Evening star., 1948-03-20
Tornado Death Toll
Rises Above Fifty
In 11-State Area
BY The A,sesiotsd Press

does and destructive gales which
whipped across wide sections Of
an 11-State area yesterday and
Thursday.
The wave Of death and destruction
from Texas to New York left more
than 300 injured. Hundreds were
homeless. Property damage was in
the millions.
The storms-striking on the last
day Of winter-hit hardest in South
western Illinois near St. Louis,
where 41 were reported killed. The
storm crest formed in Texas Thurs
day night and moved northeast
ward. Small tornadoes struck Sec
tions of Oklahoma and Kansas
Thursday night but the twister
swept with devastating force yes
terday in Southern Macoupin Coun-
ty, Ill.
Winds Hit Scattered Sections.
The tornadoes or damaging winds
famed across sections of Indiana,
Kentucky, Ohio. Michigan, Kansas,
Missouri Pennsylvania and New
York Today the intense storm
center had moved northeastward
into Canada
-Four persons were killed in Ohio.
Two others lost their lives in Ken
lucky, two in Missouri and one each
In Michigan, Pennsylvania and New
York.
The Army and the Red Cross mob
liZed disaster units and emergency
equipment, food and clothing were
rushed into the stricken areas. An
allotment of $250,000 was made by
the Red Cross to aid victims In IL
linois, Missouri, Indiana and Ohio
Homes, stores, factories, schools
and churches fell before the smash
ing attack of the tornadoes and gale
like winds. Drenching rains through
out the storm belt added to the
suffering and damage. Some towns
In Illinois were isolated Travel was
impeded and communications dis
rupted in many areas.
80 Per Cent of Town Destroyed.
-Four small communities in Ma
coupin County, Ill, suffered the
heaviest damage in loss of life and
property and in the number in.
jured.
In Bunker Hill, III. about 80 per
cent Of the town of 1900 was fiat
tened. The Red Cross said the
death toll was l9-the most in any
of the towns smashed by the tor
nadoes. Property damage was esti-
mated at a half million dollars.
In nearby Fosterburg, 13 persons
were killed, scores injured and
nearly all of the towns 100 homes
and stores were wrecked or dam
aged. Five persons lost their lives
in Gillespie and the estimated prop
erty damage in the city of 4,500I
was about $300,o00 The fourth Ma
coupin County town hard hit was
Woodburn. where four persons were
killed. Several homes and stores
In the village of 300 were destroyed.
Hospitals Are Taxed.
Hospitals were taxed beyond Ca
pacity in the stricken illinois area.
40 miles northeast of st. Louis
About 100 victims were taken to hos
pitfalls in nearby Alton and Litch-
field, III.
The twister which struck the four
communities first was reported at
New Athens, ILL.,, where 1t cut a
patch 300-feet wide through the
business district. 1t hit Freeburg
and touched at the edge OF Alton
before racing northeastward on It's
path of devastation. l.
In the meantime, tornadoes roared
through separated communities
across the Mississippi River in Mis-
souri,. More than score OF persons
were injured in the stricken area.
Later winds Of gale proportions
swept across widely scattered points
in 1ndiana-in Rising Sun, Leo, Ko-
kono and Charlottesville. Several
persons suffered injuries and prop
erty damage was heavy.
Two Children Killed.
Destructive winds caused much
property damage in several Western
Ohio communities. Two children
were killed at Landeck, Ohio. when
a twister roared over the Mercer
County town. They were trapped
when the blow wrecked Catholic
Church and school. One man was
killed at Ottawa. Ohio, and another
at Urbana, Ohio. The storm swept
over parts Of Northern Kentucky
killing father and his son.
Five school children we're injured
when the roof Of the Campbell
School in sandusky, Ohio, caved in
and IS pupils were trapped. The
destructive winds lashed more than
half DOZEN Western Ohio COM
munities. At Lima the storm hit
the heart of the business district.
Stores we're damaged and a night
club unroofed. At Bowling Green
the roof and a wall at the Day
Brook Hydaulic Co. collapsed on rs
workmen. -Four were slightly in
jured.
School Buildings at Rising Sun
and Leo were damaged by the gale
winds that pounded Indiana. Eight
pupils and a teacher were injured
when a roof was blown from the
combined grade and high school at
Leo Several students were injured
as the wind peeled off the roof of
the Rising Sun School, None was
reported seriously hurt. Crawfords-
Vile and Kokono were the hardest
hit cities.
Several Craft Sunk.
Several craft were sunk when
high winds whipped up the Ohio
River near Shawneetown, III. A
towboat and barge were swamped
and sunk, houseboat was denlol-
tshed and a ferry was out OF serv-
ice. Veteran rivermen said the
Ohio was the toughest" in their
memories.
Last night the rain and wind
storms moved northeastward across
Ohio. Pennsylvania and New York
State. Winds In some areas reached
a velocity of more than 10 miles an
hour. Roofs were ripped from build
inss. trees uprooted and public util-
ity poles felled.
The Federal Weather Bureau in
Washington described the storms as
q partly seasonal" occurrence vnost