Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-16
Crief-T0rn School Blast T0,vn
Is Doing Its Best to Garry On
Masquerade of Cheer Is Only Shield to
Conceal Thoughts-Church and
Cemetery Main Assembly Places.

SliOpo AlSiS anu ollly a lS" llo"Cl < al
dens about some Of the homes A few
send up to Henderson and Livingston
on Saturday and get cut flowers to
decorate the graves for Sunday.
MY people have always been more
or less deeply religious" said Rev. H.
V. Sparkman, pastor of the New Lon
don Baptist Church "Of course, this
tragedy has driven them closer to the
church. People always turn to God
during such calamity We are not
having any Sunday school classes
these Sundays; hardly enough chill
dren are left in the community for
that And even If there were it would
be too hard on the parents. We will
resume Sunday school in q few
months.
L try to keep off of the subject
OF anything that would recall the
blast. I preach to them of the beau
tiful hereafter, try to Mstill in them
more the belief that God in His wis
dom always knows best. l tell them
that our children have not died in
vain-that they are better Off where
they have gone-that they will always
be happy and have no more worries
about death"
Scores Of tourists and others now
map their itinerary to include New
London. The townsfolk resent this.
I was standing on one of the corners
of what might (by a stretch of the
imagination) be called the heart OF
the settlement, when a car bearing
an Ohio license plate drew up and
the driver asked where the school
house was
All" remarked a 6-foot, middle
aged man.
you know, the school house where
all of the children were killed." re-
minded the driver.
over yonder is the cemetery, mis-
ter" the man replied, pointing off to
the northwest. He turned his back.
Seek Architect.
The leaders of New London, who
are the school board, about the only
body here that meets any more, are
trying to select an architect to rebuild
the blasted building. The board meets
IN the frame gymnasium that was I'M
touched by the blast The floors of
the building have been scrubbed so
white that large splinters protrude in
hang-naii fashion This was done to
remove bloody splotches from the floor.
1t was to the gymnasium that the
dead and dying were taken as rescue
work proceeded
If YOU have ever been in a coal-min-
ing town after a blast and saw or
felt how the people took the loss OF
their loved ones, you would know what
New London Is doing nowadays. 1t is
just trudging, not marching on. Most
every one here lost child or friend
All of the school teachers killed in
the blast boarded with the workers
Many of the families have asked
the Humble Oil & Refining Co., which
dominates here, to move them to other
parts OF the big field. They feel that
they cannot stay. Familiar land
marks bring up old, once happy, now
heart-breaking memories.
It isn't easy to find out things about
New London The people were sc
appalled, at the tragedy they coulc
not understand what photographers
| and other newspaper men wanted with
pictures and stories of their sorrow
In many cases they became indignan,
when pictures were taken of thei,
dead. their dying, their sorrowine
community.
You can only get picture OF thu
situation by standing around the store!
and watching and listening. Their
you can feel it through their attemp
| at conversation, their effort to steel
away from mention OF any tragedy.
Talk Of Tragedy Difficult.
Talking to the men of the com
munity about the tragedy and it!
aftermath is difficult But If you &
down to one Of the cemeteries you vii
understand.
These people were appreciative O
all the fine things which the work
said after the blast. They wer,
touched by the kilograms OF condo
lence from Gov. James v. Alfred, from
President Roosevelt. But that is al
over.
Now they are facing their hardes
task, trying to forget; trying to bolste,
up the spirit Of their womenfolk, o
the whole community.
When school was reopened twt
weeks after the blast and the rol
called, there were hundreds not pres
ent. Hes dead" some one woult
answer when q name was called. Othe
names called were also unanswered
Some Of these had quit school for tn.
term: others were still in the hos
pitfalls, still others had moved away.
Some who answered roll call wer'
in bandages, some on clutches. Thu
routine of school life will not be re-
sumed soon, although strong effort 1
being made to bolster their morale
Time heals many things.
(Copyright, 1887, b. the North American
AnS.~aa Hua