South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-03-12
New Castle, Famed For Its
Beautiful Roses, is a City
of Death and Ruin-Re-
cover % Bodies.
ICITY NEEDS 100000
TO CARE FOR VICTIMS
State Troops Are Called Out
to Prevent LOoting-BuSi-
ness District of the City
Not Damaged.
Internatloaal NeNs Civic


NEWCASTLE, Ind. March IL
Newcastle, famed for its beautiful
roses. was a city of death and ruins
today. Between 80 and so persons
are believed TO be dead and about
200 injured following a tornado
which swept down upon the city
yesterday, laid low hundreds of
homes and buried their occupants
in the wreckage.
Dawn found hundreds of search
ers combing the debris for the miss
ing Already % bodies had been
recovered and il was believed as
many more would be found under
the wreckage. Militiamen from Mum
Gle. Logansport and Charlottesville
were here TO take charge of the
work of rescue and relieve 200
special deputies of the work OF po
Icing the town, made necessary by
the discovery that loOters. posing as
rescuers, had seized upon the dark
ness to ply their CHASTITY work. Doc
tors, and nurses, hurried here on
special trains from Indianapolis and
by motor from nearby towns, were
busy caring for the injured. many
of whom are in serious condition.
Every house left standing upon its
foundations, every church, every
church, every school building was
in use as a hospital or a shelter for
the hundreds of homeless. whose
misery was added TO by biting cold
winds.
Of all the cases Of suffering. that
Of Peter Day stands out as the most
appealing Three Of his children,
Bernice. eight years old: June, six
years old. and Ethel. are dead, and
a 24-year-old son is believed 10 be
dead. The father and two little
children remain and they are home
less
Relief Work TO Begin.
But while all the city mOurned,
determined citizens began the work
OF reconstruction. Mayor j. Leb
Watkins. with his home a mass Of
ruins. but happy because his family
escaped injury or death. directed
citizens committees in their work.
He shut off the gas and coal to pre-
vent fire He supervised the work
Of a relief committee which Will help
the needy ne modified the work
ers from the factories and stores 10
clean up the wreckage and restore
order.
The companies Of the national
guard patrolling the devastated dis
trict. 10 which only those with
passes could enter, were commanded
BY Mai. p. A. Davis Of indianapolis.
There have been many reports OF
footing but no arrests.
All classes of citizens suffered in
the tornado. The Indiana rolling
mill was wrecked; scores Of factory
workers homes We're demolished
and some the best residences in
this prosperous city we're destroyed.
More than 500 houses were wrecked.
Citizens are thankful that the
business district and the big Maxwell
motor and Hoosier kitchen cabinet
factories we're not in the path OF
the storm cloud.
State Offers Help.
The hastily organized relief com
mittees were gratifed at the early
responses 70 their appeals for a
statewide fund 20 relieve distress.
John W. Rogers of Newcastle, w
W. Goodrich of Winchester and Her
bert Maddy of Winchester, headed
the statewide committee.
Mayor Watkins estimated that
100000 will be needed. The med
ical situation was well en- hand. with
the services OF doctors from many
cities at the disposal Of the com
mittee, and citizens opened their
homes TO the homeless. Only money
now is needed.
Countless stories OF miraculous
escapes from death or injury were
When the steel roof OF
the rolling mill was torn off several
employees chung 10 the posts al a
doorway. Here they hung. while
the. brick wall crumbled above them,
until the storm passed.
one man had let four goats into
the mill He saw them buried
under an avalanche OF timbers.
After the storm the timbers were
torn away and the goats found UNI
A farmers was driving 20
town when the cyclOnic cloud caught
him. His horse and buggy was
tossed into the air. He was thrown