The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-03-29
MARCH WIND SPREADS Death AND DAMAGE
SIXTY LIVES ARE LOST N MID WEST
BY TORhADOES WHICH WRECK TOWNS


wide. A theater, a four-story and a
six-story department store, the two
churches and residences were caught
up, crushed and dashed into masses
OF debris. Seven were killed during
the fury of the storm, which lasted
but few minutes.
The wreck of the department stores
brought out small bands Of looters,
and national guard troops were put
to patrolling the streets. AL citizens
were ordered to their homes with
darkness
Melrose Park, a small residential
suburb OF Chicago, lost eleven lives.
More than two hundred were without
homes today. Every house standing
sheltered wounded who had been
dragged from the debris Of seventy
five shattered buildings.
over 100000 worth of flour was
scattered when mill was destroyed.
The flour lay inches deep in some
parts Of the street.
In almost every place where build
ings were wrecked, the menace of
fire followed. Torn gas connections
and burning gas stoves in the wreck
age contributed to the danger.
Soldiers, reserve militia and for.
mer service men today began digging
in the ruins, searching for many
missing women and children
Work Of relief began shortly after
the storm, when Red Cross workers
were sent into the storm districts.
Physicians and nurses were at work
today.
Chicago, with it's 100000 resi-
dents, was skirted by the tornado.
Suburbs to the west and north were
attacked and the storm cloud rushed
into Lake Michigan, where it was
dissipated.
Elgin and Melrose Park we're the
hardest hit OF the surrounding towns
~ n Elgin the attack came just at
the close OF church services. In the
First Congregational church. the Rev.
J. w Welch concluded his sermon
with the warning, BE prepared. for
you know not when you will be
called Heavy rains came almost
within the words and hundreds re-
NAMED until the showers had passed.
Then came the tornado. A loud
buzzing like that of super-dynamo
was first noticed. 1t was drowned in
the crash Of falling buildings as
some Of the largest stores in the
business district collapsed before the
flashing tornado cloud.
The church steeple collapsed and
portions of the roof fell in on the
waiting church people Three were
killed. One woman was killed in q !
similar collapse of the Baptist
church.
The death of Mrs. Margaret Nc.
Giness, 4S, from a fractured skull,
caused when the wind blew her to /
the pavement, brought Chicago's
death total to seven today.
So strong was the wind in residen.
tial parts of the city that automobiles
standing at the curb were blown up !
the street. One light car was dashed I
through the side of house.
Three of thirty-six refugee patients
at Dunning insane hospital were ex-
pected to die today.
Orders to '.shoot and shoot to kill"
were given soldiers on guard against
|ooters in Melrose Park today by
Charles Witt, the village president
sixty Mile Gale.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, March 29.-One +
| (,
were injured in st. Louis during 2
,ixty-mile gale which Sunday, until
swept this city, the state
If Missouri, southern Illinois and
parts of Arkansas. Several Missouri
owns were raked by fire. Damage
lere ran into thousands Of dollars.
Sixtyltwo Dead. /,
CHICAGO, Mar. .29.-Sixty-two lives
we're lost in tornadoes which tore 3
through Chicago and surrounding ter
itory Sunday Revised figures at
Don today were:
Chicago and vicinity, thirty-one; In
lana, tWenty-four; Michigan, five;
one; Wisconsin, one.
It was believed the list would be in
reased as wire communication was
estored with small outlying towns.
4 Indiana the situation was in some
oubt, due to conflicting reports OF
srge losses of life in isolated vii
ages.
The property loss in Illinois alone
ill run into millions. AT Elgin, where
reat destruction was wrought In the
nree minutes it took the tornado to
ore through the main part OF the
ity, the property loss was estimated
t $1,500,000.
The wreckage of homes, business
locks and other property in Chicago !
aburbs ran the loss into high figures. {
i addition there were the losses of
.rmers whose improvements were is
altered up by the storm and demol- \
he'd.
In practically every vicinity touch
i by the storm the Red Cross and Y
ational guard were established. The
iardsmen kept an eye on possible G
,oters lured to the wreckage ~ rich q
Continued on page ~ Il