The Butler weekly times., 1917-03-15
INDIANA STORM KILLS
Tornado Causes More Than
Score of Deaths at New
castle and Sweeps on
Eastward,


y Eastward.
Indianapolis, March IA tor
nado swept over Central Eastern
, Indiana late this afternoon, kill
ing more than Il score Of persons
at Newcastle and two children il
Wayne County.
The total number Of injured
will be more than two hundred
some of whom are probably fatal.
ly injured. The damage will be
more than million dollars at
Newcastle and several thousand
dollars in Wayne County.
| Physicians, nurses, undertakers
and ambulances were ordered to
Newcastle from Indianapolis,
Muncie and other towns surround
ing Newcastle. Two special in
terurban cars, carrying thirty
physicians and fifty nurses, were
sent from here early in the even
ing.
Newcastle, Ind, March IL
The tornado wrecked more than
300 homes in this city. The dam
age was roughly estimated to-
night at million dollars, but
might even exceed that figure.
The storm swept over the city in
southeasterly direction, demol-
ishing. practically everything in
path almost two blocks wide and
more than ten blocks long. For
several hours the city was entirely
cut off from communication.
Appeals for help were sent out
by Mayor Leb Watkins and Gov
ernor Goodrich was asked to send
troops to police the city, which is
in darkness, owing to the demoli-
ton of the power plant.
The exact number Of dead may
not be known for a day or two, as
all the bodies thus far
found have been dug out of the
wreckage of their homes.
Confusion and disorder fol-
owed in the path of the storm.
Those who escaped injury ran
wildly about the streets, women
md children crying and wiring
ng their hands and men shouting
nd c,lrsing. The men finally set
led down and began the work of
escue, digging in the ruins of '
heir homes for missing members $
f their families.
Most of the dead were found in !,
he wrcckage of their homes, only
wo or three bodies being found
n the streets.
Traction ears could not run into
he city because of the demolished
over house, and even the roads
'erc blocked in practically all d. $
ections with fallen trees and telc- =
hone poles. n
Several fires broke out in the p
'rcckage on the South Side, but
le heavy rain which followed the
'rnado kept them from spread g
e. 49,
Although the skies had been O,
lrcatcning during the early af- A
'rnoon, there was little warning
the approaching tornado. A oa
lgc funnel shaped cloud sudden dc dc
appeared in the west, hanging
W and sweeping toward the city 6s 6S
ith lightning like speed. Groups Y. n
persons on the streets began Of
eking shelter, men and women fe n
inning wildly through the Y!
reefs. -
The tornado lasted only about be be
We minutes and was followed by no
hard rain which also stopped in N N,
few minutes. th'
One witness of the tornado, who sa >
rs driving with his family in an ju;
tomobilc through Newcastle, he
ached the court house square ,m pa
len the storm struck. Desert Ba
g his car, the man and his fam ins
sought shelter in. all excava- Te 1%l
m for new building nearby.
ouching in mud and water A
ainst the protecting wall of the q
sement they remained there un-
the storm had subsidized.
The storm passed through the %. q.
lgest way of the city, striking 70
2 south and west sides.
Dispatches from eastern and
stern Prussia, Posen and Siles- AN
report that large packS of