Evening star., 1937-03-20

funeral had been planned originally
for an undetermined number. A con-
siderable number already had been
sent to various parts Of the country.
Comparatively few Of the victims
were children Of families with long
time ties here. The oil boom Of $780,
81 which developed this community
and the school plant as we'll, called
them here from all parts Of the
Nation.
Grieying kin prepared burial places
near the derricked slopes Of the world 5
largest oil belt for many Of the pupils
and teachers. Henderson ordered free
burial plots to families Of victims who
needed them. Permanent care Of the
graves without charge also was prom
ised.
Many oil companies assured they
we're taking care Of employees" Those
same companies threw all their trucks,
cranes and men into the vast rescue
work, virtually ended yesterday.
Merele Gruver, Chamber of Com
merce official at Henderson, said oil
wealthy Rusk County 4ieeded no money
to treat the injured ard bury the dead,
but e-ch donation will go to worthy
cause.
1T will be given" he said ito the
sorrowing parents to help them pro-
vide educational opportunities for their
other children-those who have chill
| dren left"
Identifying Work Slow
The anguish-hlled task of Identify
ing and counting the dead proceeded
at such slow pace that indications
were more than a week must elapse
before it is completed thoroughly.
Most bodies were mangled badly and
may never be identified.
One of the pathetic figures at the
Overton Amrican Legion Hall, a
temporary morgue, was a father who
was shown piece by piece the torn
clothing of boy victim. Finally he
was handed a pair of worn shoes
That's my boy" he gasped. Il soled
the shoes myself"
The powerful force of the blast was
| indicated by the experience OF Mrs
Tom Parmley, playground supervisor
| who said it appeared to last two
minutes
Il was about 20 yards in front of the
school building when 1t started" she
said
| When it was over, was under the
back seat of an automobile and there
some bricks on the top of the seat. 1t
was just one big, llg boom and then
| the downfall"
Mrs. G. w. williams. an officer OF
the American Legion Auxiliary al
Henderson, found it difficult to bear
out the role of Sunshine" the name
by which intimate friends know her
1t was her duty to lead parents down
rows Of covered bodies at a morgue
there and lift the sheets in an effort
to identify the dead.
Teacher Saved IS Pupils.
Mrs. Odell Garry, the dark-haired
heroine who saved 95 pupils by quick
thinking, was reticent in talking about
it today.
She would say only:
When the walls and ceiling began
to fall in, I told the pupils to get under
their desks and I got under mine
Some Of them got under my desk with
me. There were about s5 in the room, u
News of the tragedy brought consol-
ing word from all over the world
messages Of sympathy from France
Egypt Italy, Japan, Mexico, Venez-
uela, Haiti, Cuba and England. Every
State in the Union offered condolences
Such Government officials as Harold
L. Ickes, Interior Secretary, offered
every aid within their power.
Admiral Cary T. Grayson, chairman
of the American Red Cross, placed
the full resources of that organization
at the call of Gov. Alfred.
Taking Her Home"
Burial Of the dead inserted many
tragic note.
A decrepit truck limped slowly along
Dallas streets, rough pine box pro.
truding from the rear. At the front
almost obliterating the license tag
was crude sign which read:
Funeral"
The word was misspelled, but De.
tectives Larry Knight and Ed Preston
suspected what it meant.
Where to7" the officers asked.
"West Texas"
WAS it the explosion?"
Yeah"
And ?"
| I'm taking her home"
"I was in France in the Argonne,
Detective Knight said later. But
this-well, this Is different"
Two thousand human beavers dug
away more than 100000 pounds Of
rock and steel in less than "a hours
in the search for the victims.
ut was one Of the fastest, most
marvellous clearing Jobs I've evel
seen," said Ross Maddox, general con.
tractor for the building when it was
erected four years ago.
His figures showed 8 tons Of rein.
forcement steel, Q tons Of structural
steel and 1900 yards Of concrete
figuring $500 pounds to the yard
were used in the building.
Oil field wtrkers-hastily recruited
from derricks all over the vast East
Texas area-thus carried away about
100000 pounds an hour, working tn
shifts Of approximately 1000 men.
They worked until completely ex.