Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-13
TORNADO SWEEPS
EASTERN INDIANA
Twenty One Are Killed at New
Castle and Thirteen Others
at Smaller Towns Nearby.
FOUR ARE KILLED IN OHIO
ESTIMATED DEAD.

Total ................'.'.. DC
! New Castle, Ind, March 12-With
twenty-one persons dead and 200 in
jured, New Castle today began clear
ing away the debris left by the cy-
clone which swept the southern part
of the city yesterday afternoon. Fully
500 homes were destroyed or badly
damaged. The estimates of the prop
erty loss remained at about 100000.
The death list began to dwindle
early today, when persons who had
been reported killed began to appear
or were found among the injured.
Searching of the ruins continued, but
as no more bodies were found the
hope was expressed that all had been
accounted for.
The city was under police and mill
tary control approaching martial law.
Several companies of Indiana Ma
tional Guard were patrolling the dam
aged districts. All saloons and fac
tories were closed. Workers from the
factories were busy clearing the
Streets
Two Injured Die.
Two more were added to the list
of dead today, bringing the total to
twenty-one.
Mrs. Peter Day, So, died from her
injuries at hospital, being the fourth
of a family of six to meet death
in the storm. Three daughters were
dead when found. A fourth daugh-
ter escaped injured by being in an
other part OF the city. Peter Day,
head of the family, was injured.
The unidentified body late today
was said to be that of Ernest Nc
Lean, II years old. His brother,
Jesse Mclean, one of the seriously
injured, also died today.
Strikes City from West.
The tornado struck the city from
the west after leveling the rolling
mills of Blue river valley. 1t swept
through the entire width of the city
from Sixth and Twenty-hfth streets.
The first homes in the path of the
twister were practically leveled to the
ground, after which the wind appar-
emily raised slightly, taking the roofs
from the houses from Tenth to Twen-
tieth streets, where it again dipped,
sweeping practically every house be-
fore it to Twenty-ffth street. The
greatest damage was done in the
south part of the city, where a great
many of the factory employees reside,
and several thousand were homeless
throughout the night. Two hundred
special officers were sworn i'll by
Mayor Watkins and a strict patrol
of the affected districto was main
tanned.
Course of Storm Erratic.
The tornado cut path from 800 to
500 feet in width through the city for
distance of eighteen blocks. 1t en-
tered the city limits near the south
west boundary line and worked its
way in zigzag manner north for
two blocks and then east. 1t turned
south near the eastern limits and left
the city in southeasterly direction.
Because of darkness and a heavy
fog last night it was impossible to
tell the extent of the damage. A
chill wind was blowing and added to
the suffering TO those not rescued
promptly. Three or four ruins caught
fire and at least one body was found
badly burned after the fire was extin-
guished. The storm lasted only a
few minutes.
The entire city turned its attention
to rescue work, with Major P. A.
Davis of the Indiana National Guard
and Mayor Watkins in charge. Three
companies of the Indiana National
Guard were here before o'clock. A