Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-04-21
Dead in Texas City
Will Be at Least SIS,
State Official Says
BY the Associated Press

TEXAS CITY, Tex, April 21.-Roy
Wade, official of the Texas Depart
ment Of Public Safety, announced
today that the explosion dead in
this sorrowtng coastal city now
totals AL and said the death list
will total not less than SITS.
Mr.. Wade. administrative assistant
TO Col. Homer Garrison, chief of
the Texas agency, said 295 persons
still are missing and 1872 victims re-
main unidentified.
Mayor J. C. Trahan treasured
Texas City that there was no danger
OF new explosions from leaking
naphtha gas.
He said that gas in a naphtha
tank near the town had been
pumped below a leak in the con-
tainer and that there is no danger
TO Texas City. residents. If anything
happens it will only be burning of
that tank and nothing else"
Mayor Attacks Red Cross.
Earlier Mayor Trahan had criti-
eized the Red Cross for it's handling
Of relief activities in the blast-torn
town. A Red Cross official. how
ever, assured him that the organi-
zation was doing everything possible
to aid victims.
Thirty-five bodies were recovered
yesterday, tie majority from the
torn steel and debris in the 70-acre
blast area.
A Red Cross list posted Saturday
listed $50 persons presumed dead,
but at Red Cross headquarters in
Galveston yesterday an official said
19 persons listed as dead had been
found alive.
Mayor Trahan told Gerald Yves
selius of st. Louis, local director Of
the Red Cross activities, that the
real relief that has been given to the
people of Texas City has not come
from the Red Cross"
The Mayor called on Mr.. Wesselius
10 tell him that too many people
are coming to the City Hall to tell
US that they have appealed to the
Red Cross for aid and that help has
been denied them
Mr.. Wesselins answered: Il don't
ALlCN VI CITY GuIll CdoCrS' llt AVA
Cross is here to do everything pos
sible to help victims Of this explo-
sion. We are here to attend to
emergency needs of all kinds, food
clothing, shelter. medical attention
I'm disaster situation of this
kind there are bound to be mistakes
made. People are not normal un-
der a pressure situation. There is
bound to be a lot of erroneous
thinking and misquoting. We are
certain to make some mistakes and
We are always glad to rectify them.
Coast Guard Probe Continues.
A Coast Guard investigation into
the cause of the explosion of the
nitrate laden French freighter
Grandcamp was to continue today
at Galveston. II miles from here.
The explosion of the Grandcamp
touched off a chain of blasts that
destroyed three ships. the Mon
santo Chemical Corp plant and
damaged a ma iority of the city. 1t
started huge fires. some still burn
ing.
Texas City Is long way from
normal as rescue workers continue
to toll through rubble today. One
thousand, homeless are at nearby
Camp wallace alone, and many OF
the community's businesses will not
be reopened for days.
But Saturday most of the city's
wrecked shops opened their doors
and people began to pick up the
thread Of normal life.
Mass burial of unidentified dead
Is tentatively planned for Wednes-
day or Thursday but Glen H. Nc
Laughlin, chief Of the identified ton
division of the Department of Pub
lie Safety, said he and his men are
continuing to make every effort at
identification.
Churches held memorial services
yesterday. Funeral professions
streamed down an Smile road to
the city's cemetery. In ALL 80 flu
nerals were held.
In the cemetery dozens of giant
oaks. with moss dripping from their
graceful branches, shade freshly
turned graves.
WIRE wore out with work" John
s. Clay, 58-year old Negro sexton,
said YEARLY Making room for all
those good people dead in those
explosions. we dig all day When 1t
gets dark We light our lanterns and
keep on diggin.' It's sad work