Evening star., 1938-03-31
TORNADO CLAIMS
33 LIVES IN WEST
Hail and Torrentia| Rain
Storm Strikes Hardest
in Illinois.
Additional tornado neUs UiH be
found on Page A-3. Pictures on
Pages A-3 and AS.

By the Associated Press.
Five tornado-strafed Midwestern
States counted 80 persons killed and
nearly $50 injured today. Unoficial
estimates of the damage passed the
81 900 900 mark. Hundreds were home
less.
Known dead are:
Illinois: South Pekin-Mrs. Homer
Sellers. Elmer Montgomery, Mrs. Roger
Morris, wife of the postmaster: Hilco
johnson, Otis L. Freed. Ralph Temple,
Mrs John Houston and an unidentified
man. Astoria-Clyve Brilliant. IS, a
farmer Mount Sterling-Luther
Schwarzentraub, 16. Venice-Val
Stevens.
Kansas: Columbus-Mrs. Joe Grizzle
and her two daughters. Joan, 3, and
Barbara Sue, months; Jerry Lee
Grayson, 4: Mr.. and Mrs. Lewis Can
field, Buddy Palmer and Mrs. Clara
Garrison.
Missouri: Neeleyville-VindettaC Cor
nelius, Ed Stewart, Mrs. John McCor-
mick, 80, and 7-month-old daughter
of Mr.. and Mrs Ollie Maze. Stephens
John W. Allen, 81. Lebanon-Mrs.
Lola Coleman and Lee Roberts.
Arkansas: Heber Springs-Mr. and
Mrs. J. E. Dugger. Mrs. Goldie Dugger
and Mrs. Lige Garrett. Conway-Mrs.
]. Earl Lyons. Minturn-Mr. and Mrs.
Mitchell Baird and Mrs. Ada Kennedy.
Illinois Hit Hardest.
The twisting storms, laden with
hail and torrential rain, struck hardest
in Central Illinois, where at least IL
were known dead. Next hardest hit
was Southeastern Kansas, where seven.
including three children, were killed.
The Kansas storm struck about noon
western Missouri. Eight were known
yesterday. It started in Northeastern
Oklahoma: later knitted into South
dead in Missouri storms.
About sundown what apparently was
a separate storm twisted across Illinois
from the southeast. dipping to earth
IN the Pekin area. Rushville and
Astoria also were hard hit.
Another twister lashed at Heber
Springs, Ark, killing four persons.
Then it swung up through Southeast
ern Missouri, accounting for three of
Missouris dead at Neeleysville. An
earlier Arkansas blow had killed q
woman at Conway.
IS Injured in Illinois.
The 3-mile wide Illinois storm left
an estimated IS persons injured. Seven
OF the dead were at South Pekin.
Mrs. Roger Morris was killed when
her home was destroyed. Mrs. Homer
Suffers was picked up and tossed to
ner death as she stepped from
church, and Hilco Johnson, father of
six children, was killed when the wind
demolished a railroad roundhouse.
-Four others we're killed in and
around Pekin. At Venice, Val Stevens
was hurled from railroad trestle so
feet to his death.
Rushville was without light or te]e.
phone service.
Doctors and nurses were rushed to
Pekin, where more than $50 houses
were destroyed. The Pekin fire sta.
ton and the Chicago & Northwestern
Railroad depot and roundhouse were
demolished. About $50 passenger and
freight cars were strewn in fragments
alongside tracks.
Sheriff Mobilizes Deputies.
Sheriff Ralph Goar modified so
deputies for relief duty around Pekin
and the State highway patrol sent 81
men.
Total damage in Illinois was not
estimated, but Police Chief Paul
Smith Of Alton, where the storm
struck later, said damage there would
exceed 100000.
Columbus, Kans., bore the brunt of
the Kansas Oklahoma Arkansas
Missouri storm. All seven Kansans
known dead were killed there. A
strip 10 blocks wide was virtually
leveled. At least so buildings were
destroyed and 100 persons were in
jured.
Sheriff Fred Simkin of Cherokee
County said 200 families were home
less. He estimated damage at Colum-
bus at 100000, but other sources said
1t would be at least 100000.
Quick work by teachers saved 100
pupils at Highland Grade School in
Columbus. The building was virtually
wrecked. Near Chetopa, Kans.. Miss
Virginia Sappington led 20 pupils out
Of her rural school and ordered them
to lie In ditch. The building was
heavily damaged.