Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-12
IXTY BELIEVED
KILLED IN TOWN
HIT BY TORNADO
Score Dying. and 200 Re-
ported Injured at New
Castle, Indiana
BODIES RECOVERED
Hundreds Made Homeless and
$1,000, 900 Damage Done
in Ruined City
INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. March ~.

lNplANABOIlS, ina, March IL.
between thirty and sixty persons were
reported dead today. a score were believed
eying and 200 were injured as result of
. tornado which swept the country from
Newcastle. Ind to Cincnnoti, o., late yes
terday. The property loss was expected
TO exceed $1,000, 900
\ 1t was believed the death roll might
reach sixty when all the ruined buildings
nave been searched.
The known dead whose bodies have
recovered from the ruins at Newcastle
are:
EVERETT DUNLOP, fifteen years old.
JOHN NELIS. twenty-five years old.
GRAY DAVIS, twenty-five years old.
Mrs. JOHN DAVIS. mother Of Gray Davis.
0RvILLE. DAVIS. six years old, son Of Gray
Davis
Mrs. ARCHIE FLETCHER.
hrs. ALICE WILLIAMSON.
- RAZOR, son OF w. r. Razor.
- NEWTON. residence unknown.
bERNICE DAY. eight years old.
ETHEL DAY. sixteen years old.
JUNE DAY. six years old.
Ray DAY. twenty-five years old
Mrs. MARY r. WILLIAMS.
Mrs. VERA HIGGINS. daughter OF Mrs VIII
lsms.
ERNEST wARERMAN. six years old.
WILLIAM LOwERY. nfty-seven years old.
PRICE SHELTON.
RUSSELL McCLAIN. eight years old. died in
Two OF Ernest Gray. a farmer
Five unidentified
New Castle. famed for its beautiful homes.
was a city of death and ruins today. Dawn
found hundreds of searchers combing the
debris for the missing. Already twenty
six bodies have been recovered. and 1t was
believed as many more would be found un-
der the wreckage. Militiamen from Muncie,
Logansport and Charlottesville are there to
take charge of the work Of rescue and re-
lieve 200 special deputies of the work OF
policing the town, made necessary by the
discovery that looters posing rescuers,
had seized upon the darkness to ply their
ghasty work. Every house left standing
upon its foundation, every church, every
school building was In use a hospital
or shelter for the hundreds OF homeless
whose misery increased by biting cold
winds.
Throughout the long night the work Of
rescue had gone on in the midst Of dark
ness. lighted only by lanterns and the head
lights Of automobiles. The plant supply
ing New Castle with -lectric light was vir-
tually put out of commission by the tornado
and gas had been Shit off in the fear that
IRE would add its horror to the tragedy.
New Castle les In a small pocket forty
flve miles northeast of indianapolis On the
north. the west and the south IL is fianked
by hills. Apparently the air currents were
attracted by the depression and from the
hills many persons watched the tornado
wreak ljts fury without danger to them
!. selves
The tornado Broke unheratded save by
!. lowering clouds and a sprinkle of rain.
Suddenly ,it broke 6lto violent downpour
and from the west the huge. funnel-shaped
cloud bore down upon the city. Hundreds
of persons were on the street as the tor
nado's roar betokened its coming. 1t hit
the town squarely, demolished the few
hrst house in its patti, lifted to miss the
main business section. and then dived again
and laid down every house in a strip of
flve blocks wide
Panic followed in the wake of the storm.
Five minutes after it struck 1t had gone,
but drenching rain continued, Hundreds
who had escaped the tornado rushed fran
tically to the south side, where the worst
damage occurred. Despite the rain fire
broke out in several places and had gained
headway before the firemen, hampered by
telephone poles, and trees which strewed
the streets. could reach them.