Evening star., 1932-03-22
HERO|SM FOLLOWS
IN TORNADO WAKE
Many Freak Conditions Also
Are Wrought by Strong
Winds.
BY the Associated Press.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, March a.
Out of the confusion following the
death-dealing tornadoes that lashed
Alabama yesterday and last night, many
strange sights presented themselves to-
day and stories of heroism were plenti-
full.
There was little time for story tell
ing, however, as neighbors went about
the grim business of helping rehabili-
tate friends, caring for those who were
injured, and identifying the dead.
Scenes reminiscent of war days were
enacted at Northport, hardest hit Of
all. National Guardsmen patrolled the
ruins and no one was allowed to enter
without a permit.
Phone System Set Up.
A telephone system was set up by
the GuardSmen and headquarters were
established in the Northport City Hall.
Lines were strung across the Warrior
River to a hotel in Tuscaloosa, where
O second headquarters Office was set up.
Students at the university were press
ed into service and Joined in the search
for the bodies of additional victims be-
ieved to be buried in the debris. AS
the students conducted systematic
search, they were followed by county
convicts who set to work cleaning up
the area. --...
Druid City Hospital in Tuscaloosa was
overrun and the University of Alabama
gymnasium was turned into an emerg-
ency station. University students did
heroic work in miniStering to the IN
jured.
After the last of the dead and in
tured were removed from the ruins last
night. the rains stopped, the CLOUDS
lifted and a full moon broke through
to cast eerie shadows about the gaunt
remains of what were homes q rev
hours before.
Roofing Carried Away.
Huge strips Of corrugated roofing
were driven through the air and
wrapped around trees and telephone
poles like pieces of paper. The early
night was lighted by the flames OF
half-a-dozen homes which caught from
kitchen stoves.
A big white bulldog sitting in torn
and twisted automobile presented pa
thetic picture. He looked neither to the
right nor left and barred his teeth to all
who approached.
one of the heaviest tolls was taken
IN a stable on Main street, in Northport,
where six persons were killed after TAX
ing refuge there Among the victims
were Mr.. and Mrs. Ebb Shirley who
lived next door.
r. B. Ray, one of the owners of the
stable. was inside when the tornado
struck. He grabbed the hand OF VIII
bur Snyder, who chanced to fall
lengthwise, and was unhurt, but Ray
was crushed to death by falling rafters.
Ray still clasped his hand IN death,
Snyder said.
Many residents of Northport saw the
twister coming and making noise
s'like racing automobiles" It was black
and moved slowly, they said, and at
times seemed to stand still, then
move on.
Country Club Wrecked.
The Tuscaloosa Country Club was
wrecked and huge trees were uprooted
and strewn over the golf course like
so many bushes.
Two men among the injured at Clan
ton were carried to Thorsby, miles
away. for treatment, and just as they
arrived there the twister doubled back,
cutting wide path through the town.
They were spared on its second visit.
At Columbiana an emergency hospi-
tai and morgue were established In an
abandoned court house. The town was
plunged into darkness and the only
lights to be seen were three overhang-
ing oil lamps, which f1ickered and
swayed in the old court house.
Wilbur B. Lyon of Columbiana gave
q vivid description Of the tornado which
struck there.
Huge timbers 200 feet in the air told
me it was twister," he said. "It
played havoc with houses like they were
match boxes" a
Herbert L. Kindred, American Air
way pilot, and his co-pilot, P. j. Haire,
told of a narrowing experience in bat
Ting through 60-nile headwinds from
Jackson, Miss, to Birmingham. Their
ship passed over Northport few min
utes after the tornado struck
Kindred said their big tri-motored
plane was lurching so they were almost
thrown from their seats. Luckily, there
were no passengers.