Evening star., 1949-01-04
Tornado Deaths
MayExceed5O;
Hundreds Hurt
Warren, Ark, Worst
Hit as Twisters Dip
Into Four Stotes
BY the Associated Press

WARREN, Ark, Jan. 4.-The
toll in the devastating tornado
which struck this city of $500
late yesterday may exceed so,
rescue workers said today. They
estimated that nearly 800 were
injured.
Rescue teams already have recov-
cred As bodies and Mayor Jim Hur-
ley said he believed more would be
found in the debris littering a 30
square block residential and indus
trial area. Il
The Mayor said the damage
would reach $1,00000O by conserva :
tive estimate.
At least 27 dead have been tenta-
lively identified. Identification of
several others was difficult because
OF the condition of the bodies.
The storm, which cut half mile
swath in this lumber mill COM
munity 100 miles southeast of Little
Rock. was one of a series of tor
nadoes which hop-skipped and
dipped through Northwest Louisi-
Eastern Kansas and Missouri yes
terday and last night.
Four More Killed.
While the twister hit hardest
here, tornadoes near HayneSville,
La. northeast of Shreveport, killed
2 Two were dead in two storms
near El Dorado, Ark. southwest of
here and north of Haynesville.
These twisters injured CO.
The storm hit once more after
passing Warren, striking Dark Cor
ner. to the northeast, an hour
later. injuring two
The first tornadoes ever to occur
in Kansas in January hit Villas.
small community near Chanute,
leveling six homes and a, chWch
Another struck near Stanley, Kans.
and dipped into Missouri just south
of Kansas City. One person was
seriously hurt.
In Warren. Mayor Hurley said $50
National Guardsmen and State
policemen began thorough search
of the wreckage at daybreak.
The Mayor said one of the injured
had died in a Little Rock Hospital,
two in Pine Bluff hospitals and one
at Monticello. Some of the other
injured were not expected to re-
cover.
Mayor Hurley reported at 6:45
am. that things were under con-
troll"
The tornado struck at 5:45 pm.
yesterday and lasted only IS min
utes. The business district escaped.
Mayor Hurley announced that con-
victs from Tucker Prison Farm were
brought here to start the cleanup
Job Bulldozers are being modified
to help speed the task.
The Warren twister apparently
was a union of smaller ones that
struck the two-State area southwest
of here earlier yesterday. 1t moved
in with a roar that sounded to w.
D. Roddey like a thousand rail-
road locomotives" Several war vet
erans compared the scene after
ward to battle scared cities they
had seen.
''N1illtown" Is Battered.
"Milltown" an area comprising
the big Bradley Lumber Co. mill,
one of the largest flooring plants
in the South, and residences of many
of the employees in the southern
section, was battered severely.
Lumber was splintered and show
cred over the community. Dwell
ings were f1attened.
Electric, gas and water lines were
knocked out Despite torrents of
rain and hail. fires broke out, and
Mayor Hurley said several homes
were destroyed by flames. Fire cast
an eerie glow over the scene. Rescue
workers searched debris for casual
ties. Their only lights were elec-
The Pickering lights of the shadowy
figures added a touch of weirdness
to the picture.
The search continued through the
night while ambulances made round
trips between here, Monticello. 18
miles to the east. and Pine Bluff. 40
miles to the north, carrying injured
to hospitals and relieving conges-
ton of two local clinics. The Amer
lean Legion hut and the YMCA
were set up as emergency hospitals.
The Red Cross and armed forces
(See TORNADO, Page ABB