open for the shelter Of the ref
ugees. A committee of grocers and
merchants at a relief mass meeting at
the county building offered supplies Of
food, blankets and bedding, while
other committees of business men
pledged the gift Of several thousand
dollars in cash toward proposed re-
lief fund of 100000.
The amount pledged was inadequate
for the immediate need of the refugees,
however, and kilograms were sent to
the mayors of IS cities and towns in
the vicinity of Newcastle, urging the
pressing need of funds for the suffer
ers and asking that relief committees
be formed and money raised.
An acceptance of an offer Of Chicago
packers to provide hams and canned
meats for the homeless was wired.
"send Funds,' Is Appeal.
To kilograms from Logansport and
indianapolis, inquiring of the Newcas-
tie relief committee what they could
do to aid, the wire was flashed back:
"Send funds"
The first city to answer the appeal
was Winchester, Ind, the home of
Governor Goodrich. A committee there
wired $500 cash and added they be- !
lieved more would be Forthcoming
later. :
From Shelbyville came a committee
of business men. They investigated
conditions at Newcastle and returned
to ShelbyvllIe with a promise that an
emergency fund would be forthcoming
at once.
Looters to Be Shot.
Chief of the relief committees was
that consisting of John w. Rodgers
of Newcastle, VIII Goodrich, broth
err of the governor, of Winchester,
Ind, and Herbert H. Maddy of Mum
Gle. ..t ~. s... .r.. I
Maj r. A. Davis, commanding $50
Indiana National Guardsmen detailed
to preserve order in the city, prompt :,
ly declared the destroyed district UNI
der martial law and ordered his men
to shoot loOters on sight.
Mayor L. ]. Watkins of Newcastle :
closed all saloons as the first step in
preserving order, and also closed down !
the factories in the city.
BY nightfall more than 5000 men
tn o1a arin |
work. 1t will be the task of weeks,
however.
Requests also have been sent out
all over the countryside for the use
of wagons to haul away the wreck
age. These were coming in at late
hour in large numbers.
Four Dead in Family Of Six.
The storm left in it's wake scores
of pitiful instances of suffering and
death. OF one family of six, that
of Peter Day, three children, Bernice,
June and Ethel, all under twelve
years of age, were killed, as was also
Ray, son of twenty-four.
Mr.. and Mrs. Day are lying seri-
ously injured in one of the local hos
pitfalls.
Three out of family Of six per-
sons in another instance lost their
lives. They were Mrs. John Davis.
her son, Gray Davis, and her grand
son, Orville Davis.
Wayne Death Toll TWO.
Richmond, Ind, March 13.--Al-
though early reports were that four
persons had been killed by the lorna
do which swept Wayne county in the
vicinity of Hagerstown, later Informal
tion was that there were only two !.
dead, the children Of Harvey Gray. a
farmer. /
Big Money.
LIN hlnWs another record Ben SnY-