STRUGGLES OF STRICKEN OMAHA
A BLIZZARD-LIKE STORM--COUNTING THE COST--"THE GREATEST CONCEIVABLE
BLOW"--SEARCHING FOR THE DEAD--A DAY OF FUNERALS--MORE CASES OF
DESTITUTION--PLANS FOR REBUILDING.
As if the storm of Easter Sunday were not enough calamity, a
blizzard-like storm descended upon the city of Omaha on Tuesday, adding
to the grief and horror. The storm, which began shortly after midnight,
and continued with gathering force, seriously hampered the work of
rescue. More than three inches of snow covered the debris in the section
of the city struck by the cyclone. It rendered uninhabitable the houses
of many who had prepared to retain temporary homes in partly demolished
structures.
Women tugging at heavy beams, hoping against hope to find dear ones
beneath the wreckage, men gruffly cheering their sorrowful mates,
sniveling children wrapped about with shawls and blankets were the
scenes which the sunrise this morning disclosed to the federal soldiers
as they patrolled the afflicted district.
Later, city officials gathered within the lines drawn around the
district by the soldiers and distributed clothing and other necessities
among the sufferers who had been rendered homeless by the tornado.
COUNTING THE COST
For the first time the people began to count the cost in lives and
dollars. When a resumé was made it was apparently more appalling than
those who had studied the result were willing to admit.
One hundred and fifty-four lives were snuffed out within the city
proper. Nearly five hundred were injured and eight of these died in
local hospitals during the day.
All Omaha rallied to the assistance of the desolate victims of the
tornado. Hundreds of citizens responded promptly by offering their homes
and money to aid in caring for the stricken.
The City Commissioners appropriated $75,000 for relief work, and
citizens at once subscribed to an equal amount. Governor Morehead sent a
special message to the Legislature asking for an appropriation to care
for the homeless throughout the state.
"THE GREATEST CONCEIVABLE BLOW"
After making an inspection of the devastated district, the Governor
said:
"This is my conception of hell. It is horrible, and it has presented a
most complex situation. The loss of life and damage to property is the
greatest conceivable blow, not only to Omaha, but to the entire state of
Nebraska. I will call upon the state of Nebraska to render every
assistance and I am sure the state will respond.
"My horror and grief are beyond my powers of expression."
SEARCHING FOR THE DEAD
Groups of men, aided and encouraged by women and children, labored
incessantly all day Tuesday among the ruins of homes and other
buildings. Only portions of the ruins of some buildings within which
persons were known to have been killed were removed. As quickly as
bodies were found they were taken to temporary morgues. Relatives
claimed most of the bodies, but some remained unidentified. Funerals and
burials were held from all churches and homes. Cemeteries were thronged
with grieving friends and relatives.
MILITARY LAW
Military law was strictly enforced throughout the storm area. Upon the
soldiers rested the responsibility for looting and fires. The city
Health Department made every effort to place the district in a sanitary
condition as rapidly as possible. Garbage wagons and trash carts were
the only vehicles admitted within the patrolled section. The water
supply fortunately remained unimpaired.
A DAY OF FUNERALS
Another period of unseasonable cold followed Tuesday's snowstorm and
increased the already long list of sufferers from the storm.
Paying last rites occupied the time of thousands of persons on
Wednesday. Fifty-two funerals silently wending their way to cemeteries
brought home with greater force to the people of Omaha the full
realization of the extent of Sunday's tornado. All day long, as fast as
hearses could deposit the bodies at graves, a continual death procession
was kept up.
Many of the bodies recovered from Sunday's storm were cared for at
undertaking establishments, and a great number of the funerals were held
from those places. Whenever possible friends of stricken families took
care of bodies and had them prepared for burial. In many instances
churches were demolished in the districts covered by the storm and
others were so badly wrecked as to prevent their being used for burial
services.
LITTLE CEREMONY
There was little ceremony. As quickly as one funeral was over another
began. Undertakers co-operated in arranging burials. In several
instances where entire families were killed or where more than one
member of a family awaited burial one funeral service was held. The
funerals were a constant procession.
One of the most pitiful of the funerals was that of Mrs. Mary Rathkey
and two small children. Surviving Mrs. Rathkey is the husband and
father, who is nearly demented over the disaster. Mrs. Rathkey and her
children were killed in their home.
MORE CASES OF DESTITUTION
Many cases of destitution were reported on Wednesday. It took much time
to prepare card indexes of sufferers' wants and to make requisitions on
the central relief station at the Auditorium for supplies. While these
formalities were being carried out want stalked through disconsolate
homes from one corner of the city to the other. The task of caring for
those needing food, clothing, supplies and money seemed to be too large
for the relief forces.
PLANS FOR REBUILDING
As early as Tuesday plans for rebuilding the city were under way. The
business men formed a corporation to conduct the undertaking in a
systematic way, and to assist the unfortunates who lost their homes and
personal effects.
The Real Estate Exchange immediately took steps to prevent the raising
of rents. Cases of alleged attempted extortion, however, were reported,
some of them by members of the Exchange itself. Executives of that body
decided to deal harshly with any owners found taking advantage of those
forced to secure new homes on account of the tornado.
A public appeal sent out by the Commercial Club stated that 642 homes
were totally wrecked, 1,669 were damaged and 3,179 persons made
homeless. There was need of reconstruction, indeed!
[Illustration: Photograph by Brown Bros.
This scene shows the desolation caused by the tornado wrecking a whole
street of houses at Omaha, Nebraska]
[Illustration: Copyright by George Grantham Bain.
A view showing the destructive force of the tornado at Omaha, where
happy homes stood a few hours before. Many residents were caught as in a
trap and instantly killed or fatally maimed]