The Omaha morning bee., 1925-03-22
Hundreds
of Victims
Are Buried
Setting Sun Draws Mantle OF
Darkness Over Scene of
Vast Desolation: Graves
Marked bv Crosses.
Plans Made for Future
BY International New. Service.

BY International News Service.
Under the soft night skies, which
threw their merciful mantle OF con-
cealment about the scenes OF devas-
tation, the dead Of the middle vests
tornado area slept tonight beneath
the simple wooden crosses which dot
the hillsides. marking their eternal
resting place.
Deaths dsy-a day which saw ths
burial Of the majority Of the s35 VIC
tins of natures death gambol-ended
with the setting of the sun.
Tomorrow. the remainder OF ths
torn and mangled bodies Will be COM
mitted back TO their native soil, com.
munity memorial services will bt
held above the graves. and Monday
the tornado.swept area will turn it,
face from its dead TO seek a renaiss
sanee Of life and hope from amidst
the ruins.
Ceremony Lacking.
There was little Of the ceremony of
death in the burial Of tn. dead today.
Plain coffins, rushed into the storm
districts by hundreds, contained tina
remains Of those who paid tribute To
the monster OF the skies. Soldier
gravediggers prepared the pits Into
which they were lowered
And relatives and friends, many of
them injured stood about DULY as the
few simple words were repeated. Al
most monotonously by scores Of
ministers. and the coffins were lower.
ed and covered.
There was a dearth of tears. The
calamity, by its very swfulneSs,
seemed TO make weeping a futile.
empty gesture. Occasionally there
was a half sigh or moan. from the
groups clustered about the terrible
crop of graves wnicho sprang from
the cyclones seed: here a woman
looked UP ar her man and buried
her head on his shoulder as 'babys"
coffin passed out Of sight into the
hill; there. a man turned and walked
slowly away from the scene-a gaunt.
pathetic figure. probably leaving all
be held dear behind him; but there
Is a certain stolidness among the
people OF this territory which shes at
public demonstrations of grief.
Doctors Work By Torchlighf.
Throughout the storm area tonight.
the emergency medical work was still
in progress. Doctors were treating
patients by the flare OF torchlights
and bonfires. Operations were being
performed under the light OF automo-
bile searchlighfs by surgeons whose
redrimmed eyes gave evidence OF
sleepless days and nights. And oe-
casionally. here and there. another
pain.wracked victim succumbed add
ing one more 10 the toll OF the storm.
But tonight this work wa. well or
ganized. Red Cross workers reported
the injured being better cared for
than AT any time since these five
midwestern states felt the tornado's
|death-laden breath. There will be few.
il any. more deaths, these workers
believe, unless the poor sanitary con-
diiions bring forth a plague 10 add
to the horror.
To offset this possibility. emergen-
cv chlorine outfits for sterilization
OF the water we're rushed into the
affected district tonight and the n,iA
iitarv was attempting 10 keep rigid
supervision over all persons sus.
peeied ot having contracted com.
municahle disease.
Stamp Out Pestilence.
BY Monday, temporary sanitary
arrangements are expected TO be COM
pleted which. workers say. will do
much TO offse; the possibility Of pes.
thence
Monday. also. will see the first real
steps toward rehabilitation. BY then
farm agencies expect 70 have estah-
lished relief stations At central points
throughout the storm area. From
these they will distribute stock.
money and seeds 70 farmers thai
spring work may so on and bring It's
harvest 10 help alleviate conditions.
Rebuilding of the RACED towns nj.
ready is being planned and from the
ruins Of many Of them will rise new
modern cities. laid out in accordance
NTH the latest ideas Of city planning
monuments to the fury ~ nature