Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-18
II or More Are KILLED
As Tornado Sweeps
Detroit-Canada Area.
More Than 100 Injured;
Seurchers Comb Ruins
For Additional Victims
BY the Associated Press

DETROIT, June ia freak
June tornado struck viciously
last night into Southern Michi-
gan and adjacent Ontario, Can
ada, and left behind a death toll
of at least II and more than 100
injured.
Searching parties hunted through
a 100-yard path of devastation in
Canada for possible additional vics
Tins. The identified dead totaled
Is, but hospitals in the Windsor area
reported at least seven or eight"
other victims critically injured and
near death. Four were known dead
on the American side.
The search through the debris
began at the first streak of dawn
less than IL hours after the twister
roared across the Detroit River and
into a sparsely settled rural area
near Windsor.
At noon no additional bodies had
been reported found in the wreckage
of the twister. The search in the
Windsor area continued. About so
persons were reported still in hos
pitfalls on the Canadian side. In all,
it was estimated the injured toll
Appropriated 200, including those
only slightly hurt.
River Rouge, Mich, Detroit
suburb and home of the huge Ford
Motor Co. Rouge plant, suffered
the first shock of the tornado short
ly after pm, but Tiny Sandwich,
Ontario, bore the full fury of the
blast.
Hundreds Homeless.
Property damage was expected to
run into the millions of dollars.
Hundreds of persons we're home
less as the wind toppled their homes
like so many straws
Business establishments were
wrecked, autos tossed about like
playthings and bodies of the victims
were buffeted as the tornado
reached It's zenith.
The tornado, climaxing two days
of violent transforms in the area,
struck without warning.
Scores of residents of populous
River Rouge were at their supper
tables when it hit.
The Fisher low-cost housing
project was first to feel the fury
of the tornado which leveled 10
of the 546 units and caused severe
damage to others.
Small Fires Break Out.
At least IS project residents were
injured as the wind ripped build
ings as if they were made of
paper. Several small fires broke
out, adding to the panic.
The tornado, which Weather Bu-
reau officials said travelled more
than $50 miles an hour, tore on
through the business district OF
River Rouge, leaving a trail of de-
struction in its wake.
1t then zoomed across the Detroit
River, the suction of the tornado
creating four huge waterspouts
Coast Guardsmen said that as far
as they knew, no boats had been
damaged by the huge freaks of
nature.
The terrifying funnel, estimated
variously at from 20 to 100 feet at
the base, sucked nearly everything
in a 100-yard swath into its fatal
grip.
Runs Course in 10 Minutes.
Sandwich West, Sandwich East
and the outskirts of Windsor were
the Canadian communities which
recoiled under the full blast of the
tornado before it headed for Lake
st. Clair, where the Weather Bu-
reau said it dissipated.
The Weather Bureau said the
tornado ran its course in about 10
minutes.
But as the yellowish mass disap-
peared, both American and Cana
dian residents began to realize the
full extent of the disaster.
On the American side of the
border, all available police, fire.
men, ambulances, doctors, nurses
and Red Cross workers were pressed
into service to bring succor to the
stricken areas.
First reports did not indicate the
extent of the tragedy and down.
town Detroit, adjacent Windsor
(see TORNADO, Page AID