Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-03
RYE COVE DEBRIS
MAY HIDE VICTIMS
Several Children Missing,
With Known Death Toll of
IS at School.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
RYE COVE, Va, May 3-Grief-strick-
en- parents searched the debris Of the
Rye Cove Consolidated School today,
fearful Of finding additional victims of
the tornado that yesterday claimed the
lives of IA children and one teacher in
the greatest disaster ever known to this
Western Virginia mountain village.
Several children were reported miss
ing early today, and because Of the
wide area from which the school drew
its students, no complete check was
possible.
Some Blown Away.
Caught without warning as they were
re-entering the two-story frame school
house after the noon recess, some Of the
children were blown 100 yards and 9TH
ers buried in the wreckage when the
building was demolished by the storm.
Great confusion followed the tornado.
Anxious fathers worked feverishly in the
ruins, their anxiety intensified because
many injured children had been hur-
riedly taken to hospitals before the
parents arrived.
Mrs. Mary Darnell, mother of two
girls. could not learn the fate Of her
children for more than four hours after
the storm. She broke down when told
that one of the children, Bertha Mae
Darnell, was dead and that the other
daughter, Hattie. could not be found.
The body of Miss Ava Carter, a
teacher, was found rs yards from the
school. The body of Polly Carter, IA
was carried so yards.
155 in Attendance.
A. S. Noblin, principal of the school
estimated that about 155 pupils were
in attendance, in addition to the eight
fteachers. Noblin lost consciousness
seriously injured.
About Is children, the most seriously
| injured, were taken in ambulances tc
Bristol and Kingsport, while other were
sent by automobiles, trucks and wagons
| to the nearest railroad station al
Clinchport, where train was converted
into movable hospital to take them to
| Bristol. Twenty-seven children were
| transported to Bristol on this train.
| The scenes on the train were pa
| thetic. Many small boys and girls suf-
! fered in silence and bore with Stoica
calm their broken arms and legs. Some
| feebly attempted 10 carry on conver-
sations with their attendants and one
small girl tainted from the pain of g
broken leg when placed in an ambu-
lance. Identification tags were pinned
to the children.
Because of the isolation of Rye Cove
| it was more than two hours before ale
could reach the stricken area over the
mountain roads.
j. M. Johnson, a farmer, was stand
| ing on the mountainside when the
storm struck and watched its progress
| for three miles.
! \ Teacher Tells Of Storm.
"The school building" johnson said
vanished in a moments time. YoU
could see it going down the valley. i
ripped apart and rain of lumber anc
debris began"
I'VE had just started classes aftel
the noon recess when 1 saw the storm
coming up the valley" Miss Elizabeth
Richmond, one of the teachers, said
THE cloud alarmed me, but I sale
nothing to the pupils; not wishing tc
cause them uneaSineSS.
The wind velocity increased rapidly
to a very high degree with loud howl
ing noise. 1 was on the second floor.
suppose it was only few minutes aftel
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