The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-17
TEXAS CITY NOW
TOWN OF FLAMES
Reporter Describes Scenes
OF Anguish AS Dead
Are Identified
BY WILLIAM C. BARNARD


TEXAS CITY, april 16-P-
This is a city of flames, torn steel,
and smoking rubble, a city where
the dead are uncounted and the
living are too dazed and weary to
cry.
Tonight scores of bodies of ex-
plosion and fire dead are stacked
on benches and tables in a brick
midtown garage and in the nearby
high school gymnasium. Outside
these places the people gather in
silent, expressionless groups.
Dozens OF embalmers are at
work in the garage and there the
slow process of Identification goes
on.
When identification and embalm-
ing are completed a body is wrap
ped in a rough brown blanket and
a numbered ticket is wired to a
toe.
An ambulance is then called out
Of the long line in front Of the
garage and the body is passed out
on a stretcher and taken to the
gymnasium.
A mile away black smoke from
six roaring fires pillows 5000 feet
into the air and drifts southwark
out over the gulf. A 50-acre area
of devastation marks The scene
where the twin explosions of a ship
and a chemical works wrought the
greatest tragedy this area has ever
known.
I stood in the city hall and saw
a woman find the name Of her son
on a casualty list. Her shoulders
sagged, her arms fell limp at her
sides and her face twisted with
grief. Her husband. his face a
dazed mask, caught her under the
arm and led her out.
Knocked DOVE
In the light of the towering
blazes a few hundred yards from
the g%rotesque mountains of twist
ed steel. I talked to Philip Flores,
young Army veteran.
II was working in a warehouse
Is yards from the ship when 1t
blew w." he told me. THE concus-
sion knocked me down.
Il crawled over TO some flour
sacks and buried my head under
them. Then a few seconds later
the (Monsanto) Chemical plant ex-
ploded. The roof and walls OF the
warehouse we're coming down
around me. l got up and ran for
my life. Later l helped pull the
bodies out of the wreckage. 1t was
the most terrible thing I've ever
seen.
"One man with a leg blown of
was screaming with pain. !
couldn't tell you how he looked be-
cause he didn't have much face
left"
Most of the bodies were
mangled."
Juan Torres lives in a house a
quarter of a mile from the de-
stroyed chemical plant. l found
him sitting on a bed in the from
room staring at the floor. In the
back part of the house the walls
had caved in and the place was II
a shambles.
Torres was away at work Wher
the explosion took place.
Il came home" he said, "ane
found my brother, my father, ano
my sister-in-law missing. They
may be dead"
We went out into the back yard
It was pitted with huge pieces o.
jagged steel. One piece weighed
half a ton. 1t had buried itsel
three feet into the ground. Tit
smoldering ruins of a small he1si
was in the back yard.
This" said Torres, was thu
house my brother lived in"
He went back into the ruinee
larger house and threw himself Of
a bed.
Mayor ]. C. Trahan, who wear
a Purple Heart as a souvenir o
buzz bombs in Belgium, said mt
buzz bomb could ever compare
with what happened here today
It is such a terrific tragedy tina
the people have not been able II
realize what has happened.
Courage High
'They are bearing up with mag
nificent courage.
Our neighboring cities hav'
been wonderful. We r sendlnl
the wounded and the homeless U
a dozen different communities AM
they are receiving them with opel
arms"
80 JAPS PERISH
TOKYO, April 16 W.H Nor
THAN 20 .Japanese were killed to