The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-07-08
STORM-SWEPT
VERNON UNDER
TROOP GUARD
Business Section Wrecked,
Several Injured When
Tornado Strikes.
COURTHOUSE DAMAGED
Terrific Wind Spreads Ruin
Over Wide Area; Floods
in North.

VERNON, Ind, July 8.-Residents
OF this small southern Indiana town
today began clearing away debris
lett in the wake of tornado which
ravaged the town Thursday, de-
molished the business section and
injuring several persons.
Townspeople still were marveling
today that no one was killed by the
terrific storm which left scarcely a
building unchanged.
Armed legionnaires and state DO
licemen, guarding lives and prop
erty, were to be aided today by
detail of national guardsmen, or
dered here to help remove debris
by Governor Harry G. Leslie, who,
with Adjutant-G General Paul G.
Tombaugh, inspected the ruins
Thursday night.
Without warning, the tornado
struck at noon. Roofs were torn
from buildings and carried long
distances, walls were removed from
houses and business buildings, en-
tire houses were moved some dis
lance, and century-old brick build
ings were crushed by the terrific
wind.
Roof Torn Off Courthouse
The wind storm struck the edge
of North Vernon, destroying the
Arthur Hutton barn and outbuild-
ings and damaging his home.
From there it moved to MuScata-
tuck state park, leveling cottages
and practically unroofing the park
hotel. The lighting system was
thrown out of service and many
trees on high ground were leveled.
Roaring on to Vernon, the storm
cut a swath three blocks wide
through the district surrounding
the courthouse, completely demol-
1shing some business buildings and
leaving none unmarked.
The courthouse, an Indiana land
mark, sustained damage estimated
at $4,000 when the roof was torn
away and windows broken.
Utility poles and wires were ripped
away by the screaming wind, tenn
porarily cutting off the town from
outside communication and delaying
calls for aid.
A heavy rain storm following the
tornado added to the general confu-
sion and suffering.
Police Rush to Town
First shock of the storm over
uninjured townsmen, working under
Sheriff Wilbur BanniSter and Mayor
Keil Wolfinger, feverishly dug into
the ruins, expecting to find many
dead.
Several state policemen reared
into the town. on motorcycles with
sirens shrieking almost before the
townSpeople realized the storm had
passed. Red Cross officials from
North Vernon also arrived quickly
to aid.
Town officials estimated fifty
homes were damaged by the storm
and about twenty-five families were
homeless.
MoSC seriously injured was Jack
Vaughn, Louisville (Ky.) salesman,
who was struck by bricks from
wall which collapsed. He had raced
ahead of the storm several miles
and thought he had reached safety.
He was taken to Madison hospital.
Factory Badly Damaged
Heavy damage was sustained by
the Vernon Furniture Manufacture
ing Co., the towns largest industry.
which manufactures swings and
furniture.
E. J. Welker, who ran four
blocks during the rain to the home
of his mother, Mrs. William Welker,
81, found Mrs. Walker, uniniured.
standing in the kitchen, the only
room in the home not unroofed
and filled with debris.
Mrs. Lucy Bolser, an elderly
woman, belfast, had been removed
from her bedroom a few minutes
before the storm struck. The bed
room was demolished, but the
kitchen, where she had been taken.
was not damaged.