The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-12
2 SCORE DEAD
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Z SOUnE UEHU
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homes escaped untouched. Entire
roofs were torns from houses and car
ried for squares and one house was
picked up and carried a half square
and set down again practically UNI
harmed.
City in Utter Darkness.
Many persons were away from their
homes at the time of the storm and
it was declared that if it had not been
for this the list at dead would prob
ably have reached several hundred.
The three Newcastle ambulances
were supplemented in few hours
after the catastrophe by three ambui-
marshal wired the local gas plant to
shut off its supply as safeguard
against fires from broken pipes in the
ruins. The order threw most of the
city into darkness.
Dead in Nearby Villages.
Communication with nearby vii
lagos was broken off, but reports from
persons coming into Newcastle in
automobiles were that at least seven
persons had been killed in the vicin-
| ity 1t was reported three had been
| killed at New Lisbon, three at More
| land and three at Mount Summit.
The entire city has responded to
| Mayor watkins call for assistance.
Hotels, private homes and lodge
| rooms have been thrown open to the
! homeless. No church services were
held last night and all of the churches
were opened to care for the unfor-
Inmates.
Score Dead Still in Ruins.
| Estimates were that from ten to
twenty bodies were still in the ruins.
Manufacturing plants were closed
while the workmen aided three com
panies of militia and 100 special po-
| licemen in keeping guard and clean
| ing up the debris strewn over dis
trict two and half miles wide and
| fifteen miles long. The cyclone
swept thru the residence district of
the city and on into a prosperous
farming country.
Fifty physicians and nurses from
neighboring towns are caring for the
Fifty are seriously injured and one
hundred or more slightly hurt
Branch emergency hospitals have
been established at the Elks home
and fire station.
Martial law exists in the stricken
district. No one is permitted to pass
thru except on passes from the mayor
or militia officers.
Several reports of looting were re-
ceived, but no one was held by the
police or militia.
Sisters and Brother Dead.
Women and children in the hun
dreds of homeless families were taken
care of by those more fortunate, while
the men gathered around little camr
fires on street corners watching what
was left of their property and wait
ing for the break of day to renew their
hunt for the dead.
At the hospitals, relatives aided the
nurses and doctors in caring for the
injured. Ruth Day. IS, who lost hel
three little sisters and brother, an6
injured herself, sat beside the bed
side of her mother during the long
night hoTing to save tie one other
member of the family still alive. The
mother has little chance fo- recovery
Greatest suffering was reported
during the night from the severe cold
Relief poured into TIE city from
every quarter today. Many cities of.
fered aid. A relief committee wa.
formed, consisting of John w. Rod
gers. Newcastle; William Goodrich
Winchester. brother of Governor
Goodrich; H. S. Maddy of Muncie
Walter Chambers and George Elliott
both of Newcastle.
Urge Subscriptions for Needy.
The committee TO-DAY sent out al
appeal for cash donations Hundreds
of families who lost practically every
thing will need money to get back OF
their feet again, they stated.
]. L. Watkins. mayor. lost every
| tnlnS out MS clothes. His home wa
destroyed and his pocketbook contain
ing sos was blown away.
The loss s will be EXCEPTIONAL,
heavy, because few places carried cy
clone insurance.
The storm broke without warnin,
and was over like a flash, lastinj
from twenty seconds to minute. ac
cording to various estimates It wa
a typical Kansas twister with a lon,
funnel shaped cloud which SVEN
down from the northeast House
costing as high as $4,000 were
mass of ruins in an instant Miracu
lous escapes from death were report
ed when families, huddled in base
ments, had whole houses swept OF
over their heads. Houses were ian,
med, one against another and in on
case garage and automobile wer
set down in the middle of a home
Farms Devastated, Too.
After leaving the city, the storm
destroyed many farms for a twelve
mile stretch. Two farm hands los
their lives when a barn was blow
down. Two small sons of Ernes
Gray. a farmer, were killed.
Ora Smith was painting a bar
door when it was blown off He wa
carried along with the door abou
200 yards and landed in a pond H
cannot recover.
DeIuge of Rain Followed
Following the sweep of the storr
a terrific rain poured down for hal