HOW IT WAS LATER REPORTED

On March 23rd 1913, a seething black monster slammed into Omaha - In its wake, 140 were left dead, another 400 others injured. To this day, almost 100 years later, it is still considered the deadliest tornado to ever hit Nebraska.

Below is a brief overview of how it was later reported...




"On March 23rd 1913, at approximately 6:00 p.m., a massive tornado-producing storm ripped it's way through the thriving city of Omaha. Following the path along the Little Papillion Creek it moved through the west side of city alongside the Missouri Pacific Railroad, destroying the small workers cottages in the area. The tornado was so strong that steel train cars were later found to have been pierced by pieces of shattered lumber from the demolished homes.

By the time the funnel cloud reached Dewey Avenue it was five blocks wide. When it reached Farnam Hill the twister followed a shallow valley through this upscale neighborhood. Even the large mansions of Farnam were no match for the winds, and many houses were torn to pieces. Others were later found chopped in half, pipes and supports dangling into space.

At 24th and Lake Streets a large crowd was enjoying a show at the Diamond Moving Picture Theater. The tornado flattened the building. Other brick structures in this small commercial district took similar hits, and more people died here than in any other part of Omaha.

A streetcar running down 24th Street encountered the tornado near this area. Thanks to the quick actions of operator Ord Hensley, every passenger on the streetcar survived. Later, photographers would spot the wrecked machine and would call it the "Streetcar of Death," imagining that no one on board could have survived given the immense damage.

The tornado skirted the downtown area and moved over the Missouri River into Council Bluffs. By this time it was losing steam, and although Council Bluffs sustained damage it escaped the destruction the tornado had brought to Omaha."



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The excerpt above was taken from Wikipedia. You can read the entire article by clicking HERE