The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-03-25

munities OF London and New Lon
don, unincorporated hamlets, soon
were clogged with stream of We
hicles.
More than $1,000 persons assem-
bled at the scene in the next few
hours, either anxious over the fate
Of their relatives, to help in the res
cue work. or sightseeing.
Call Doctors and Nurses.
Every available ambulance, doc
tor. and nurse in all surrounding
towns were summoned by telephone
and radio. AS far away as from
Shreveport, La. came doctors and
nurses by airplane, sent by the
American Red Cross.
Thirty doctors and seventy-two
nurses, twelve OF them from the
Red Cross, came from Dallas. Ac-
companying them were twelve ann
balances, twenty-five embalmers,
and five hearses.
All sorts of vehicles-laundry
trucks, private cars. ambulances,
and what not-sped to the scene,
and were used to carry the bodies
away. But, with no one in author
ity and hundreds OF persons wrought
up to a frenzy, many OF the cars
soon were entangled in hopeless
snarl.
Because OF this situation, Cover
nor Alfred ordered all state high
way patrolmen on duty in the dis
| trict to hurry here and take COM
mand.
All available Texas Rangers and
highway policemen also were being
rushed there from Dallas, Houston.
Austin and Tyler. Fingerprint ex-
perts were sent from Austin on the
possibility they might assist in iden-
trying the bodies. many Texas
school children having been finger
| printed.
| Find Few Survivors.
Five hundred workers from the oil
fields arrived at the wrecked build
ing soon after the explosion and
leaped into the ruins. But there
were few survivors for them to res
cue, and their main work was car
| rying out bodies.
Later an additional 1000 men
went to work on the debris. In the
early stages they passed up the
bodies OF those obviously dead in the
hope OF finding those IA whom there
might be life.
| Three hundred and sixty bodies
were taken by ambulance, truck,
and every possible conveyance to
Henderson. Dozens OF other bodies
were taken to Kilgore, Overton, Ark,
Troup, Longview, and Tyler.
While waiting for the arrival OF
sufficient vehicles to move the great
number OF dead the bodies were car
ried from the wreckage and laid In
long rows on the lawn.
Mothers and fathers dragged the
bodies OF still more victims into the
school gymnasium until the vehicles
came back for more loads. There
the children and their teachers lay
side by side. many Of them unidenti
fled.
Few Injured VIII Live.
The superintendent, who saw ths
school disintegrate before his eyes
said that OF the ITO odd children anc
teachers believed to have been II
the building, not more than 100 es
capped death. Many of the injured
who were removed from beneath
the tons OF steel and concrete, HI
said, were SO badly injured tina
they could not live.
Most OF the younger children, at
tending the nearby grammar school
had been dismissed before the disas
ter occurred and were out of harm
way. Some were playing about tn
yard, however, and saw the schoc
building collapse.
Mrs. Evelyn Hooker, welfar
worker for Rusk county, in whic
, the school is located, and a frienc
Mrs. William c. Roberts, were dris
ing past the school at the time tn
explosion occurred.
II looked up" said Mrs. Hooker
!, "just in time to see the top of tn
building suddenly rise in the all
1t seemed that the whole buildin
moved up and the walls we're fun
!, out. A black pail of smoke appeare
!, to hover over the building.
! Clothing Torn on.
Then we saw the children. O,
|. was terrible. Some of the smallt
O ones, who must have been playir
g i'm the yard or were in the entrances
of the building, ran into the street
e They were bleeding and crying no
IS ribly. Their clothing had been toi
o off many of them"
A. w. Waldrop, physical educ
If ton teacher at the school, was CO
IS Quoting class in physical educ
a ton on the grounds shortly befo
1t the blast. He left the class nome
l. tarily to enter the building. i
n that moment the explosion @
l. Cured.
1t One OF the first to reach the see
" was r.. X. Carr, an employee
e the Underwater Associated.
dashed into the wreckage and ca
i, ried out the body of a little girl.