1913 Omaha Nebraska Tornado

1913 OMAHA NEBRASKA TORNADO

TWO COMMITTEES NAMED

      The exchange appointed two committees, one of thirty men, to investigate the property loss from a real estate point and suggest plans for rebuilding, and the other, a committee of five to work with the central relief committee.

     The committee of thirty: D. V. Sholes, chairman, and Lynn Campbell, W. K. McFarland, L. Davis, C. G. Carlberg, J. N. Frenzer, L. D. Spalding, W. H. Thomas, A. M. Gallagher, J. L. Hiatt, Fred Shotwell, George Flack, M. P. Martin, C. F. Harrison, Ed George, J. B. McKittrick, Ed Slater, H. M. Christie, E. T. Heyden, George G. Wallace, W. T. Graham, C. C. Wilson, F. D. Wead, C. Grimmel, Ernest Sweet, A. I. Creigh, H. A. Scott, H. A. Wolf, H. I. Freeman and J. H. Dumont.

     The committee of five: C. C. George, J. L. McCague, R. C. Peters, W. H. Green and George T. Morton.

GREAT SINGER DEEPLY AFFECTED

     Madame Schumann-Heink, who sang for the prisoners in the Douglas county jail a short time prior to the storm, was made ill at her home in Chicago by news of Omaha's disaster. She canceled her engagements for two weeks, according to a letter received from her by William Anderson, chief clerk at the Rome hotel, where the great singer stops when she is in Omaha.

     Madame Schumann-Heink has always cherished a special regard for the people of Omaha, and Mr. Anderson, at the Rome, is a particular friend of hers.

     Following is the note received by Mr. Anderson:

"3672 Michigan Ave., Chicago

"Mr. Anderson,
     "Chief Clerk, Hotel Rome,
            "Omaha, Neb.

     "Thank the good God nothing has happened to you or yours!

     "I am sick myself since the catastrophe. How I thought of you all. Is the chauffeur all right, too? Oh, I hope so, and my dear, dear manager, Miss Cooper? I telegraphed, but I have not received an answer, so I thought everyone is gone.

     "I need one or two weeks' absolute rest. Gave up my concerts. I love Omaha special. I don't know why, but I do, and since last time I was there I love it more than ever, so imagine my shock.

     "Can I do anything? Tell me. I am heart and soul, Omaha's.

     "God love you--love to all.

"SCHUMANN-HEINK."

CONDUCTOR SAVES HIS PASSENGERS

The presence of mind of Ord Hensley, conductor on a street car, saved over 100 persons from injury at Twenty-fourth and Lake streets. He saw the storm coming and called to every person to lie down in the car. Two women just getting on the car were caught by Hensley and thrown on the floor. The storm passed, wrecked the upper portion of the car and every window, but, the occupants were unhurt.

AGED MAN RESCUES PARALYZED DAUGHTER

      Mrs. Belle Smith, paralyzed for many years , and D. B. Tharoe, her father, 83 years old, were injured by falling walls of the brick building in which they lived, near Lake street on Twenty-fourth.

     The aged man dug away the debris from about his helpless daughter, and helped to carry her to a drug store. There they waited, soaked in rain and without a fire to warm them, for hours before it was possible to secure means of transporting the paralyzed woman from the scene of disaster.

     Neither the cripple nor her aged father were excited over the disaster, but waited patiently for rescuers.

     The paralyzed woman, drenched with water and shivering with cold, sat upon a wrecked counter and looked smilingly into the face of her aged father, while they exchanged mutual congratulations because each had been saved to the other. Many bruised and mangled bodies were carried into the drug store and laid at the feet of the paralyzed woman, but she showed no signs of nervousness nor of fear.

     It did not seem to occur to either of the unfortunate couple that they, were now paupers, everything they had in the world having been carried away by the storm. The old man was not worried because tomorrow would find him shelterless, with a crippled daughter to care for. He seemed to forget that his extreme age would make it impossible for him to restore anything of what the storm had carried away. Two soldiers were called about midnight, and carried the unfortunate woman to a house where there was a fire.

YOUNG HERO SAVES BROTHER

Lawrence O'Connor, aged 18, 2234 Lake street, saved his brother William, aged 8, from the terrific storm but was severely injured.

The elder boy had sent the younger to a drug store across the street for some stamps. Just as the child left the house, Lawrence saw the storm coming and warned the other members of the family, eleven in all, to get into the cellar. William, in the meantime, had reached the drug store door. Lawrence ran from his home, snatched his younger brother and pulled him toward the home. Half way across the street the tornado struck the boys. Both were hurt, the elder most seriously. In falling he had protected his brother as much as possible. Lawrence was taken to the Webster street telephone exchange and there given medical attention. Later he was taken to a hospital. He was badly crushed and bruised and spent three weeks in a hospital.

WIDOW WHO EARNED HOME BY WASHING, LOST ALL

     After working over the washtub sixteen years to pay for her little home, Mrs. Lou English, a widow of 60, is penniless. Her home at 2026 Miami street, worth $3,000,, on which she made the last payment three months before the storm, was left a pile of splinters.

     On the day following the tornado she was found searching among the ruins for a tub and washboard. She said she intended going to work to earn money to rebuild her house.

     Mrs. English who has a family to support, refused aid from the relief committee, saying she had always lived independently, and would continue to do so as long as she has strength. Only upon close questioning did the relief workers learn her story.

     Three months before the storm she decided to take life a little easier, having paid the last on her home. She felt sure of a home for old age, she said, and thanked God that she had not been altogether helpless when left a widow.

     She was educating her young son and had paid all her bills. When the storm struck she owed nothing but a month's gas and water bills, she had overlooked.

     When asked if she would not accept a little assistance from the people of Omaha who chanced to be fortunate enough to escape the storm, Mrs. English broke down and wept. She admitted anxiety about her gas and water bills, and her lack of a tub and a washboard. She said she dreaded the humiliation of a reminder from the gas company or water board that her bills were overdue.

     Mrs. English, was anxious to go to work at once, and agreed to accept the loan of an outfit for washing.

STREET CAR CARRIED OFF TRACK

A large street car, containing several passengers, was picked up by the cyclone and carried several feet from the car tracks, and turned on its side, near Forty-eighth and Leavenworth streets.

Every window in the car was demolished and it was badly damaged by fire following the storm. Several of the passengers were injured.

BIRTHDAY ENDS IN DISASTER

      Patrick Hynes' home, 2704 North Twentieth street, was blown to pieces during a celebration of his eighty-first birthday anniversary, killing Mrs. A. H. Bigelow and Mrs. E. F. Bigelow. A. H. Bigelow was injured, and his daughter, Cecelia, had both arms broken and was internally injured.

     Henry M. Peters, owner of the Merchants' hotel, who, with his wife, was at a house party at the home of Mrs. Lee Huff, Thirty-ninth and Chicago streets, said that when it suddenly grew dark and the cry of "cyclone!" was heard, part of the guests rushed into the cellar and the others to a concrete garage. All escaped injury, although a rocking chair, which was blown through a plate glass window, narrowly missed Mrs. Peters.

     E. W. Dixon, 426 North Thirty-eighth street, was blown down the stairs into the dining room when the tornado struck his home, and his right ear was cut by glass. Mrs. Dixon and the children were unhurt.

     Several visitors and, the family of Charles H. Pickens, general manager of Paxton & Gallagher, fled to the basement before the storm struck, but the following were injured there: Mr. and Mrs. Pickens, Miss Isabella Doyne, who is Mrs. Pickens' sister; Mrs. Ben Gallagher and Kenneth Patterson.

     Miss Mabel McBride, drawing teacher at the Dundee school and a student of the Omaha high school, was killed at the home of her father, Will W. McBride, on Farnam street, near Forty-first. Her head was caught between falling timbers.

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