TERRIFIC TORNADO.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 26 March 1913, Page 5

TERRIFIC TORNADO.

CABLE NEWS

(United Preu Association—By 'XUctrie Telegraph—Copyright.)

TOWN OF OMAHA SWEPT.

A HUNDRED AND FIFTY PEOPLE KILLED.

WHOLE SECTION OF CITY

DESTROYED

(Received March 25, 10 a.m.) VANCOUVER, March" 24. A tornado swept the town of Omaha, and killed a hundred and fifty people. A fire broke out in the ruins, ana a whole section of the town was destroyed. The Diamond Picture Theatre'colla pssd, and thirty people were cm shed in the ruins. Communicat-ion witli) the outside world has been cut off. VZC:*!-":.""" .'

FURTHER DETAILS. DISTRICT UNDER MARTIAL LAW. STORM OUTS A LANE FOUR BLOCKS WIDE.

(Received March 25, 12.15 p.m.) VANCOUVER, March 24. The latest news from Omaha minimises the loss of life, but the damage to. property ig enormous. A 6cd.ro of bodies have been recovered. The district is practically under martial law, and soldiers are camped in tlie streets. . The injured are expected to number hundreds., Twenty negroes were caught in a •pool room, when ,it collapsed, and DQne escaped. The .storm first struck ißalstoh, and moved: eight miles north-east through Omaha, cutting a swathe of destruction four blocks wide. Much looting followed the fire, but-the presence .of the soldiers act-;, ed as aii effective check. A second, tornado followed, completing the ruin. Communication was paralysed. Definite news of the disaster did not reach tho outside world until twenty-four hours had elapsed. The wildest stories were at first afloat. Hie town, of Qutan, in Nebraska, suffered heavily by the same tornaoo. Houses were unroofed, and ten people killed. •

LATEST PARTICULARS. HUNDREDS DEAD AND DYING. HARROWING SCENES. WHOLE BLOCKS DEVASTATED. (Received Last Night, 9.20 o'clock.) NEW YORK, March 2-5. Pasengers by' the Chicago-Burling ton-Quincy train saw the tornado strike Omaha. , The storm whirled the houses bodily into the air, the bodies of the iinmates falling out of the buildings. When the train stopped the passengers who ran to assist, were overwhelmed. THE DEAD AND DYING. At Ralston dozens are dead and dying, the latter asking to be put out of their misery. Whole acres; are covered with wreckage. A railway box car was earned in mid-air for a quarter of a mile. The train proceeded with the dead and injured, and entered Bensor, where the scenes were a repetition of those at Ralston. SCENES BAFFLE DESCRIPTION.

When South Omaha was hit the scenes baffled description. The fire in the town, was visible for miles. People rushed panic stricken into the streets, and the police were unable to cope with the disorder, until special trains brought assistance. WHOLE BLOCKS DESTROYED. The tornado cut a swathe twentyfour blocks long, by three wide, through the wealthiest part of the city. 'Twelve hundred houses were wrecked. THE ESTIMATED DAMAGE. The damage is estimated at £3,000,000. One hundred bodies have been recovered. Milwaukee also suffered from the rainstorm, which flooded the town. Other •smaller centres were similarly damaged.