The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-04-30
TOWNS } STATES
 HIT HARD
Property Damages Runs Into Thousand of Dol
 Idrs-Bui|dings Rdzed

WORTH, MO, April 3o.--R-Tor- nadic winds whipped through small towns in Arkansas, Missouri and Iowa, leaving at least 20 dead today. injuring more than 50 and causing thousands of dollars in property damage.
 Hardest hit was this northwest Missouri town with population of 233. Thireen persons were killed and approximately 45 injured. Only half a dozen buildings in the town were left standing.
 At least seven persons were kill ed in Arkansas where vicious winds last night lashed the small com munity of Bright Water and swept close to Garfield, not far from the Missouri line.
 A tornado also struck Clio, town of about 200 population, in southwestern Iowa, causing ex- tensive property damage. No loss of life was reported. however.
 The Tornado that hit Worth, swept through the center of the town, wiping out the entire busi- ness district. Two of the towns three churches and it's brick school house were among the buildings demolished. Practically every tree in town was clipped off.
 Al Dopkins, Associated Press re- porter who also covered the re- cent Texas City, Texas, explosion disaster. described the devastation here as greater approximately than that at the Texas town.
 N. A. Combs, Worth mail car rier. said he doubted if the town would he rebuilt.
 At Worth dazed survivors today searched the ruins of their homes. Many of them wore bandages and some limped as they wandered over the nightmarish scene where the tornado left only B houses stand ing on the north side and eight on the south side.
 An indication of the force of the wind was given by an eight-foot two-by -four timber which had been driven completely through the body of horse.
 Just west of the city tree stripped of small branches had several chickens impaled on the re- maining branches.
 The following account is written by Al Dopkins, Associated Press correspondent, the story of an eye witness:
 Eye Witness Account
 A 37-year-old school teacher was the heroine today of this tornado battered and sorrowing town where almost a fourth of the population was killed or injured by yester- days devastating winds.
 Mrs. Anne Trump was credited with saving the lives of her pupils by herding them into cave just before the tornado demolished the school house.
 Gets Warning
 Warned by a passerby that strong wind was approaching, Mrs. Trump rushed outside with Max Lee Murdock, one of the pupils, They saw a cloud resembling a tunnel. Mrs. Trump said it looked just like pictures we had studied in science classes. T knew we had to find cave and I tried to recall one nearby. I finally thought of one about half block away at Bill Setzers, and I started the children into tho cave
 "As soon as I got the children in, started toward my mothers house. My mother is an invalid and I knew she would need help. I got about a block from Harry Harris house and I was walking right into the storm.
 As Mrs. Trump walked into the storm, she related. she took one quick look back over her shoulder to see if all her pupils were under cover.
 When I looked back saw the school alreaoy was gone,' she re- lated. T walked few more yards and took one more look and saw the town disappear. felt sure my children were safe for I had seen no sign of them a few minutes before
 Terrifying Cloud
 Then the terrifying black cloud seemed to engulf me.