he tornado finally became almost like a mass of whirling steel,
revolving faster than the blades of the swiftest planer and cutting
everything to pieces in its course.

YUTAN A SUFFERER

The tornado first struck the little village of Yutan, southwest of
Omaha. Yutan was practically wiped off the map and its population of
four hundred left desolate. After the buildings had been razed the
wreckage caught fire. "The town is burning! We'll all be killed!" some
kept crying, and this added to the fears of the others. Many persons
were killed and many injured. Waterloo, a village of about equal size to
the northeast across the Platte River, suffered like damage. Wires were
snapped off in all directions, and it took many hours to gather and
circulate news of the disaster.

Leaving desolation behind it the tornado swept at a rate of possibly one
hundred and fifty miles an hour into Berlin. This little village had a
population of about two hundred. The storm killed seven and injured
thirty. The habitations were virtually wiped out. A church, an elevator
and part of the residence of State Senator Buck were all that remained
standing of what was a prosperous town.

THE TUMBLING HOUSES OF BENSON

On its way to Omaha the tornado struck Benson and Yutan. Benson is a
thriving town of over three thousand. Here property damage was great and
many persons were injured. As the houses began to tumble a little girl
dressed in white started from one of the houses and ran down the street
with her hands above her head. Just then the side of a house came
soaring through the air, and shooting suddenly downward it struck the
child and buried her beneath it. When the storm had passed, the injured
were lying all about the streets.

At Ralston, a suburb of Omaha, many were killed and much injury and
destruction left in the path of the tornado. Late in the afternoon a
copper-colored cloud was seen mounting toward the sky. The cloud grew
rapidly and was traveling at tremendous speed. It assumed the form of a
funnel and the air was filled with a curious, piercing noise. It swished
across the railroad track and swept on its way toward the little town.

Then the storm struck the town. Houses collapsed as though they were of
paper. The roofs went sailing away and the sides fell in. Passengers in
a passing train watched the destruction, and a cry of horror went up
from every one. It was an awful sight.

A farmer was standing on the doorstep when