The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-04-07
TUPELO'S TOLL.
RISES TODAY.
TO 2D6 DEATHS.
Fear 10 to Is More Bodies
Will Be Recovered in
Mississippi Ruins
MANY BODIES ARE
FOUND In RESERVOIR
Copyright, 1886, United Press)

Copyright, 1886, United Press)
TUPELO, Miss, April 7. CUP
Disease and exposure extended
the devastation of Sundays tor
nado today. To four deaths
among 1900 injured persons last
night, increasing the storms death
toll to 206, authorities feared they
would have to add 10 to 25 more.
Gov. Hugh White took personal
command of National Guardsmen
and relief agencies attempting to
rehabiliate 1000 homeless per-
sons while work parties still dug
in great mounds of debris for
bodies possibly yet unbound and
physicians and nurses still minis
tered to the injured in crude en-
Urgency hospitals.
The National Guardsmen Ell.
forcing martial law under civil
authority, arrested several men
for looting and instituted a mill
tary pass system for residents OF
the devastated area-almost two
thirds of this city of $500 per-
sans.
A Red Cross airplane was ell
route to Tupelo from Washington
with medicines and new man.
power to fight the threat of dis,
ease inherent in a contaminated
and Inadequate water supply. A
snac;al train already had brought
all the available physicians and
nurses from Memphis.
Electric lights were re-estab-
lished last night before, the early
darnkess of a rainy day blottea
out the horrors visible at every
turn, "a 1oars after the tornado
struck. .
In the fitful illumination of
bare electric globes swinging III
the rain from emergency rigging
scarcely q pole was left stand
ing in the storms path-laDor
parties turned over wreckage all
nightin search of bodies.
Scenes in the emergency hos
pitfalls were appalling. In vacant
store rooms physicians sterilized:,
stitched and dressed injuries OF
hundreds for whom there was no
room in normal hospitals. Only
the most critically injured; 20 or
80, could be given the sanitation
and rest necessary to insure sale
tv in treatment of their wounds.
One of the most common inJurl-
es was that of scores of persons
struck by storm driven splinters
that imbedded themselves in the
flesh. One United Press CORES
pondent saw a woman impaled by
a splinteded porch pillow.
The Lee county courthouse was
the chief hospital. Men, women
and children lay in rows on the
floor, on desks, and on chairs
placed side by side. Few had ade-
quate coverings.
Governor White brought assur-
ance from the war department
that the army would supply tents
for the injured today and enough
more to house all the homeless
population tomorrow. =. :,
Most important of the medical
corps work in the estimation OF
physicians, was innoculation OF
every person in the city with anti
toxins to protect them against
typhoid fever, diphtheria and
tetanus. National Guar d m e n
were ordered to shoot, if neces-
sary, to keep the reckless away
from polluted water sources:
Several bodies, mostly of ne
groes, were tai en- from the city
reservoir and workmen dragged it
again today in quest OF others;
Even after the water is declared
safe. authorities said. it may be
several weeks before broken water
mains and house plumbing will be
adequate again to serve the city.
Several cases of illness, includ-
ing dysentery and intestinal forms
Of influenza, already were ascrib-
cd to use of contaminated water.