Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-07
&C PERSONS PERISH.
IN TEXAS TORNADO.
Death-DeaIing Winds Strike
in Widely Separated Sec
tionS of State.
Continued From First Page.)

County, probably suffered the greatest
loss of life and property. Twenty-slX
persons were killed and the entire bust
ness district was virtually demolished.
OF Frost's population of 600 half
were homeless. Streets were blocked
with debris torn from wooden and
brick buildings Automobiles were
tossed about like toys. One street was
almost blocked with automobiles that
had been in a dealers window.
Most of the white dead at Frost were
taken to Hillsboro and Corsicana as
fast as ambulances could reach them
over muddy roads. One wrecked build
ing was cleared and bodies of colored
persons, wrapped in sheets, were laid
in rows to await burial.
Throughout the night the Corsicana
Salvation Army and womsn from that
city served coffee and sandwiches to
the rescue workers.
Many of Dead Are Mexicans.
Many of the dead in the southern
part of the State were believed to be
Mexican farmers. The twister struck a
rich farming country midway between
Nordheim and Runge and cut a path
about $50 yards wide, but 10 miles long.
At the edge of Goliad County 1t lifted
and passed out into the Gulf of Mexico.
Heavy, low hanging clouds darkened
many cities in the State. A sandstorm
and snowstorm was reported in west
Texas early in the afternoon. Several
inches of rain fell in Central Texas and
the wind did much damage, no esti-
mate of which could be obtained.
Kennedy, 10 miles from Runge, report
ed IL deaths, but it was believed some
at least of the fatalities there were &C
ro,,pfad fOr IN the RllnPP list.
Outstanding heroines of the disaster
were Miss Lois Rogers and Miss Mile
Yarbrough, teachers in the public
school at Frost.
Seventy-five panic-stricken children
were in the building. Realizing that
to remain in the frame structure prob
ably would mean death, the teachers
herded their charges into nearby
field. From reclining positions on the
ground the children, who were UNI
harmed, watched the school house while
it was torn into bits.
Persons at Frost said the town was
struck by two tornadoes. travelling Is
minutes apart.
League Wooley, seeing the cloud APP
preaching, hurried to the school house
and took his child home. The storm
struck the residence and Wooleys wife
and the child were killed. Children
at the school were uninjured.
Fire broke out in Frost, but soon was
placed under control. Twelve men
saved their lives by entering bank
vault.
From Nordheim, which was fairly
successful In establishing outside COM
munication after Southeastern Karnes
County was swept by a tornado, came
reports of 20 dead and more than 40
injured,
Most of the dead were Mexican ten
ants and their families on Karnes
County farms, caught in their homes
as they were preparing the evening
meal.
Randolph Field Struck.
The storm evidently was the same
cloud which earlier in the afternoon
had struck the edge of Randolph Field,
the new Army airdrome II miles east
OF San Antonio.
Randolph Field borders Cibolo Creek,
which flows into the San Antonio River,
| and the cloud evidently followed the
Cibolo valley southwark until near its
| junction with the San Antonio River,
| then turned eastward.
1t struck a rich farming country
almost midway between Nordheim and
Runge and cut a path only $50 yards
wide, but 10 miles long. At the edge
of Goliad County it lifted and passed
out into the Gulf of Mexico.
In Runge vacant house became an
emergency hospital and in Nordheim
| two Offices we're used for the same
purpose. Townspeople contributed cots
and bedding, while physicians hurried
| from Kennedy, Yorktown and Cuero, the
latter 80 miles northeast of Runge.
OF 80 reported injured at Nordheim,
only six were expected to die.