The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-04-02
DEATH LIST IN STORM
AREA NEARS 200 MARK
Eight States Are Affected-Thous-
ands Made Homeless by Tornadoes
in Georgia, Alabama, Indiana
and Illinois.

Chicago, March 29.-The death list
of the Palm Sunday tornadoes that
swept sections of eight states tonight
stood at one hundred and seventy
three.
Telegraph and telephone service
with many isolated communities IN the
Middle West had only been partly
restored tonight and indications were
that the toll of death and destruction
would be augmented.
The know dead in six central
Western states numbered 95, while 55
were killed in Georgia and Alabama.
The property loss in the Chicago
area alone was estimated at $6,000,-
d, }, while in the other states affected
the material loss was large. Elgin,
Ills, suffered the heaviest property
loss, the damage there being $4,000
600.
Illinois was the hardest hit of the
Centr.l States with thirty dead, more
than one hundred injured and two
thousand made homeless.
Indiana reported twenty-elghr Ia
talities and Ohio twenty-six. Nine
were killed in Michigan and one each
in Wisconsin and Missouri.
80 Dead in Georgia.
The death list in Georgia was
placed at thirty-eight, and In Ala
bama at seventeen.
At Joliet, Ills, three persons were
probably fatally injured, fourteen
were seriously hurt and the property
loss was estimated at a half million
dollars.
Troops patrolled the streets Of Ell
pin. Melrose Park and Wilmette to-
day. -.
Chicago, mobilized every available
surgeon and nurse and sent them TO
the stricken areas. Mayor Thompson
acted with the city council in raising
funds by public subscription and Red
Cross Headquarters were opened.
Legion Lends Aid.
In several places American Legion
nosts sent volunteers to watch for
iooters and assist in relief work.
Henry ]. Cox, weather forecaster
for Chicago, said the tornado was the
result of a combination OF two
storms. One developed in Alaska,
travelled through British Columbia
and ioined storm from the South
west. which developed in the> arid
plateaus of Southern Arizona ana
Nevada. This combination, Pro1es-
sor Cox said, resulted In a rotary
motion which formed eddles ana
caused tornado.
Although the tornado travelled for
ward at a rate of about fifty miles
an hour, the wind at the core OF the
tornado was estimated to have had a
velocity of from two hundred to three
hundred miles an hour.
Property Loss Heavy.
PROPERTY loss at Lagrange was
estimated at $500, 900 with that at
West Point said to be hundreds OF
thousands. The tornado that swept
through West Point shortly after
o'clock Sunday afternoon wrecked
the business part of that town even
more severely than did the hooos Oh
last December, according to reports
here. At Lagrange the chief damage
was in the mill section where several
hundred homes of mill workers were
destroyed. c;4-.
Property loss=near Alexander CITY,
Ala. was put at nearly $780, 600, Wnlie
the loss in Alabama was expected TO
he increased as details Of more dam
age come in from isolated eommunl-
ties.
Macon, Ca, suffered heavy proper
ty losses and one negro woman was
Killed there, while as far east as
washington, Ca, the storm n, caused u.s. {:
damage estimated at 100000. This
vas Chiefly in unroofed buildings.
Manv smaller towns in Georgia re-
ported damage to buildings, notably
Williamson, Hogansville and Miner, Miner
one life being lost at the iatter
,,Iooo