Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-03-15

Martial Law Is Declared at New
castle, Ind.
RUINS GUARDED BY TROOPS
All s.. cons Closed and Work of Clean
irJ Up Town Is Under Way-Ap-
peal for Aid Promptly
Answered.

Newcastle Ind, March 13.-The
| finding alive of several persons report
| ed killed in the tornado lowered the
death list somewhat, but one of the in
! jured died in Il hospital and the list
shows 20 dead
\ score are injured seriously and at
least 100 are suffering minor injuries.
Three persons are missing
Newcastle recovered as rapidly rs
| possible during the day. but settled
down to face another hit of cold and
darkness. Suffering among many of
the homeless is intense.
Gas, which was turned of to prevent
fires, has not been turned on. and those
who tried to prepare food in the re-
mains of their homes had to use what
ever poor means they could.
one of the first to respond to the
calls for assistance was Charles w.
Fairbanks. who contributed $1,000 for
relief work.
Early in the day the food problem
presented Il serious aspect. with crack
erS selling at > cents each and ba-
ananas at ; cents each.
100000 Fund Started.
Before noon food distribution points
were established and public buildings
and scores Of private homes were
thrown open for the shelter of the ref
ugees. a committee of grocers and
merchants at a relief mass meeting at
the county building offered supplies of
food. blankets and bedding. While
other committees of business men
pledged the gift of several thousand
dollars in cash toward a proposed re-
lief fund of 100000.
The amount pledged was Inadequate
for the immediate need of the refugees.
however. and teIegramS were sent 70
the mayors of Is cities and towns i'm
the vicinity of Newcastle, urging the
pressing need of funds for tba suffer-
ers and asking that relief committees
be formed and money raised.
An accpDtance of an offer of Chicago
packers to provide hams and canned
meats for the homeless wa, wired.
Send Funds" Is AppeaI.
To kilograms from LOganSport and
Indianapoiis, inouirfng of the Newcas-
tie relief committee what they could
do to aid, the wire was flashed back:
"Send funds"
The first CITY to answer the appeal
was Winchester. nd. the home of
Governor Goodrich A committee there
wired 5000 cash and added they he
lieved more would be forthcoming
later.
From SheIbyvire came a committee
= business mon They ja-esf;n,.+e;l
condftfonIs Newca-II ,, ana RETURNED
70 ShelbyvfJIe with a promise that an
emergency fund would be forthcoming
at once
ooters to Be Shot.
Chief of the relief committees was
that consisting of John w. Rodgers
of Newcastle, VIII Goodrich, a broth
err Of the governor. Of Winchester.
Ind. and Herbert II. Maddy of Mum
Gle.
Mai ?. A. Davis. commanding $50
Indiana National Guardsmpn detailed
to preserve order in the city. prompt
" declared the DESTROYED district I'm,
der martial law and ordered his men
to shoot looters on sight.
Mayor L. ]. Watkins of Newcastle
closed all saloons as the first sfeD in
preserving order. and also closed down
the factories in the CITY
BY nightfan more than 5000 men
were employed in this clearfng-uD
work. II will be the task Of weeks.
however,
REQUESTS also have been sent out
all over the countryside for the use
Of ,,-onoDc To bn1rT -ay,-ov tho vr-r,s.I-