The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-03-17
.TORANDOES KILL
MANY ITS WAKE
tcontlnuea from Pare y

WIS AAGtNA avg A&WHA ~ NNAAAA NNaANHt
seven dead and 400 injured IN the
area around Grenada, two dead ct
Csella, three ct Coffeyville and the
rest in the numerous Isolated areas
around Greenwood and Baldwin.
The Mississippi storm which came
with no more warning than the
usual season hluster Of March winds,
struck between 4 p. m. and 5 p. m.
yesterday, the typical tornado
hour. II first hit around Green
wood In northwestern Mississippi
then moved southwark.
The Tennessee tornado, which APP
parently was q different one, hit In
the west central part Of the state.
Mrs. Jessie Findley Anderson, mo-
ther-in-law Of oscar Johnston, pres
ident Of the National Cotton Coun-
Gil, was one Of the first to see the
Mississippi twister. She said she
was on 0 train, going from TIA Bean
to Greenwood when she heard the
roar Of the storm above the noise
of the locomotive.
Buildings Just exploded In O ball
Of fire as that twister hit them," she
said.
Floatcd Like Feathers
w. II. Newman, conductor on the
train, said It was raining hard, and
rubbish and big timbers were
floating around like feathers" "A
big black cone" he said, dipped
down and touched o Negro cabin.
It disIntegrated with O roar and o
big yellow fash"
Five automobiles, all occupied,
were lifted from the highway near
Greenwood and dumped into the
Tallahatchie river. Three had been
recovered, but no bodies had been
found. At least six persons were IN
the automobiles, authorities said,
two Of whom were prominent citi-
zens OF Greenwood.
One woman, whose automobile was
not blown Off the road, said the
wind lifted the hood from the mo-
tor and hurled It through the wind
shield, over her head, into the back
Of the automobile.
Thirty minutes later, another
storm, perhaps the back lash"
\ struck Greenwood, residents said.
Gnerada, Miss, was struck at DOL
.. M, and the twisting funnel cut q
path 100 yards wide and q half mile
long before skipping into Water
Valley, Miss, and housekeeping to
Michigan City, thence across the
Tennessee line. Seliner and Licking
ton In Tennessee were struck, and
IA persons killed. .
Baldwin, Miss, 20 miles north OF
Tupelo, reported that II had TWO
tornadoes, The first killed at least
six persons and injured 10, 10 OF
them critically. The second inflicted
no casualties, but II unroofed or
wrecked churches, dwellings and 20
per cent OF the business section.
Grenada Hit Hard
But the worst damage was a.
Grenada. The town was without
lights and water, and for hours With
out telephone and Geographic COM
inunication. Big gasoline storage
tanks were wrecked, and police set
Boy Scouts to guard them and warn
citizens not to strike matches,
SIX were known to have been
killed and more than $50 injured at
Grenada. The town hospital was
filled and O community hall pressed
into service as an emergency hos
pital. Sixteen nurses and 20 physi-
clans were rushed from Memphis TO
treat the victims by lamplight.
The tornado barely missed the
Grenada hospital. Trees within 20
yards OF II were leveled, as II by O
giant scythe.
Conditions almost as bad were re-
ported at Water Valley, Miss, where
rs TO 100 were injured. Darkness and
torrential rain, which fell in almost
all OF the stricken communities
hampered rescue work
Over 20 Killed
Chicago, March 17.-(UPl--Rescut
workers modified In Illinois, IN.
diana and Kentucky today TO AID
homeless victims Of tornado which
killed more than 20 persons.
Houses were leveled, trees uproot-
ed and communication lines felled
around communities In eastern IL
linois near Champaign and Dam
Vile, In north central Illinois north
OF Peoria, In northern and central
india, and In southwestern Ken
lucky.
The tornado struck at noon yes
terday In eastern Illinois and left O
known death toll Of II In o dozen
wrecked villages. Five hours later o
tornado swept over Lacon, q town
OF 1900 near Peoria, killing at
least six persons and injuring six
others critically.
Ten Dead Here
Ten were killed In or near Hrowd.
or, KY, q coal mining community
and ope In Paradise, near by. Both
are In Muhlenberg county. There
were 81 injured persons In the hos
pital OF 0reenville. At Leitchheld
northeast OF Browder, three were
killed and % were injured. Coroner
Jess 3. Tucker Of Muhlenberg coun-
" expected the toll TO be larger be-
cause communications were disrupt
cd and several communities hadn't
been heard from.
High winds ripped roofs from
homes and buildings at Shelbyville,
In central Indiana, causing heavy
damage. Two persons were injured
AT Goshen, In northern Indiana, at
least two, and perhaps four, were
killed when another storm struck.
Fifty were reported injured, six
critically.
Authorities OF Lacon reported SO
homes and o church destroyed.
Nearly 100 homes, the high school
and courthouse suffered damage.
The tornado missed the business
district by only one block.