Evening star., 1961-03-13
2StatesSuffer
Heavy Losses
In TornadoeIs
BY the Associated Prsss

By the Associated Press
A turbulent storm raked the
Midwest with damaging winds
and heavy rains today after
spawning more than a score of
tornadoes which smashed paths
of destruction through Missouri
and Arkansas.
One woman was killed and at
least 81 persons were injured
yesterday as Swirling winds
crumpled homes, toppled radio
towers and blew automobiles
off highways.
Property damage was extern
sive in the two-State area. Re-
pairmen struggled to restore
communications disrupted by
downed lines. Felled trees bar
ricaded roads. Heavy rains.
flash floods and hail impeded
rescuerS.
More May Be Hurt
It was feared the list Of in
jured might grow when res
cuers reached isolated areas.
Sheriff Tommy Walker Of Ga
lena, Mo-, said today after q
twister had ripped through the
Cape Fair area Of Table Rock
Lake: ..~. -.~
There are SO many people
living in cabins around Table
Rock Lake and back in the
hills, there's just no telling
how many got hurt. And it may
be days before we find out"
State police were dispatched
to one storm battered COM
munity - Vilonia, Ark. after
reports of looting.
A tornado swirled out Of the
darkness near West Plains,
Mo-, and shattered the little
frame Friendship Baptist
Church, in which 80 persons
were attending Sunday evening
services. A worshiper, Mrs.
Frances Huddleston, 42, was
killed. Her husband, DR.. J. A..
Huddleston, 43, was seriously
injured, while 10 other church,
goers suffered lesser hurts.
Gas Station Destroyed
The twister destroyed a fill
ing station and damaged sew
eral other buildings near the
church. Earlier, the same tor
nado destroyed a store, filling
station and home at Harden
vile, about Is miles southwest
of West Plains.
Six persons were injured
near Upton Ford, about seven
miles south Of Joplin. Mo-,
where a twister destroyed at
least two homes, damaged sew
eral others and hurled a pickup
truck against a tree.
Three Of four radio towers
of Station KWTO were blown
down by a tornado that struck
about three miles south Of
Springfield, Mo. Several farm
buildings also were damaged.
IA Hurt In Town
Other twisters were sighted
near Branson, Monet and Ne
vada, Mo-, and several auto
mobiles were blown off U. s. II ,
Considerable damage was re-
ported in the tornado-struck
Arkansas community Of Busch,
near the Missouri border,
where at least IA persons were
injured.
IT woke up on the floor" said
Bobby James Stewart. 26. who
was in a cafe when the twister
churned through Busch. "Ev-
Ierything else was gone and
there was an ice box on top
of me-" He was seriously in
ljured.
At least two tornadoes were
sighted in the ClarkSville (Ark)
area. One struck the nearby
community Of Woodland, in
juring at least IL persons.
Also hit in that area were the
small towns Of Hunt, Hartman,
Woods Mountain and Mt: Zion.
National GuardSmen were
rushed to Woodland to assist
rescue efforts.
A mother and her three
young children were hurled into
a field by a tornado that ripped
apart their home at Ozark,
Ark. The youngest child was
seriously injured.
Tornadoes leveled several
houses at Augusta. Ark, injur-
ling four persons. and destroyed
a trailer at Sheridan, injuring
a man.
Still another demolished two
houses at Searcy.
Storm cellars saved some.
Others-like five members of
the Doc Gill family at Conway,
Ark. - escaped injury by
crouching on the floor against
an inside wall while the deadly
winds tore the house down
around them.