The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-03-15
LIVES LOST IN TORNADO
Terrific Cyclone Sweeps New
castle. Indiana. From
the West
% KILLED; MANY ARE INJURED
Buildings Ripped Asunder and trap In
mates In Death Grip as Twister
Holds Sway For Five Minutes
DAMAGE More Than Million.

Holds Sway For Five Minutes
Damage More Than Million.
Western Newspaper Union News sericS
Newcastle, Ind.-A terrific cyclone
swept through Newcastle from the
west. leveling more than 200 houses
and leaving an appalling death train
behind; % bodies had been taken
from the ruins. More than 90 men,
women and children have been re-
moved from the debris and taken to
hospitals 1t is feared many more vic
tins are buried in the wreckage. 1t
was reported that fully half of the cy-
clone victims in the hospitals were
so seriously injured that they proba-
bly, will not recover.
The entire city, with its population
of more than $4,000 persons, is in
daZed condition. The light and power
plants were damaged and practically
every electric light and telephone wire
In the city is down. The city is in
darkness except for the light from
candles and lanterns. The rescue
work is handicapped on account of
the darkness and it will not be known
definitely before daylight what the
death toll is. The property damage
will total more than a million dollars.
The cyclone was general in this part
of the state. 1t swept on through here
toward Richmond, les cling houses and
buildings and killing three persons
near Richmond 1t is feared many per.
sons living on farms to the east as
we'll as to the west of here have per.
| Ished The cyclone did not last more
| than five minutes here. A large, whirl.
| ing, funnel-shaped cloud was seen
coming from the west with terrific We.
| locity. 1t seemed to strike the city
| a minute after it was sighted by per
sons who happened to be in the
| streets. 1t reached down into the city
and caught it with twisting, wreck
ing, death grip. 1t ripped buildings
wide open, catching the inmates be
fore they had chance to get away
Thomas Hanika. an Indianapolis
newspaper man, was seated in an au
tomObile in front of the Bundy Hote
when he caught sight of the funnel
shaped cloud.
He said it came with such deafen
ing roar and so rapidly that he and his
wife and two children barely had time
to jump from the car and leap into al
| excavation for business building
They rushed to the shelter of a foun
dation wall and stood with their backs
to it while the cyclone rOared above
them.
Hanika said the noise of the cyclone
was like the roar Of many cannon. He
declared large timbers and telephone
poles flew by above him and his fam
iiy. The cyclone passed quickly, how
ever, and was followed, he said, by {
heavy rain, thunder and lightning tina
added TO the terror OF the panic
stricken people. Hanika declared HI
saw one two-story building picked VI
and set down squarely on top of a two
story mercantile establishment o
some kind, and that almost Instant.
both buildings burst into flames. I'm
mediately after the cyclone passed, h
said, he met people crying in distres
in he streets. He was more than al
hour trying to drive out of the city
the streets being filled with debris
The cyclone first hit near the powe
house of the Honey BeG Traction line
1t swept eastward toward Main street
where it leveled many houses, as ia
ed into the factory district. 1t swep
over the district where the Maxwell
Automobile Company and Ho0sie
X hen Cabinet Company plants ar
located In this district the Maxwell
Company recently erected SO cottage
for its employees. The damage in thi
part Of the city was heavy, but tn
extent was not known.
The cyclone seemed to leave tn
city after it's edges reached the neigh
| VI In0 AIc.hC lC " w CSIOI
passenger station. There was pract
cally no damage on the north side c
the city. The Public Square and tn
main business sections were hardl
touched by the wind, although the
were Uttered deeply with debris fror
the wrecked buildings. Traction serV
ice was held up for two or three hour.
The Lake Erie & Western railroad bt
tween here and Rushville is blocke
. with wreckage.
The indianapolis physicians brough
medical supplies and were prepared
send the injured to Indianapolis a
rapidly as transportation could be a
ranged
, Mayor Wires Appeal.
Mayor Lebb Watkins sent the TO
lowing telegram to Governor Goo