Evening star., 1953-05-12

niles anu TWO nOuTS apart,
5 Teen-AeeSs' Bodies Recovered, IS
Missing in Tornodo's Ruins. Pe. A-3
killed at least 48 persons in
this Central Texas city of 90
900 yesterday. Eight were killed
at San Angelo, to the west.
The weather bureau at New
Orleans this morning issued this
warning: There is a possibility
of a few tornadoes in the area
bounded by Tyler, Lufkin. Yoa-
KUN. Del Rio-Eagle Pass area,
Junction and Tayler remainder
of today and early tonight"
Belatedly, reports came of a
third tornado yesterday which
raced into Sutton County near
Sonora, Tex. and damaged util-
ity poles and cattle-feeding pens.
The Texas tornadoes followed
weekend midcontinent storms
which killed Is.
100000 Allotted by Red Cross.
In Washington Red Cross ma
tional headquarters allotted
100000 today to meet emergen-
cy needs of the Waco and San
Angelo tornado victims. More
money will be Forthcoming as
needed. Raymond T. Schaeffer,
national director of disaster
service, said.
The Red Cross estimated the
Waco death toll at 81 and San
Angeles at seven, but said indi-
cations were the search of Waco
ruins would disclose more dead.
Property damage estimates
from Red Cross sources included:
Waco-100 homes destroyed or
damaged; 100 business houses
destroyed.
San Angelo-198 homes de-
stroyed and 164 damaged.
Day Of Violent Weather.
The tornadoes were a tragic
climax to a day of violent wealth.
er over Texas. Driving rain and
hail struck over wide section
OF the State. San Angelo was in
one of the areas most heavily
damaged by Texas long drought.
Stores. houses. shops. every
kind of structure. was razed in
Waco. The five-story R. T.
Dennis Building was smashed
almost to ground level and threw
a death-dealing shower of brick
and rubble into the street to
crumble automobiles like match
boxes and kill their occupants.
Scores of persons were trapped
in the Joy Theater, but the num-
ber killed was unknown. An un-
determined number were res
cued quickly, but early today
huge cranes, bulldozers and men
with their bare hands dug dog
gedly at the wreckage.
Homes Are Flattened.
At least eight were killed and
more than 10 injured as the
winds flattened homes over a
mile-Square area and demolished
all structures at the San Angelo
Fair Ground.
Power lines and communica-
tions lines amid the ruins made
rescue work hazardous and ham,
pered newSmen. Rescue work
continued through the night with
only about 10 per cent of Waco
having any power.
Scores of school children were
reported among the injured in
San Angelo. where nearly every
window in the Lakeview School
was blown out. Teachers at the
school were praised for ordering
the children into Railways when
they saw the storm approaching.
More serious injuries and pos
sible deaths were prevented,
school officials said.
All Of downtown Waco was
under martial law. Airmen
from Connally Air Force Base.
boy scouts. police and firemen
patrolled in pitch dark streets
among rubble several feet deep.
Crushed automobiles under the
fallen masonry were difficult to
identify. Some of the dead we're
in the vehicles. caught in the
5 pm. rush period.
Every building in an area
roughly 20 blocks square was
either destroyed or damaged.
Many splintered homes were in
the wreckage.
Steel sides of the big Brazos
River bridge were sliced as il
with gigantic can openers. All