TITTC OMATTA SUNDAY REE: MAKCIT 30. ".
50
ITHE TORNADO
A LAY SERMON $ Ey H. 5. Tyler
In the Track of the Tornado
. a .1.. ii-,rfl.J
Easter morn, commemorating the
Resurrection, dawned with ominous sll
'ence: dark and threatening clouds, seem
lngly demanding proper recognition of
omnipresent power, hung low; and
fastly rising temperature and Increasing
humidity, beg'nnlng with the break ot
day, caused all to pause and scan the
heavens with alarm. The day wore on.
but thoro was ever present a feeling of
Impending danger; and a few moments
beforo the ohlmes rune out the vesper
lwur of six, slumbering Mlence sprung to
life, and there appeared on the horlson
to tho southwest of tho city a heavy and
menacing spectro, which, in Immeasurable
Instant, took form and came Into full
view as a swirling ani monstrous tor
nado. Its approach was presaged by a
terrifying roar, and greenish hues lighted
Its pathway. Those who realized that
death was near, momentarily gaxed. with
sickening awe and then sought safety:
thoso who knew not that destruction was
upon them, llvod In tho onjoyment that
followed tho close of Lenten denial; hap
iriness reigned, and peace; all was well.
Who then shall say what terror pos
sessed those souls when a full compre
hension of this terrible display of omni
potence was forced upon them by crash
ing glass, disappearing buildings, wind
driven timbers, and demolition of the
fortunes of yeara spent In toll and sacrl
ficeT Who will nttempt to glvo voice to the
outcry of mothors lying prons upon
oouches of love when their new born
babo?, symbols of parity, and with no
thought of protection savo that offered
by tho hcnvlns breasts from which they
took life, were torn from thorn without
warning or chanco for parting ombrooe?
We who have lost not and sat undis
turbed in our comfortablo homes with
loved ones assembled, cannot know the
agony which Is theirs, whoso sucoeasoa
havo been touched with their own life
blood, and whose oertltudes have been
sterped with acrimony. The mystery of
Justice Is more deeply Impressed upon our
minds and our hearts are scared with
tendercst sorrow.
Bwooplng down on holpless humanity,
this Insatlablo monster wreaked frenrted
devastation near and far and loft behind
an Impenetrable mass of wreckage strewn
with the maimed and dying, heartbroken
fathers and mothers, maniacal husbands
ami wiver, frantic brothers and sisters,
parentless sons and daushtors. Beglnnlnr
beyond the village of Ralston and ex
tending to tho banks of the Missouri
rlvfr on tho northeast of Omaha, Its
pillage Is ovcrywhoro apparent, and on
every s!do wo ere the rich and the poor
alike, homeless, pennlloss, cold.
Havoc and chaos are supreme, terror
unconfined. Picturo the vengeance with
which this demon marked our beautiful
city, when we seo magnificent mansions
and happy homes rent In twain, enormous
trees splintered and tornfrom tho bosom
of mother earth, and tender twigs driven
as If by magic through walls of atone.
Think how Insignificant the oonoaptloni
of human mind In the treadmill of eter
nal forces!
I write nut us one who endured the
horrors of this raging fury, but one who,
guided by some kindly fate, because of
ponderous and rolling clouds, refused to
go to the homo of n brother, which was
In Its pathway, lie left mo a, my door
not more than fifteen minutes beforo the
storm came, and I Etood nt my window
appalled and amazed.
No thought of self-preservation oanio to
me aa I watched with wondering mind
the advance of the funnel cloud, whoso
courao seemed directly toward me, and
as It dropped to earth, speeding forward
with untold fury. I could 'ate fie work-
Ings of destiny; human croations wero
laid low, and Indescribable objects filled
the vortex ot tho destroyer. It rushed j
onward nearer and while I stood trans- j
fixed 'with Inexplicable sensations'. It ,
veered and I was safe!
Lljhts were snuffed out and there re- I
malned naught to plerco th Impcnetra- I
ble gloom save the zls-rng of misfor
tune's handmaiden, as It flashed and re- i
flashed across the hovering curtain ot
solemn night, finding repose In desolation.
The enrth too, trembled as If dreadful
turmoil were concealed within Its bosom,
and dlro distress stifled Its heart throbs,
l'rotn out the blucKened deep rose the
moaning of Injuiid for succor, and the
walling of men. women and children for
deur ones gone. Hearts ot steel and true
bled with grief: the brave and noble were
at little children: rain fell In torrents,
and out In the awful void of darkness,
the thirst of tho stricken was slackened,
and the parched lips of the dying coaled.
Against the sombre heavens mounted
high the blood rud glow of cruel flames:
full formed and majestic rose the scene
of lntcrctable horror and nauseating phe
nomena; and chl'.llng night, with sepul
chral tread, shut down on w-'thlng forms.
ra!t!u.t luarthftones, nr.d liberated
souls What Irony of Fate! What mys
tortovi :-.:st'.i; tf !e?'.!hy!
All this and more, was proc'a'mrd by
the mantle of purest mow laid during
I the darkr.er?. In the lew ein upon which
ve have ccme. the problem that con
founds v ' life beyond tho tomb. Doe
nil end at c'.cnth? Consider then that
mother who. knowing the hopeltrsnri of
waging battle with powers of eiernlty.
clnsped her child to her bosom and
prayed fed ti lie taved. Tho Infuriated
stiit tn-clcmd r arced Inking with It her all
yet tltcy we-e tircuthed. !"hn called not
but Ho came: she asked not hut Ha gave
without cavil: utid In her hour of tragedy
ntul uti.'ow. llo was ee- near Her soul
kls-ixl ;v .inbe:nn from hetivee, nVread
! Its i epp'endenre and beauty afar, and
hiliiKlng rwrct music n:id Joyous rrnee
ITho gates of Immortality are ajar, and
she has paused within! What more per
fect answer can be ours!
Insuranoe Carried
on Tornado Losses
Being Promptly Paid
Insurance losses In the Omaha disaster
are estimated by experts to be approx
imately $1,000,00). while they put the total
loss at $7,000,000.
The looat agencies representing tho
companies which will pay the greatest
portion of the insurance claims are the
centers of the utmost pressure of busi
ness In adjusting losses and writing new
policies.
At the Foster-Barker compnny hun
dreds ot people visit the office dally,
while the phones are In constant use.
Ths Lovc-IIaskell company has all Its
adjusters at work and Is rn4.:ng the
emergencies presented with all dispatch.
Loscta aggregating over tlW,&00, most
of which has already been adjusted and
paid, are reported by the Martin Bros,
company, which company represents In
surance firms with aggregate assets ot
$900,000,000.
I , The Ttrrlcs Hound.
Conildsr the tase boll player who goes
' on the stage.
i Just n soon as the foot'lghts begin to
I look mitu?til he Is called back to thu
! field.
, At the end of tho bano ball season ho
I has fo 'gotten all ho knows about the
j staje. Th-n begins nil over again.
I Talk about tne 'n'lor of 8131'phus!
' But. of course. Bis dlilli t ha tho lure
I of the easy dollar to sustain him. Clcve
i land Plain Dealer.
Forty-socond and Harney StreoU, Looking Northwest, Dr. 11, A. Scnter Itcslrictico Second from Corner
y iim ii i
mm
If
Militia Patrol Boiling Coffee TOhUo on Doty
Klectrlo Garage, Fortieth and Farnam Streets
El m HHi
h msm wm
H
Nebraska's
H
OtT.6
arket
The convenient and central location of the South Omaha live stock market,
coupled with its modern and unequaled facilities for the prompt and effi
cient handling of live stock, has placed this market second in rank of number
of head of live stock received.
The live stock'shipper wishes the best of service after his live stock has been
. unloaded at the market, and in order to provide its patrons with the most
. modern and improved facilities tor the handling of their live stock, the
South Omaha market has expended, during the past four years, over One
Million Dollars for improvements.
sea
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