Page 4

                To increase the dread of the night, the lights went out, the streets of the city were covered with darkness, with the flickering light of the lanterns, the paramedics started to work. Also the telephone lines stopped working, so that for hours you were not able to get in touch with friends and relatives, who lived in the storm district, and the street car traffic became interrupted, because the conducting wires were torn down and the tracks were covered with rubble.

                Even though the blow that hit Omaha was so frightening, the citizens were only stunned for a short time, already an hour after the catastrophe had begun, they began helping the unfortunate ones, also with this disaster the Christian neighborly love proved itself in the most beautiful way. People spared in the storm district and those that lived in the neighborhood quickly came by to help. Every available auto, every auto truck was transported to the disaster to carry the injured to the hospitals and the corpses to the morgue. Mayor Dahlman personally took over directing of the Paramedics. Major Hartmann from the Fort Omaha stationed National Guard, volunteered with his troops to the city and organized the rescue effort with military order and thoroughness. He also lead the rescue effort for those buried beneath and the recovery of corpses. The personally affected district became under military watch to hinder plundering.

                Barely had the news of the catastrophe been received, that Governor Morehead went quickly with a special train from Lincoln to Omaha to help with the rescue effort. The troops from the fifth company National Guard were immediately ordered from him to Omaha. Afterward, the next morning, when Governor Morehead inspected the large rubble field on 24^th and Lake Street, he was gripped with horror and said, “I can not believe, that so many people managed to escape with their lives. This is obviously the largest disaster to hit Nebraska. The population of the entire state gives their compassion to Omaha. What ever the government can do to relieve the need, will happen quickly”.

                After everything was done in the storm night, which was the transporting of the injured to the hospitals, the next largest task the following morning was to take care of the 2500 suddenly homeless men, women and children.

                After the call from the Mayor Dahlman, he assembled Monday morning the most outstanding citizens at City Hall to organize a relief effort, 50 citizens were selected. Lawyer T. I.Mahonen was unanimously elected as Chairman, Mr. C. C. Rosenwater as Treasurer.