Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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FEARFUL TORNADO IANT PEOPLE KILLED OK HURT AT OR IN OIABA GREAT PROPERTY LOSS More Than Two Hundred People Kill ed, Over Four Hundred Hurt and Nearly Four Thousand Buildings, Homes, Churches, Schools, Etc., Wrecked and Damaged. More than 200 persons were kill ed and 400 were injured in a wind storm that demolished 4 50 homes, damaged hundreds of other buildings and caused a monetary loss of $5,- 000,000, according to reports avail able up to a late hour Monday night from the main path of the tornado in and near Omaha. Fire broke out in the debris of many wrecked buildings in the Ne braska metropolis, and these were menaces for some time, as the fire companies were hindered by fallen walls and blockaded streets. A heavy rain followed the wind, however, and drenched the hundreds of homeless persons, but also put out the flames. Of the 202 known dead within the area covered by the storm, 152 were residents of Omaha. The remaining dead are scattered over a consider able range of territory, with Council Bluffs reporting 12; Yutan, Neb., 10; Berlin. Neb , 7; (llennwood, la., 5; N'eola. la., 2; and Bartlett, la., 2. The same cities and towns report an aggregate of 4 00 injured and 4 50 homes damage. While the loss of life is much less than at first reported, the damage by the tornado was 'Tearful to both hu man life and property. Perhaps 1,500 persons are home less. Aside from this. 3,one build ings were more or less damaged, some of these being churches and school buildings. Eight of Omaha's public schools were wrecked. All forms of communication were almost annihilated by the wind and only two or three wires were in working order out of what for twenty hours had been chaos. The storm swept the western part of the city for its entire length. The eastern half of the city generally composing the business section -was out of the path of the storm but suf fered greatly The section damaged is the residential portion of the city. A number of outlying business thor oughfares also are in the destroyed area The storm appeared to ha\e start ed at 5 1th ami Center streets From there it travelled norib '• r■ ’ g slightlv to the east to Leavenworth street Then it took a norheasterly course to 4uth and Firnain streets, sweeping its way through everything Still travelling a little east of north, it covered a course from 4wth street, east, to 34th street, a disbar; e of six blocks. Striking Bennis Park, where the home* of the well-to-do Omahans are located, the storm turned sharp ly to the east and passed along Park er and Blonde streets to 24th street, where Its path was six blocks wide In the latter section the damage is complete Many handsome residences In this section were demolished and many people killed or hurt. Finally at 14th and Spencer streets Die storm swept over the bluffs, high above the Missouri River, demolish ed tiie M issouri-Baritic rounuliouse, levelled tile Idg trestle of the Llhioi* Central Railroad over Carter Luke, wrecked a numb< r of bull Lugs no i r the Rod and Cun Club, a fashion- aide outing place, and disappeared to the northwest. The s' feet s of Omaha at e filled, wiih wreckage of houses, upr»,)ted trees and tangled electric wires. Stiect car movement is Impossible, waeon and automobile travel almost so. Tiie storm came almost without warning, the day which opened with overcast skies having cleared in the afternoon. It took tiie tornado only a lew minutes to do its work of de struction. 'l iie little town of Ralston, three miles west of South Omaha, first felt the fury of the storm, which there took a toll of a half dozen or more lives and practically destroyed the town. In a northeasterly direction and almost a straight line It trav elled, wrecking many handsome homes in the fashionable West Far- nam and Bemls Park districts. Many business buildings in the Ti- cinity of 24th and Lake streets w r ere destroyed or badly damaged. Here the heaviest loss of life occurred. Electric light and trolley wires were carried.down by the storm and power bad to be shut off In the devastated districts so that all work in the night might be done by the light of lan terns and only an imperfect idea of the extent and character of the dam- age could be formed. The work of rescue was at once undertaken but only slow progress was made in the darkness, and the blockaded streets. Emergency hos pitals were established at various points and all available ^physicians and nurses pressed Into service. Dr. H. W. Connell, city health commis sioner, appealed to surgeons to vol unteer their services for the relief of the Injured and the response oame by scores. City authorities, realising the ex tent of the calamity, Immediately asked thb commander of the Federal forces at Fort Omaha for aid In pa trolling the wrecked districts to pre vent looting and aid victims. iMajor Hartmann, in command at Fort Oma ha, acoeeded to the request without hesitation, sending; all available men. A similar request to the command ers of the three local military com panies also met with prompt response and the State troops aided much in the work of rescue. Later, when an appeal was sent to Governor Moor head, he ordered four companies of militia from outside the city to re port there for duty and came him self arriving at three o'clock in the morning. Among the buildings destroyed were eleven churches and eight school houses. No loss of life ac companied the demolition of these buildings. Secred Heart Convent was annihilated, but the fifty inmates escaped. The Missouri Pacific round house and the roundhouse of the Chi cago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Oma ha Railway were wrecked. A number of persons were serious ly injured when a Street car was blown over at 47th and Leavenworth streets. The conductor, John Coop er, was seriously injured. The mo- torman, Fred Bentley, jumped just as the car started to roll. The wind picked him up, carried him 200 feet and set him down in a field consider ably shaken. Conductor Cooper says there were at least fifteen passengers in the car. All were more or less hurt. It was late Monday before all the details of the storm which accom panying wreckage were known even within the city itself. The pathway of the storm, from three to seven blocks in width, cut a swath twenty- four blocks long. Within the space of this storm center, which if made rectangular would cover a quarter section of land; 'l^eo houses are wreck'd, 1'>0 bodies have been re covered and search of the ruins is being made for others. Several are known to be still in the ruins at the end of the storm's path. Estimates of the value of property demolished by the storm vary be tween |5,0ou,uo0 and $1 2,000,Quo. Some of the more substantial houses can be partially rebuilt. Where the buildings have not been torn asunder they have been so tvusted that even the material is useless for rebuilding The destruction began with the millionaire homes in the West Far- nam and Bemls park district, but farther northwest the buildings col lapsed more easily and a large num ber of deaths resulted. Rescue work started as soon as the people were able to hurry to the stricken district, but as the night's work was by the light of lanterns little was accomplished. The storm took down all the wires In Its path and the electric power was shut off immediately to prevent further loss of life With the arrival of daylight, a train load of militia from Lincoln, and the presence in the city of Gov ernor Morehead. the work was syste matized and Monday night indica tions were that one more day will end the search for bodies and will even witness a general attempt at re building work. THRILLING STORIES. * Told by Eye Witnesses as They Trav eled on a Train. Eye-w itnessee of the flooded dis tricts of Ohio, who reached Chicago Wednesday, told stories of devasta tion wrought by tiie swollen streams throughout the deluged section. Lrom windows of a Baltimore and Ohio train W. 11 Ohovrn, of Eng land, saw men, women and children I'eeing from their homes as the wa ters undermined foundations and carri'd off house alter house. "For miles and miles we saw noth ing but water," said Cliowti. "Farm hous'-s, almost submerged, could in set n on every hand and from their windows, people carrying what few .articles they could crawled into boats and rowed away. Every stream we crossed seemed to be a raging tor rent, its waters racing at top speed far beyond its natural boundaries.” Absolute darkness seemed to reign In the districts through which the train passed, according to Alfred Griffin, another Englishman, who was a passenger. The farther we got the worse seemed to become the condi tions,” he said. ‘‘There were no lights along the entire countryside. It wos most gloomy and awe-inspiring We could hear the swish of the wa ters through the darkness and every now and then the cries of people in distress. It, was a horrible experi ence.” ♦ ♦ Train and 1’a.s.HcnRcrs Ixtst, The Baltimore and Ohio railroad telegraph pperator received a wire from the railroad operator at a tower near Cincinnati, saying that a com muter train from Loveland, Ohio, to Cincinnati had gone through a bridge and all aboard, about two hundred persons, had apparently been lost. » Killed by Falling Tree. News has been received at KLnga- tree from the Mangon section of Wil- liamaburg county, that Mr. Gasque, who superintended one of the countyi chain gangs, had been Instantly kill ed by the falling of a tree. DICKER! MAKES REPLY NEWBERRY MAN WRITES OF SOLDIERS' HOME ROW’. t i —. .. j He Makes Some Suggestions of a Change in the Management of the Home. To the Editor of The State: So much has been said and written recently of the doings in the last : meeting of th^ board of commission ers for the Old Soldiers' Home that I am reminded of the saying of the devil when he sheared the sow; ‘‘A mighty lot of noise for so little : wool.” Now 1 wish to give my ver sion iu a simple and straightlorward manner ami let the public be the ’judge, for the little jibes of the smooth spoken Todd, in his procla- j mation "To the peopre of South Car- ! oliua,” I pass it by, as unworthy of I notice. The “people of South Caro- , lina” do not care a rap whether I was i “drunk” or sober, or even whether I was dead or alive; but what they are interested in is the truth or fal sity of the charges made against the management of the home. However, it would have been a little more man ly to have waited until I had be- cofne sober, if drunk, and demanded an apology, a retraction or rammed the false or offensive woris down my ■throat. But, as it was, really it may have been better for Mr. Todii and myself both to wait until I was hundreds of miles away, then let om his manifesto and issued his procla mation "to the people” instead of to | me. It was kind indeed of him to be so thoughtful of my sensitive feel ings, for which 1 tender him my thanks. I make no pretensions to a surplus of honesty, truthfulness or sobriety; these are not my long suits; but I Tin willing ;o lie judged by Todd in tiis record of trying to obtain from the legislature $13,0110 for his State house plans and model, and I am willing to stand against Maj. Rich ardson in the charges made by the commandant and inmates of the home. 1 do not vouch for the truth fulness of either, but both are in black and white, and some of them sworn to. This is no “falling out among thieve*”, for honest men to get their dues". If there has been any thievery, 1 do not know of It of my own knowledge, but used rthe word graft In the broad meaning as It is understood to-day — allowing exor bitant sauries, knowingly permitting people's money to !>e ruthleasly squandered, loose handling of other peoples money, favoritism, etc. 1 do not make these charges, but refer to tiie testimony taken before the in vestigating committee. Maj Rich ardson and m.'self have always got along harmoniouslv and amicably When I wa- first inv ited to a phn *• on the board I took It as a mere com pliment to tiie little part I had taken in the war We were to have a ca pable manager, a good disciplinarian and an hones' man to run the entire institution, therefore little for us to do During Mr. Mixon's energetic and efficient management everything rolled along smoothly When he died, Maj Richardson took his place. But soon afterward, complaining of his inability to give the home his time, owing to the pressing needs of his attention on his farm, he resign ed. We put Mr Caldwell in. I did not know him, but being assured he was a good man, which wo found him. I voted for him. But I found ho was woak. physically, and old ago had laid its hand upon him. so much so that ho was not abio to control an i propr. lv gov .Til sni li a difficult lot of old mi n. called for a young and a more po.-itive man, but wo kept him until Ins time was out. During all this tiino 1 had not the remotest idea that Ma.;. Richardson had had any thing to do with the institution since liis n signation iFFitil Mr McMahan began to "raise the lid". I was as tonished to find tie was ehairman of a board from which he had resigned and drawing a salary of $100 per month, contrary to law, as I thought. If he was chairman, as he claimed, he would have to be a member, and as such he could receive no pay, I know, for the law and the appropria tion made no provision for a treas urer at $100 per month. If so, there would have been a treasurer from the start. 1 brought this to the atten tion of Maj. Richardson and he ac knowledged the truth of my conten tion, but said he had been legally ad vised that the board had the power to create this office and fix the salary. I could not deny the logic, but doubt ed the wisdom of the law. When I saw I could not stem the current and did not care to swim with it, I ten dered my resignation. It was return ed, with the request to withdraw it, as a personal matter. When Maj. Richardson was asked the question, by the investigating committee, whether he could produce the minutes of the meeting of the board in which he was elected chair^ man and treasurer, what members were present and who proposed his salary, he said he could. It seems they did not press the matter, for I have 'not seen anywhere a notica of those minutes. I was curious to know who of the board were really present. I wotild be glad to see the minutes of any meeting. N’o doubt they can produce them, but in my two years’ piembership I have never heard the minutes read or a detaiie.1 account of any disbursements. I Your Home and loved ones should be protected from the every-day aches and pains by always having on hand a bottle of NOAH’S LINIMENT—the Best Pain Remedy. NOAH’S LINIML^IT is for internal uses as well as for external application. Absolutely pure and clean to use, made in a tnodern laboratory and compounded as carefully as a physician’s prescription. NOAH’S LINIMENT does not contain any chloroform, ammonia, alcohol, naptha, benzine or poisonous drugs. Noah’s .Liniment is an excellent remedy for rheumatism, lameness, stiff joints, backache, neuralgia, strains, sprains, cuts, bruises, pains in chest and side, sore feet, etc. Penetrates and requires very little rubbing. NOAH’S LINIMENT is one of the best remedies for sore throat, coughs, colds, colic and cramps. A few drops on a little sugar will usually relieve these troubles immediately. For toothache there is nothing better—a little on cotton in cavity and applied externally. Look for Noah’s Ark—trade-mark—on every genuine pack age; beware of substitutes. NOAH’S LINIMENT la sold by all dealers in medicines In the cities and out In the country, in three sizes, at 25c, 50c and $1.00 a bottle. Send for booklets and testimonials. Noah Remedy Co., Inc., Richmond, Va. Krja a and all —*1 hav« baan aalng Meah’s mant for mara than a year, find It tha bast X hava arar for rheumatism, neuralgia aches and pains of any kind.**— Mrs. A. M. Doyle, Richmond, Va For Colds and Hearaeaaaar— "Noah's Liniment quickly relieved colds and hoarseness, and I bars carried a bottle with ms for years In traveling.’’—W. T. Burton, Wil son N.. C, j- ^ Voi Backache sad Stiff Jatmia— "I have used Noah's Liniment for backache and stiff Joints and pains, and find It to be the best liniment I ever used.”—Mrs. Sallle Young, Edgar, Va. For Fata Fallawtag CMUa^—"My little girl was suffering with chills, and for the pain following I used Noah’s Liniment, and It gave in stant relief.”—A. H. Greenwood, Richmond, Va For Sore Feet.—“Suffering for a month with rheumatism (a my ankle. Instep and toes, I com menced to use Noah’s Liniment, and my foot has Improved won derfully, and can now walk with v.r> little Inconvenience."—O, A. Jamea Portsmouth, Va Far Palm tm the Back.—**1 suf fered dreadfully for ten years with caln s in back. Less than half * bottle of Noah's Liniment perfect curs."—Mra J. O, ley, Pelnt Eastern, Ta, dm jbl jBu jHb. jMBm don't contend they can not be fur nished. Dr. Butler says at the investigation that he was present at the time and the major were elected, and to* “whole board was present” 1 S-'e Dr. Butler s testimony before tiie in vestigating commitUie, page 53, last paragraph.1 Dr Butler Is mistaken, alThougn ' honestly so. Neither Maj. Thompso 1 nor myself were present, and as Maj j Richardson had resigned he bad no ■ vote. If Gov. Blease was present I feel assured he cast no vote, for in : all tiie meetings In his office (or!) 1 two. I think I he always expressed a willingness to help us in any way. but would lake no hand In our ieLo- eration. He would not even allow us to organize or do any buslneus in his presence Then only two of the old members were there Dr Rutler pod Maj Richardson both being benefi ciaries of that vote I charge no crookedness, but refer the curious to tiie proceedings of the legislative | committee, pages 53-5 4 When was the matron appointed] and her salary plaeed at $m> i*er month ^ W hat members were pres ent'’ She says she was not "offl cialiv" connected with tiie home when her father in law died But here are tin- questions and answers Q. What capacit) were >ou there" A I was really not appointed ma- t ron. (J And your capacity there (now* A Just the same as now, but was not officially appointed matron. Now if she is In no official capacity how is she continued on the pay roll'’ It appears in the committee s report that she at one time received $25. W ho is responsible for her receiving $r.o now" I do not write this 'o say .•he received too much salary, 'or 1 think she and Dr Butler are both el fin' nt and honest members of the nntnagenient, and neither receive too large a fee But 1 only wish to show 1 mai.v tilings are done there that the w hide hoard is not responsible for. 1 Lining one of our ni'•■tings I told tie board: ' W'e must have a younger and more efficient commandant. ' IB re 1 was ■ net with the ahsw» r that ' w• ■ cniii i tiavi' noiit as commandant but tin old v t' ran I vailed Senator .1 < ■! 1 n s t o 111 ■' s and Arthur Ki'd.T'.s' 1 un rnin r of wavs and means commit tee i attention to tiie imperfection in tiie law. They looked into the mat ter and informed me that there was no such law ami we could elect 1 whom we pleased. When I told the; board we must have a new deal Maj. Richardson was ready with a “cure" for all ‘‘the ailment”. Turn off Mr. Cal dwell; make a Mr. Black adju tant; retain the matron; he would he superintendent at $10() per month. This did not suit me. Then we all agreed that the whole board would resign in two weeks and give the gov ernor a free hand to appoint a new board. The public is familiar with the last two weeks' happenings. Gov. Blease retained Mr. Crews and myself on the board and appointed tliret; new ones. We met last Tuesday in the governor's office and adjourned to the old home. Just as I was starting for our meeting three lines of typewritenj matter was put in my hands without ! a signature. It read: "Have a guard. I think there is a side current running to retain Richardson and the old management." As the major was no longer a factor, having resigned, with no possible chance of his being rein stated only by the governor, I gave the matter no thought. But after our meeting and organizing, Todd’s ro- tlon to retain Mr. Richardson and the management in office until an inves tigation took place I took to mean ‘‘the balance of Blease'a administra tion.” I became a little restless and hot under the collar. Now Mr. Todd may have been innocent of any knowledge of the “silent current”, ;; High Grade Seed and Farm Lands !; MIXiSO.N'SSEEDSGROW. They are grown in the South for the Soutn LONG AND SHORT STAPLE UPLAND COTTON The best Varieties. Write uc for prices and information. CORN, SORGUM, MILLET, VELVET BEANS 6tc Our Corn Is all HIGH-BRED SOUTH CAROLINA CORN. Get our Illustrated Catalogue of all Vegetable and Farm Seeds. W. H. Mtxson Seed Company, CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA \VK HAVE 200 HlHHKLfi OHOICK Velvet Beans AOOOt NT w. F. IIOHKMA.N, LKHHHORK, FLA. I’KH III . F. O. II. HAKLKHTON, S. V. Charleston Fruit Company, 2 4 M ARKET. ST ! o CHARLESTON. 8 C. but It appeared to me, after the anon- , ytnous warning, he was playing with j a deck of marked cards When n«*t- | tied 1 am more emphatic In the use of words than polished. But I had | provocation Just read the testi mony before the Investigating com mittee (all sworn to) of the gross partiality and favoritism, of the "diet table" for the good boys containing all the delicacies and luxuries of the markets, another for the ' vile old sinners”, with stale cornbread and fatback, a spread of eight plates, with food for f-ur, the Insults of negro <ooks, when asked for a bis cuit, the screams of old soldiers for help at night, while the paid attend ants are fast asleep, old consump tive-. shivering in the hospital, while blankets furnished by the ladles of I Columbia were elsewhere. All this Is down m black and white and sworn] in, some by the commandant him- : self. It is all very well for a committee, fa< e<l wi:h such charges to say some one of the board is "drunk” when he, kicks against it. It would have been] bt tier to have charged him with it to his face ojrti^id nothing. With Toim asltlng me out in tire i road, Richardson threatening and 1 storming, the matron charging me with being a traitor and a falsifier, it was enough to make a man feel rough. When I do get rough, the fighting blood is up. No wonder they said I was drunk. D. A. Dickert. Newberry, March 24. STORM KILLS FIVE IN CHICAGO. Fifty Others Hurt and Many Build ing Wrecked. Five persons were killed, fifty in jured, thirty-two buildings wrecke 1 and scores of structures damaged by a storm which swept over Chicago and its suburbs early Monday motn- ing. The storm, which was accom panied by hail, rain, sleet, lightning and a gale which blew seventy miles an hour for a time, was felt most severely in the northwestern section of the city, where houses were over turned, windows broken, trees up rooted and electric light and trolley poles blown to the ground. Nearly fifty small fires resulted and hun dreds of men, women and children tied from their homes in terror Considerable damage was done to Desplaines, Park Ridge and other suburbs. Property damage In the city and suburbs is estimated at more than $500,000. HICKH HIT IT ABOUT RIGHT. » He Foreraeted the Weather of the Pant Week Acrmtalj. The Kev Irl Hicks, who pre4tot»4 the storm that destroyed Oetvestoff almost to the day, made an accurate forecast of the terrible weather through which portions of the 8o«th and Northwest passed during the last week Here is hie forecast for this period, printed in hta almanac which was issued on the first of lest Novem ber, nearly five months ago. He saidj "The moon will be in opposition with earth and sun, at an eclipse node on the 22. and on the celestial equa tor and in perigee on the 21st. We will venture to put down Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sun day, the liRh, 20th, 21st, 22nd and 2 ’.rd, as constituting a period of treat and dangerous disturbances. People iu southern parts of the coun try will do the wise and prudent thing to recognize the probability of equatorial and tornadic storms. Phe nomenal electrical storms of rain and bail will visit many sections, espec ially the southern states; blizzardous storms and gales will sweep down from the north merging into storms from the south, causing tornadoes, floods and cold blizzard of snow.” On Wednesday, the 19th instant, which is the first date he warns us, tornadoes passed through Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, killing many people and doing much damage to property. Then on Thursday, Friday and Saturday we had more torna does and destruction. On Saturday and Sunday Om^ha and other cities in the northwest were visited by de structive tornadoes, followed by heavy rains, snow and freezing weather. Then came the floods in Ohio, Indiana and other States. Bliz zards also raged iti the same region even up to the pijesent time. AH these facts can be yerifled by refer ence to the daily newspapers of the past ten days. The accuracy of the predictions he made are remarkable^ In the presence of the awful cal amity that baa overtaken the people of Dayton and other placet, words are inadequate to express one's sym pathy. We can only remember that God is God, and earnestly prsy tfcat In His Infinite mercy He will omb- pensate in some way tk* SMB affd women and the little eklldiBB wbB have been forced to pass tkrsigfc IMb fearful horror.