Evening star., 1948-05-03
70 Die, $50 Hurt
AS sWindstorms
Sweep 7 States
West Virginia Hardest
Hit, With 5 Killed and
65 Persons Injured
By the Associated Press

states over the week end, killing
at least 20 persons and injuring
more than 160.
Property damage was estimated in
the millions
West Virginia and Kentucky COM
munities were lashed by tornadoes
last night. TWiSters hit in Missouri
Oklahoma and Kansas Saturday
High winds and heavy rains oc-
CURED in Indiana and Illinois.
The death toll by States:
West Virginia, 5; Kentucky. q.
Oklahoma, 5; Missouri, 3; Kansas,
2; Illinois, l.
In West Virginia, tornado winds
ripped through six rural communi-
ties near Clarksburg in the north
ern port of the State. State police
reported more than IS persons were
injured.
Hospitals Fill Rapidly.
West Milford. Lost Creek, Wolf
Summit. Mount Claire and Quiet
Dell were the communities hardest
hit. Highways were blocked and
communication lines were down
hampering rescue operations.
Clarksburg hospitals filled rapidly;
others were alerted at nearby Fair
mont, and all available doctors and
nurses in the area were called to
duty.
Long lines of automobiles seeking
to reach the leveled town of Hupp
Hill found U. S. Route 10 blocked
by parts of homes, wrecked automo-
biles, trees, and debris from nearby
strip-minlng operations. Only am
balances, utility and rescue workers
and police made their way through.
Three members of one family died
in a Clarksburg hospital after being
pulled from their wrecked automo-
bile. They were identified as Ray
mond Aylor. SO, his wife, 26. and
5-year-old Raymond, ir. They were
en- route from Clarksburg to Weston
where the father is farm hand.
Body is Identified.
The body of Henry Moore, "a, was
identified at funeral home in
Weston. A fifth body OF a man re-
manned unidentified in Mount Glare.
Mrs. Maggie Metzgar, As, who was
first reported dead, was still alive in
a Clarksburg hospital.
Another son of the Aylors, s.
year-old Arthur, escaped with cuts
and bruises, as did Raymond's
brother Charles, who was riding
them.
State police and the Red Cross
were convinced all the dead ana
wounded had been found. But
Harrison County Sheriff Harry
Carder continued to lead searchers
through the remains of houses
scattered on the mountainsides.
The storm hit about o'clock last
night and played hopscotch in the
farming and strip coal mining
communities surrounding Clarks-
burg.
The streets of Mount Clare, a
town of 200, were typical of the
aftermath. Furniture Uttered the
streets, and high in the branches
OF tree was the body of an auto
mobile.
House Blown 40 Feet.
The home of Mrs. Minnie Bart
lett, Sc, of Quiet Dell, was picked
up and carried 40 feet to the edge
of highway, where it landed in
tact. The elderly woman suffered
a broken shoulder.
A 24O-pound farmer told of being
blown 100 feet. Il was asleep when
my wife heard the roar and
awakened me-" he said. When
tried to open the kitchen door the
house was blown away"
Utility workers joined the rescuers
to repair power and telephone lines
which went out of service. They
had to pick their way through long
lines of automobiles filled with the
curious.
Rains in the tornado'S wake
brought new threat of floods and
some streams in the area already
were seeping over roads.
Damage Is Heavy.
There was no official estimate
of the damage yet. but some ex-
pected it to approach the $1,000.0OO
cost of a twister June %, 1914,
which killed 100 persons in and
around Shinnston, about 10 miles
north of here.
The tornado played leap frog
around Clarksburg, striking almost
within the suburbs.
About 30 persons remained in
Clarksburg hospitals today.
One of the most seriously hurt
was Mrs. Goldie Daugherty. AZ. of
(See TORNADOES. Page A-5D