Evening star., 1947-04-20
Explosion
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in damage and destruction to other
industries and stores and homes.
The Red Cross made the esti-
mate of $50 dead. Roy Wade, ad-
ministrative assistant to Col Homer
Garrison, head of the State De-
partment of Public Safety, said BIT
were definitely known dead.
In a separate estimate on its own
employees, Monsanto said today that
of the 447 persons at work Wednes-
day when the explosion occurred,
43 were known to be dead and 70
more were believed dead, for a
total Of l22 deaths at the plant.
Phone Workers Called Off.
C. C. Kennedy, manager of the
Houston telephone exchange who
has been here directing telephone
communications, said that Mrs.
Jewell Whatley, head of the area
telephone union, had pulled the en-
tire crew of q workmen off salvage,
installation and repair work today.
He said she told telephone workers
to handle calls "at their discretion" 4"
The company said it was bringing
In its own maintenance men and
said communication would not be dis
rupted.
Later, Mrs. Gladys N. Sepic, Hous-
ton strike director for the telephone
workers, said Texas City operators
will handle all calls which the Red
Cross defines as emergency. Mrs.
Whatley could not be reached for
comment.
Newspaper calls were not con-
sidered emergency except under GER
tain conditions, Mr.. Kennedy quoted
Mrs. Whatley as saying. But Mrs.
Sepic said such calls would be han
died from the field workers to their
papers. .ss... 20, ..s,,..,.
Objected 70 Salvage.
Mr.. Kennedy said Mrs. Whatley
told me that she was pulling crews
out because we had been salvaging
equipment from Monsanto Chemi-
cal Corp. plant. This equipment
is badly needed in this area for re-
pair work, but Mrs. Whatley said
the union felt this was not work
of an emergency nature"
The Coast Guards investigation
into the cause of the disaster may
be moved from the Federal court
to the bedside of the injured sur
vors of the Grandcamp.
Rear Admiral Gordon T. Finlay
of New Orleans, senior member of
the Coast Guard board, said ar
rangements were being made to hear
the five of seven survivors in st.
Mary's Hospital.
How many more dead will be re-
covered from the ruined industrial
area is guess. Police Chief w. L.
Laddish of Texas City said AT least
200 more bodies" were still in the
ruins. This, added to the known
dead as estimated by Mr.. Wade,
would place the total at SIT.
DR.. Herbert E. Mills, Dickinson
dentist who has directed buIldozer
and clearing work in the explosion
area along the waterfront, said he
believed at least so bodies had been
taken from wreckage and debris
today, but did not estimate how
many more would be found.
Businesses Are Reopening.
Disaster relief officials estimated
that 80 per cent of the business
houses in Texas City reopened this
These included both banks,
meat markets, bakeries
and prescription houses.
1t was reported that Houston food
firms were rushing supplies of meat
and groceries to Texas City.
Mrs. Bob Lucas, cafe owner and
ticket agent for two buslines here,
said the first buses from Houston
and Galveston operated today. and
were jammed with relatives return
ing to look for victims and residents
to their blasted homes.
Donations of food and clothing
for disaster relief continued to ar
rive in large quantities. Homeless
still were receiving free meals and
at 18 relief stations set up
over town.
First Four Funerals Held.
The first four funerals to be held
since the disaster were conducted
todny and more were MANNED The