Evening star., 1927-04-13
SO of Bodies Recovered From
Debris Identified-ReSCue
Parties Fear Larger Toll
as Search Continues.
RELIEF WORK DELAYED
BY FLOODED HIGHWAYS
Survivors Administer to Injured
Until Aid Reaches Isolated Com
munity on Plains-Fire De-
stroys Buildings That With
stand Disastrous Windstorm.
Rr the Associated Press.


tornado that struck this inland town
last night took a toll of at least g.
lives and injured about $50 persons,
some probably fatally. The twister
was the most disastrous in this sec
ton of the State.
Sixtv-two bodies had been recovered
from the ruins of the town before noon
today, SO OF which had been identified
Of the injured, 20 were expected to
die before night.
Most of the unidentified dead were
Mexicans.
Relief workers took possession of
the town early this morning and more
were arriving.
The town was lashed into ruins in
few minutes by twlster from the
Northeast. which razed all except
few buildings, roaring down a two
mile path.
Auto Salesman Rescues Dying.
The usual sardonic pranks of the
"twister" were in evidence. A baby
was hurled so feet through the air
and landed safely, almost gently. T.
K. Newell, an automobile salesman, in
the midst of the wind, rushed into
the splintering Valentine Hotel to
save whomever he might. He con-
tinued to extricate dying and injured
after the hotel was in ruins.
The storm came from the northeast
with little or no warning just after
dark, according to survivors.
Few buildings were left standing as
the tornado howled on into the black
ness.
Fire Follows Storm.
Fire broke out soon after and the
post office and a restaurant. two OF
the shells still withstanding the wind,
were burned.
Relief workers, including physicians
and nurses, from San Antonio ana
Kerrviue and a detachment OF troops
from Fort Clark were delayed in ar
Ffving with aid on account Of storm
damaged roads.
After the tornado passed two WON.
en-, neighbors for many years, lay side
by side. One, on the verge of uncon-
sciousness, asked:
Are you sleeping well?'
"I'Il be sleeping in minute.
She died with the last word and
her companion lapsed into uncon-
sciousness.
Town Had 500 Population.
With population of 500, Rock
snrings. center of a sparsely settled
goatraising section in southwest
Texas, is one of the most isolated
towns of the State. 1t is located on
a rocky dome of 1000 feet elevation,
highest county seat in Texas east OF
the Davis Mountains
ONLY the native stone construction
of many Of it's buildings is believed
to have saved the town, so openly
exposed, from complete razlng.
Camp Wood, terminus of the
Uvalde and Northern Lumber Line, is
the only railway point within 20 miles
W of Rocksprings, which has no very
good highway connection, either.
Hope For Supplies Soon.
Swollen streams and muddy high
wavs DELAYED trucks and automobiles
loaded with food, medical supplies and
bedding. Streams that had hamper
ed rescue workers were on the wane
this morning, however, and it was
hoped the relief supplies would reach
the stricken community this after
noon.
AnbuIances from Junction, Kerr
vile, Del Rio and other nearby points
were conveying the injured to Camp
Wood, 20 miles south, to an emer-
gency hospital. located in theater.
Additional ambulances were expect
ed from San Antonio.
The ruins of Rocksprings were
crowded with strange faces today
the people that southwest Texas had
sent to succor the survivors. At least
100 of these were doctors and nurses,
headed by DR.. w. A. King of San
Antonio, who was among the first TO
reach the scene.
Fire Chief j. G.. Sarran and Chief
of Police T. o. Miller of San Antonio
were with him.
Bodies Badly Mutilated.
Rescue work, disorganized i'm
mediately after the storm, was pro-
ceedng swiftly under a sun that
warmed the chill of a mother. The
> dead had been removed from the
debris and assembled at one of the
two morgucs. Some of the bodies,
however. were mutilated beyond
recognition
Fire for a time this morning
threatened TO add to the tornado
tragedy. The remains of the post
office and restaurant We're ignited
and sent flames TO the debris sur
rounding them. Efforts OF the fire
fighters We're futile until rain. like a
blessing from the heavens, ended the
blaze before it had added materially
to the misery Of the morning.
Less Than 10 Buildings Left.
The twister swept out of the north
east, striking this little plateau town
located about 1000 feet above sea
level. soon after dusk. The town suf
fered the brunt OF the blast. was
cleared a space OF four miles square
Less than 10 buildings were left stand
ing.
First word of the night of horror
was carried to the outside world by
Gladys Lowery, telephone operator
who stuck to mn improyised telephone
hooked into a broken line near town.
A Red Cross relief train that set out
early today from san Antonio was
still at Uvaldo, IS miles south of Rock
springs today. Ambulances piled bach
and forth over muddy roads between
the two towns, while the tracks Of {
narrow gauge lumber line 10 Camr
n Wood, 81 miles from here. were sound
Continued on Page 5, Column A.