The Washington times., 1925-03-19
Wind Carries Bodies
Of Children Miles;
Survivors Go Insane


two once thriving towns of $1,000
and $4,000 population, are but
scenes of tangled debris and
broken bodies today.
Proportionately to size, the vii.
lage Of De Soto, few miles to
the northwest of Murphysboro
probably suffered the greatest blow
from the tornado.
Formerly boasting 700 population.
De Soto could offer but $50 today.
and 80 per cent OF these were
MANNED and bruised. Two hundred
and fifty lives are said to have
been snuffed out In this little conn
munity alone, many of them VIC
tins Of fire that swept the ruins.
And what the storm failed to &C.
conplish, in destruction. fire swep.
through to annihilate. De Soto
was in ashes today. Sections Of
Murphysboro that escaped the
storm were ravaged by flames.
Stole battling at West Frank
fort stemmed. the advance Of tho
coHf1aRTattosi that broke out theFD
but not until heavy damage had
been inflicted.
It was this fiery aftermath that
gave birth 10 the reign OF horror
through the night.
THE storm itself delt It's death
strokes quickly It came In y
moment OF sudden midnight dark
ness late in the afternoon and
passed on within a few seconds.
Trapped And Burned.
But for the fires that followed,
rescue work !. might have bean
sirnpiified but in the first hours
after the tragedy, with only few
able bodied men in each stricken
town, the scenes Of human incinefa'
ton were indescribable,
Scores of men, women and chill.
dren, trapped and injured by fall
ing wreckage. screamed vainly for
relief, as flames devoured injured
bodies.
In almost every town and village
school children paid the greatest
price Hundreds of children met
quick death when the powerful
twister. surging forward on lnky
black clouds, engulfed Them in the
timbers and rock of village sch ools:
More than 100 pupils persisted at
De Soto alone, thirty died at Parrish.
scores more were claimed at their
desks in Murphysboro, West Frank
fort, Vergennes, Bushes. Logan and
rural buildings.
Bodies Blown Mile.
Bodies Of Murphysboro children
broken and bleeding were picked up
mile from the wreckage OF the
school where the storm had finally
reIinquished its prey.
The G. and E. I. railroad shops
at West Frankfort and the NJ. and
o. plant at Murphysboro were
completely wreacked.
De Soto perhaps contributed the
most heart.rending pathos Of the
catastrophe. Throughout the night
bruised and injured parents. by the
aid Of lantern light. poked and
searched the ruins of the De Soto
school where $50 pupils were trapped
and only three believed to have
escaped. =
The storm was 20 terrific at this
town that timbers were hurled ten
miles away to Duquoin. the first
town to give the alarm Jto the
world And while l.. B. Shelley
editor of the Duquoin Call, journey!
ed to De Soto with hastily organized
relief crews, his own son was
crushed When the high school col
Iapsed at Murphysboro.
Among the greater death blows,
800 miners were reported killed at
the famous Orient mine near Frank
fort, swelling that city's death list.
Scores Of persons who Witnessed
these maddening spectacles are re-
ported to have lost all reason and
remain hopelessly insane from the
shock.
Ten relief trains arriving from
Chicago, st. Louis end other points.
were instrumental in greatly ellevi-
ating the suffering as the day wore
on and those who staggered about
burning and cluttered streets through
the night, unmindful of bleeding
wounds and broken bones, were
treated and sent to the cities.
Red Cross workers, doctors and
nurses were exhausting first aid
supplies almost as fast az equipment
could be sent to the relief bases at
Benton and Duquoin, and at Muir
physboro. Gorham and West Frank
fort.
Tents augmented by improvised
hospitals in lodge, halls. garages.
churches. private homes. and, in
! fact, every available inch of shelter.
Loss May BE S5O.OOO,OOO
Property damage may reach $50,.
100000 with several Of the world 8