Mt. Vernon Register-News from Mt Vernon, Illinois • Page 1

TEMPERATURES 62; Low 54. Rainfall from 7 a.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Last Today Sunset 4:30. MI VERNON REGISTER-NEWS MEMBER AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATION SQUARE DEAL TO ALL SPECIAL FAVORS TO NONE A NON-PARTISAN NEWSPAPER WEATHER n.OIDY with or possible Ihuiirlcr.sliowriH liOKinning tins pvciuiit; c)i' parly tcniKht.

in innrniriu 1) In 10, Fi'ifiny cloTirly uilh shdwcr.s riidinj; by nftrrnnon, ciMiid, iiiu'i tiiinorvow in mulfllf Ids. VOLUME XXXVIII NO. 69. MOUNT VERNON, ILLINOIS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1957 30c PER WEEK BY CARRIER 1DEAD WINDS KILL 35 INJURED; 4 DEATHS IN 1 FAMILY List Of 42 Injured; Boy Dies, 3 Critical TORNADO RIPS SALEM ROAD HOMES TWISTERS CUT ACROSS THE COUNTY Mt. Vernon Hos Worst Damage Buf No Deaths as Take 11 Lives in llJi- nois, Missouri.

MURPHYSBORO, 111. ifi Another body wa found today in the; ruins left by Wednr.sdny's unsea- 1 Konal tornadoes, brinRins to 11 the' death toll in the striclicn arras ol MUthorn Illinois and rnslcrn The twisters struck latr in the day creatinR an appalling toU of injuries and destruction. The big cleanup job started today. Ten fatalities were reported in this southern Illinois area and another in Missouri. More than 100 persons were hurt, at least SO in Murphysboro and Mount Vernon.

alone. Scores of homes were flattened and unofficial estimates put property damage in the millions of dollars. Destruction was greatest in Country Heights People To The people of the Heights subdivision, much of which was devastated by the tornado, will hold a meeting at 8:00 o'clock tonight in the circuit court room of the county court house. The neighborhood meeting was called by LcBen Garrison, developer of tlie subdhi- sion. The group will discuss problems arising from the ti'agedy.

DAHLGREN HIT HARD; 3 HURT, HOMES DOWN Tornodo. Hits More Tht Hour AfterMt. V. TwisN er; 5 Blocks Struck. A roaring tornado ripped Forty-three persons were treated at Mt.

Vernon's hospital after the tornado. One of the injured four-yenr-old Bradley Kent Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth i(Topple aJ .313 Pine Drive, died this morning. Three of Hie injured were rcporlcd in critical condition jthis morning.

i In critical condition at Good Samaritan Hospital is Mrs. Ber- nicc Backcnsto. who was hurt when the tornado tore hor home down at 25 Crown View Drive. I In critical condition at Jeffer-i son Memorial Hospital is Isaac! Morgan. 46, of Boyd.

It is feared he has a broken neck, ho.spital attendants said. In serious condition Is Mrs. Pearl 72, of 716 Salem Road. I Tornado-injured residents who remained as patients at Good Samaritan Hospital this morning included: Virginia Sue Brown, 22, 309 Pine Drive. Richard Brown, 6 weeks .309 Pine Drive.

Tlion Betty Kvalena Burton, IS, RFD 2, Mt. Vernon. Roberta Copple, .31, 313 Pine Drive. i Ronald Thomas Coleman, age 9, .3229 Wild Rose Drive. Earl Howe, 74.

and Anna Damage From Waltonville to Harmony Wind Cuts Narrow Poth Through North, West Mt. V. Residential Section. Mount Vernon as the twisters i Unrough Dahlgren at 5:35 p. m.

Howe, 74, both of WaltonviUe through the "Tornado yesterday-more than an hour Martha Hulscy 27 30 Crown Alley" of southern Illinois. Be- after a twister struck Mt. Ver- View Drive age 3, 30 View Drive. tween 75 and 100 homes were de-'non. Tommy Hulsey, stroyed or badly damaged in Mrs.

Charles Cross, Register- Crown View Drive. Mount Vernon. News correspondent, said three Kalhy Hulsey, age 2, 30 Crown But Murphysboro had the great- people were injured, three View Drive. human misery. homes were totally demolished! Bernice Muzzarelli, 29, 317 Here nine persons died the and about 17 other buildings Pine Drive, ninth was as yet unidenti- were considerably damaged.

Muzzarelli, 10, 317 Pine fied today and workers dug The tornado, striking from the Drive. irough debris in search of oth- southwest, ripped through Dahl- Joe Martin, 31. 316 Pine rs. At least .35 wci-e hospitalized gren in a block-wide path, for Karen Martin, age one, 316 and 30 homes destroyed. 15 by a distance of five blocks.

Pine Drive fires which followed the winds. Totally wrecked were the Steve Martin, age 4. Pine In addition, nearly a score of homes of Harrv Echols. other towns reported injuries oriStanderfer and 6. B.

Moore. Tangier, age 3. This was the scene of devastation on the Salem Road, south of Oakland, seconds after the tornado hit late yesterday. Mrs. Pearl Stivers.

72, was seriously hurt when the house at upper rlglit was hard hit. The home was knooked completely down but the Ilav Miller ramlly had gom to the basement and escaped injury. Note the big Mt. Produce Co. truck lying on Its side In the middle of the road, which was knocked over by the twister The driver, Harry Reinlnger of 1217 south 12th street, was not Injured.

He said the first ho knew of the tornado was when a TV antenna blew Into the truck cab. (Mary Jane Studio Plioto) CITY WILL CLEAR STREETS, TREES MAYOR Calling Their Shots violent late Three Dahlgren people were injured, none seriously. Tliey were Eula Morgan, Mrs. Harry Echols and Jerry Neesc. 312 Pine Drivi Sharon Dee Wangler, 22, 312 Pine i Karla Warren, 12, 3308 Wild- damage by the autumn weather.

The tornado which struck Murphysboro shortly before 5 p.m. ana jerrj- Drive, was described by a journali.sm; Tjip tornado knocked down tie vVarren, 33, 3308 Wild professor as a giant fist smash- grain elevator alongside inc ing through the city, killing, tracks. Naomi Whitsel, 33. 317 Cedar maiming, destroying. The roof blew off the L.

L. Drive James L. C. Ford, of hardware store, the i-oot Paticnts treated at Good Illinois University in and the plate glass to be dis- gaid as he watched the black hin-i blew in at the Herman charged were: nel -shaped cloud form, "there motor company and Earl Phjili.s Ann Bryant, age 7, came a roaring like an express garage on main 3224 Cherry, train." Bailey Proclaims State Emergency; Praises Others For Help. train.

A hailstorm followed, tornado hit I northeast of town, causing heavy Oakland, -'damage to farm buildings. I Pamela Whitsell. age 5, 317 The Dahlgren community was Cedar. street was heavily damaged. Brent Wangler, age 6 months like tenpins," Ford "I a row of five houses crushed though by a giant fist.

As soon as the roar of the storm passed, there was another blast of the wailing of lire engines. "There was no panic. People were numbed, standing around Bhaking their heads. It looks like this will be a pretty sad Christmas for our folks." Thus this Southern Illinois section again has offered tragic evidence of the rea.son it is called "Tornado Alley." Mostly becau.se Without electric POwer thi months, the night, but service V. as Warmack, 31, 3229 restored this morning.

Spruce. Charles Wamiack, age 8 months, 3229 Spruce. Susie Warmack, age 11, 3229 Spruce. Steve Brown, age 2, .309 Pine. Frank Schroodcr.

70, 721 Salem Road Paulette Brown. 17, .309 Pine. .1 1 Insurance claim Released after treatment at ,1 moved into Jefferson Memorial Ho.spital nf twisters which regularly chum reprsentatlves tShthrarea, weaker Robert Ry EDWIN R.ACK.WV.-W a general way when and WIKMT Eail.s yesteixi aftoinoon both The shrewd old timers had ihr I and the name for this condition which wralliei- issued a tor- ue have so df.scnl-)ed. nado warning lor snutliern llli- called it "cyclone wca- nois, Ither." Tlip wcailicr men were calling Credit 1o the unsung their shot.s for the cyclone of the weather bureau who gave Mavor VirL -il Bailnv todav ni.v -inest looking crit- us due warning. deS a suite or PJ-hahly all remrmber in Mt N'ernon because ol ves- arrived about the recent ev- terdav's tornado and promised I'l-st as advertised.

pcrience of poor iKnoinnI that 'the would clear the mi'ch riarnace here and down on the LouiMiuia other pl.ices of cour.se with oon Warned the weather injuieii and otiiers home-ibureau that a tidal was less, but piaise be to God. itiprobable. paid no attinlion was nothing conip.ired to what and many of them paid willi might easil)' have happened. If their lives. If they had listened had a little lower and taken 1o tlie lulls they of us would not be up and would be alive todav.

around and tliere would You can escape a tidal wa not be much of our town left. by moving to higher ground If In connect ion these flood comes cin oNclone warnincs sent out at even follow the ONampli times streets as soon as The also pledged city workers will "render every service feasable" to remove trees and debris on private property. Here is the mayor's statement "It was gratifying the every department of the City of Mt. Vernon, its citizens, the various neighboring cities and all others concerned cooperated in the disaster we faced vester- Special Storm Mail Window At Post Office The Mt Vernon post office today made emergency arrangements to furnish service to homes whore mail can't be delivered because of the Wednesday tornado. Postmaster VVm.

Grigg reported that a "storm window" is being opened where p.itrons may call for mail found iindeliverablc by carriers today. window ice liours will be from 8 a. m. to 3 p. m.

A tornado, roaring out of the southwest, smashed through Mt. Vernon late yesterday, leaving devastation, death and injury in its tragic palh. Brad Copple, i of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Copple of 313 Pine Drive, died at Good Samaritan Ho.spltal at 11:30 morning from injuries suffered iwhen the twister demolished the 1 Copple home in Country Heights.

Throe were critically iliiirt, and 39 others less seriously injured as the tornado completely tore down more than 30 homes and heavily damaged at least 70 others. The tornado left a many-mile path of destruction through ferson Waltotrville in the southwest all the way to Harmony In the far northeast corner of the county. Farm Honied Down It was impossible to estimate how many 4arm homes werft leveled by the fierce wind, which struck at 4:10 p. just before 'dusk. Reports were that a bcr of cows and oUier livestock met death and that farm outbuildings were scattered through the countryside.

Country Heights Qjl Fire Qiief Paul Partridge cstT- inated the property damage in the Vernon area at a million and halt dollars. The greatest devastation In the Vernon area was at the west- lURx TllKNAnil 'n of town-in the Country 1000 I VnnMWV; Heights and Crown View subdi- 'visions. Twister Almost 70 Yeors Thfe least 25 homes were knocked down and automobiles STORM WORST IN MT. V. SINCE Ago Killed 30, Left 1,250 Homeless.

Insurance Firms Work To Settle Tornado Claims liv tornado winds. And I take almost complete a.ss strike in this this opportunity to thank everv. any matter is (-ountry. The only one, especially the sheriff's wc tvyn ever were buried through the air as the twister hop-skipped "like a bouncing ball" from south- Yesterday's tornado which to the The area jured 43 persons and caused more looked like a bomb had struck, than a million dollars worth of; The tornado dipped down again damage was Mt. Vernon's worst in Columbia Heights, demolishing storm since the tornado of homes and heavily damaging ary ,19.

ISSS. lothcrs. It narrowly mis.sed the The ISSS tornado took 30 ho.spiud and the Good Samari- injured 54 persons and left Hospital, knocking down two homeless as 3L'9 houses were de- 'rees about 73 feet north of Good stroyed or blown awav and 318 Samaritan. buildings were damaged I The twister left a trail of dam- 1 I Total damage in the 18SS tornado age through IsabeUa and Pace Knocked Uut estimated at $100,000. Today's Avenues, and smashed with brute incomplete estimate ol more than force into homes as it skipped Approximately 1.000 telephones ji reflects the greater cost across Salem Road in the 7..

of old were knocked nut of order in the of homes and facilities the.hlock. the weather Noah and build an arkMt. erncm area by the tornado, i Tlie tornado path seemed to is freqiienlly asked.ibut we know of no way to Al Illinois Telephone, storm wrecked the narrow as it ripped down Oak- one of these infernal cyclones Company said today. eountv court house. The Supreme'and Avenue felling trees like 1,000 Telephones tornado deaths.

1925 Tornado Worst damage. They ask all Mt. Vernon area Tlie deadliest tornado in the with storm damage cov-, tions history centered in South-ered by insurance to oontact; em Illinois on March 18, 1925. their local agent immediately to That vast twister killed 689 per-'secure an estimate of damage, sons in Missouri, lllins and Indl-1 Also, they are requested to ana -but 606 of them were in temporary reports to roofs' -'Umuge, iniUrieS nois. Damage listed at and to replace glass and million dollars.

i Local insurance men said the In addition to the Murphysboro claims will be handled as quickly' dead, there was one fatality near as possible and asked for pa (Continued on page Fourteen) Itience in this capacity. WEATHER EXPERT EXPLAINS Tells Why Tornado In Mt. V. Yesterday Robert BeBaum, RFD 5 Margaret Morgan, Boyd Becky Morgan, 5, Marilyn Lcvall. 304 Spruce Kenneth Copple, 313 Pine Reported In Rural Hamilton County day.

The disaster brought about jj? of these infenial county court house. The Supreme land Avenue felling ti in idou. to be I 'eMomI Inoniu Plummeting one nuge dnuoii, one poies were broken '''T hos-" PO on lop of the Qumn Nursing fice. the Civil Defen.se ami the '-'in it. It is all a mat ter, pra 'ine "tvisler, as well as cable Barton The nunsing home was State Police for their eflorls of highs and lows, of shifting are bad enough as thev -11 locations and cooperation.

eurrents of air of atmospheric'are with oeonle iniuied and home- Telephone company tiwible i This is an emergency and in I'ressure. etc. If this is not clear fes, lU ho id se sZ Ru towns aug- "ni sw.rlmg to the such ca.ses we nnist ac Tl wo will sav that at times a 'onrUnnks of in rest P'-'K" 'rs all north and east, the toraado disaster brought about was the cortaui knul of hell 's brew is happenecr Ihis until news of another sma.shed homes northeast of the result of an act of God There- stirred up the st lalo had been lust a Utile louei- it fore, I hereby as Mavor pro- and when it is the weather l)U- makes the bipod run cold. It and Decatur and four fy. claim a state of emercency and reaii boys know that a big blow easily have been the end of Ml eieus from Collins- pledge the City of Mi.

Vernon is coming, and they can tell in Vernon. not only to clear the McLKANSBORO Homes were destroyed, others damaged and many slight injuries were reported the tornado cut its swath through Hamilton county about 3:30 p.m. yesterday. In Dahlgren. which was severe(Continued On Page Tliree) streets and city property but also to render every service feasible such as removal of uprooted trees, debris and other situations which are not covered by insurance.

The statutes of the stale nf Illinois gives the cily the in an and Damage To Seven 600Television 26 Tornadoes Homes At Kell Towers Hit, Hit in une uay A heavy r.iin storm Wednesday Block siallation u.us fiom C. nil alia. three miles northeast and caused heavy damage The ISXS tornailo struik on a to homes in that direstion. I A mile north of state highway (Continued on Page fhreei 3 County Farm Road. one home was demolished and ville.

Wood River and SHOPPING DAYS TItt CHRISTMAS CIIICAGO The weatlier atlenioon at Kell. 111. injured sev- At least (iOO television towers bureau todav said loinadocs eral persons and damaged seven were struck and damaged bv were reported Wedm-sday in llli-liomes and one farm ,1 nois Infliniia and Misvnun Anioni: llie injured were of this kind to -V and Vestie Wilkins. both M. KiMu rennet ol eslimate was furnished after a cheek with i- Kell There was no oflicial esti- (Conllnncd on pngo hvo) this morning by A.

II, leather-sion sales and ice companies m.ile of the damage. COUNTRY HEIGHTS DEVASTATION To explain what happened In the Mt. Vemon tornado in a meteorological way, it is necessary to know the basic pattern of the weather, it was explained today by Charles J. Pardee, executive secretary of the Illinois Oil and Gas Mr. Pardee, a weather officer during Worid War II, is a graduate of tlie University of Chicago meteorological school.

He explained the tornado as follows: The warm air coming from the was being lifted above somewhat cooler air to the north and produced the drizzle that ex- fsted in the Mt. Vernon area froin December 16th until eariy afternoon of tlie 18th. From the northwest a colder mass of air was pushing the entire masses of cool and warm air toward the Appalachian Mountains. At the point where the cold air came in contact with the warm tliere was an abrupt lifting of (Continued on page Fourteen) NO CHRISTMAS PLAY 31 Children Escape As Block School ows Down Tliere will be no Christmas play tonight at Block school, three miles northeast of Mt. Vernon.

Tlie one-room school blew away in the tornado late yesterday only a matter of minutes after the last of the 31 pupils had gone home. After regular dismissal of classes by Reba Jarrell, the teacher, some of the students remained to rehearse for a Christmas play which was scheduled at the school tonight. When a worried mother sliow- td up at the school, with news jof tornado warnings, the teacher 'inunediately called off rehearsal and all the children hurried home. Minutes later the tornado hit and the building was scattered over a large area. "It collapsed and scatteered like dropping a deck of cards," said Sidney S.

Hirons, county superintendent of schools. A large tree in the schoolyard was pulled up by the roots. I A meeting will he held tonight jto decide where the children will attend school. 3 Schools Close Three other schools were closed today. At Old Union the roof was damaged and there is no electricity.

There is no electricity at Field consolidatedi school and at West Saletn. four others heavily damaged. Reports from Harmony, in northeast Jefferson county, were that many homes and farm buildings were damaged in that area. HospKals Jammed Welfare agencies of Mt. Vernon and souiliern Illinois swung into a cooperative team action within ininute.s after (he big wind hit.

Civil defense workers, under the direction of VHrgil Pulley, city civil defense director, began an immediate search of the devas- (Continued On Page Three) AT THE ELKS' LODGE Disaster Headquarters Set Up By The Red Cross inunediately at Red Crosn There used to bo seven homes in this tornado-devitstafed area of Country Heights subdivision, at the west edge of Vernon. The area, along with Mew to the west, was the hardest hit by the big wind. The homes were splintered Into mUlions of pieces and mauy people were hurt In the area. (Mary Jane Studio I'hoto) An American Aed Disaster headriuailers has been set chairmaii of the letter eoun- a -sist llie disaster affected Canteen seiviee as i as possible, ifor victims and leliel woiK-rs families unable to re- throughout last night and will lliemselve can be coil- be continued lod.iv. suieied tor Red Cio.ss assistance.

Plans for rehabilitation help tiiven is in the form of a for victims has begun at the -runt, and those receiving help Red Cross headiiuarteis Red do not repay Red Cross. Red Cross expects many laniilies to noss disaster VJcreonell will ask for help in repairing and individual consideration to rebuilding damaged homes and each applicant and their recom- for payment of medical bills for mendation will be passed upon Injuries caused by the disaster. an advisory board of local Rehabilitation assistance will citizens who are familiar with commence as soon as possible, local conditions. Mr. Starr said.

Mis Barbara offices and application Stratton, Secret. centois are placed as conveni- Jcffcisoii County a emlv possible so those that AjTicricaii Red Cio adusi'd wisli lo come to us are wel- that families necdmg help cuuld'conie," Miss Stratton.