Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-06-17
z OKLAHOMA
TOWNS RAZED;
DAMAGE HUGE
Few Walls Standing in
Blair; Hedrick De-
molished, Rep orts
From There Aver

MANGUM. QkIa., June l6.-tFs-
Four known dead, two others injured
probably fatally. and about 25 others
hurt was the toll taken by a storm
which demolished the town of Blair,
10 miles southeast of here, early to-
night.
Dir. Fowler Border. mayor or Man
gum, reported the following dead.
ELMER CASTLE, grocery man.
Blair.
MRS. GEORGE ROGERS, milliner.
A BOY NAMED SMITH.
L. c. CANN.
Mrs. Cam was reported near
death, and sixth person whose
name was not given was reported
dying. Two ambulances had gone
TO Blair from Mangum, but had not
returned late tonight.
j. r. Fogle, mechanic for n trans
fer company, was in a hospital here,
suffering from head and internal in
juries.
Physicians at Snyder. reported Ia
have been in the storm area. tele-
phoned Mr.. Border there had been no
casualties there.
0VhALrAbH NttAUM
The tornado, which swept from
Blair to beyond Headrick, wrecked
both towns and devastated farm
land in a path three miles wide and
30 long. Every business building
IN Blair town was demolished and
most of the residences were blown
70 pieces.
Not a structure in the town o..
capped damage.
Casualties, il any, in the town OF
Headrick, and in the farm houses
ieveled by the tornado, were not
known late Saturday night, 20 great
was the confusion into which the
country had been thrown by tho
storm.
All lines % communication were
destroyed. and roads, barricaded
with DEBRIS, were impossible for
some time after the passage Of the
disturbance.
Few Walls Stand
The tornado was attended nv "A
dense sandstorm, which made diff
cult the piecing together of accounts
Of what happened. Rain accompan-
led the disturbance, which lasted
about ten minutes.
Only q few walls remained stand
ing at Blair, among them part of
the building occupied by the First
National bank. Parts Of wooden
buildings, reduced to kindlinr wood.
Uttered the landscape.
Relief agencies at Altus sent OUT
field workers and were preparing IN
care Tor homeless, who will number
many hundreds, and who will have
10 De furnished food and other ne
cessities- Most Of them lost all their
possessions.
Tom Bellows. Blair real estate
dealer was standing in the door of
= care when the tornado twisted into
the town. He said hc heard " girl
scream. After the storm he discov-
cred that every part Of the build
ing, except the doorway in which he
was standing, had been demolished
ana swept away. he was unhurt.
Miraculous Escapes
a man named Massie NJ Blair was
III hls automobile when the blast
struck. While Massie was in the
car u was turned over three times
and landed in a ditch. He also es-
capped injury.
w. u. Bell, travelling man, was
on the highway ten miles east Of
Blair lie reported his car wrecked.
but ne was not hurt.
Two men inside "A brick building
at Blair owe their lives ~ "A store
counter. They crouched under ~
when the screaming Of the wind
gave the alarm. Five feet Of brick
was piled on them, but the counter
neid and they were not injured.
information was slow coming IN
from Headrick, three and M haIf
miles southeast on Blair. AL Head
rick, II n. Massey appeared after ths
storm with the steering wheel w
an automobile in his hand. He said
the tornado hit when he was three
miles from Headrick, blew him and
the steering wheel of his touring cav
and demolished the car. He said he
was unable 20 find a piece w III.
Damage Not Counted
Extent Of the damage and pnsrihIa
casualties in the farming countrv
visited by the tornado was unknow5
Saturday night, in the absence 81
reports from numerous relief exne-
ditions- IL was learned that the Iina
Of damaged farm houses had been
traced 20 within two miles w Snv-
Continued On page twol