Omaha daily bee., 1917-05-29

Tornadoes during the last three
days in seven states of the middle
west and the south have killed nearly
$50 people, injured more than 1900,
wrecked thousands of houses and de-
vastated many thousands Of acres of
growing crops, according to sum-
maries today.
The latest in the series of tornadoes
started late Sunday apparently in the
vicinity of Willisville, in southwest
ern Illinois, swept southwark across
the Ohio river into Kentucky, down
the Mississippi into Arkansas and
Tennessee and finally veered east
ward toward Alabama, where the
storm apparently spent itself.
The dead in the four southern
states was roughly estimated at 100
and the injured at several hundred.
Begins Friday in Kansas.
The destruction began last Friday
in Andale, Kan, where twenty-six
people were killed and sixty injured.
Late Saturday another twister struck
the rich corn belt Of central Illinois.
killing ffty.four persons and injuring
perhaps 500 in Mattoon. At Charles
ton, ten miles east of Nation, thirty
seven we're killed and more than $50
injured. The property damage In the
two cities is estimated at $4,000, 900.
Another destructive storm late Sat-
urday crossed territory approxi-
mately 100 miles north of the center
of Illinois, reached into northern In
diana, and caused the loss of dozen
lives, the injury of more than 200 and
heavy property damage.
Because of fallen wires, communica-
tion into the stricken districts has
been difficult.
Ravages Of Southern Storm.
Memphis, Tenn, May 28.-Reports
today from the devastated territory in
the four southern states swept by
tornadoes yesterda. and last night
placed the number of deaths at 1903
and the injured at lore than 800.
Around Hickman, KY, forty persons
were reported killed. Bardwell. Bon
durant, Clinton and Ledford also re-
ported losses. In Mississippi county,
northeast Arkansas, ten dead and
twenty-nine injured were reported.
Six were killed at Manila, while
Burdette and Clear Lake reported
two each.
Heavy losses also were suffered in
Jefferson and Blount counties, Ala
bama, where thirty-one were killed.
At Sayre eight were killed; Village
Springs and Bradford, twenty miles
north Of Birmingham, reported sew
enteen dead; Carbon Hill had four
dead. while Sylacauga and Bibbville
each reported one dead.
In Tennessee the storms struck
Upton, Dyer and Carroll counties,
taking more than a score OF lives. At
Dyersburg eight dead were reported
Gales Lake, six dead; Trezevant,
four dead; Antioch, two dead. and
at Sharon, two dead.
Kentucky Town Wrecked.
Within a radius OF twelve miles OF
Hickman, where the storm apparent
ly wrought its greatest havoc. more
than two score of injured have been
recovered from the wreckage in the
towns of Bondourant, Bardweli. Clin-
ton and Ledford. Near Gates Land
ing the number of injured was re-
ported as between twenty-five and
thirty. In the central part of Dyer
county, near Dyersburg, about thirty
were injured. Sharon reported thir-
ty-two injured and Sayre, fifty or
more.
Ninety-One Dead in Illinois.
Mattoon, ILL.,, May 28.-With nine
ty-one known dead, 800 injured and a
property loss estimated at $3,000,000,
Mattoon and Charleston, twin vic
TINS of the tornado which swept CEN
trail Illinois Saturday, today began
organizing relief measures for more
than $4,000 homeless persons.
Under supervision of the Red
Cross feed stations have been estab-
lished and plans made for the burial
Of the storms victims today. Ap-
peals have been issued for money and
clothing, particularly for women and
children.
National guardsmen are patroling
both towns, while the state health
authorities have taken every effort to
guard against epidemics spread by
polluted water.