The Amarillo Globe-Times from Amarillo, Texas • Page 8

Amarillo Globe-Times Tuesday, Miy 12, After 70 Years Immunity, Lubbock Gets a Twister By JAY HARRIS Avalanche-Journal Staff twisters -which often dotted theja few miles from the southern! Members of the Lubbock Fire- area landscape. The scene wasjdty limits. But no one was ov-jmen's association were playing oof Tono-rti" offor.iorlv alarmprf at thfi fimv host to 3 number of the city's tt i lset during a lato muggy after-jerly alarmed at the time. It finally happened to KOon wh thimderheads built 7:30 p.m. the storm a ialran nn a bock.

A of and destruction across a city that for more than 70 years had scattered rainfall were comingj severe storm alert for somehow a terrible! in from rural communities only'across the counties. sys- news media at an annual din- detected a hook--indicating a number of new from the emergency oper- tornado cloud in the storm which was building on the southeastern city limits. and turned on the lights andjations center in the basenrnt horns. As the wine, and rain con-! of City Hall. Although darar? up south and southwest of the item had taken, on a completely iner.

Suddenly the word was The boiling pu savage tornado striking out i hue ana the LubbockjHashed to City Manager Bill bi ack i ou ds green soupy skies left death rep orts of hail bureau was issuing ajBlackwell and Fire Chief Hers i cw i 0 the tinued to shriek through the now I was extensive on the ground purple, green and downtown section, the; level of City Hall, the command started moving' cars lights blinked their red stop i area in the basement was un-i northwest, in it-(signals and the horns blared into damaged. haillschel Sharp who told them that self unusual direction forpe night. Doctors, nurses and ambul-j 'HIP weithor bureau rada- had'storm clouds in the Lubbockj The city's residents did aid from the city and: the weather Lnueau raaa, naa pamc and immcdialely went and additional Emergency personnel, city of-h vork attempting to aid the in-; of Public Safety units mobil-j ficials, "and others were ur and search for the dead. Sized within minutes after the! ed to' to emergency operat-! City manager Bill Blackwell.lstorm struck. Police, fire and! tions in the base-! a yorf Cranberry, help moved hurriedly rient citv hall ar.d other points of Pollce AU i pre-assigned areas, as reports of baseball-sized' cctc(l rcscuc and other opera-1 The job was made much more- hail on loop 289 Parkway Drive started filtering in.

Police and Highway Patrol units drove into the center of the storm's fury shortly after p.m. with several of them being stopped in their tracks by blinding rain and hail. "The storm moved little, but continued building and stirring for the next hour. The Weathar Bureau placed the city and immediate area under immediate alert. Around 9:30 p.m.

the rain and hail which was larger than golf ball-sized in downtown Lubbock seemed to slacken. Then about 9:40 the storm's southern arm started moving across the heart of the city. The winds spared much of hundreds of residences in the southern and southwestern parts of the town. By the time it reached the vicinity of 19th street and University Avenue the city was at its mercy and in deep trouble. Apparently the huge funnel started skipping across ground difficult because power knocked out in very vital section of the city, and the emergency post and Southwts'ari Public Service and West Texas Hospital.

However, veteran newsman who had been to other cities marveled at the calmness and the quick response of those charged with meeting the emergency. This is probably attribute the fact that the city has been in the center of an area often hit by twisters. The 2lass front of Cook's Discount Center came tumbling as tornado blasted Lubbock's business district or roof top levelheaded straight for the downtown area. Telephone anc power lines snapped. i a arcs shocked through the night sky.

Pounding hail and rain accompanied the roar described sr often by those, who have lived through a tornado. By the time the storm had reached Broadway and Q. it apparently was sweeping everything in its. path. The spiraling giant ripped service station signs, fronts of buildings and slammed into the 15 story First National Bank.

Pioneer Natural Gas Building like a slodge hammer. Photos by Milton Adams Lubbock Avalanche Journal Photographer Within the space of less i than it takes tu tell about it. the huge marble and glass structure, which closely resembles the United Nations Building, was hit. The huge marble and glass structure had gaping holes torn, in its windows. Its beautiful lobby was left in ruins.

Outside. huge marble and concrete-blocks forming a lattice works reaching five and six stories high came crushing down on nearby cars, flattening them to no more than door-handle high. The storm then cracked through windows of the 20 story a Plains Life Building, punctured holes in the I Southwest Public Service relay tower, ripped chunks from por- i tions of the Citizens National iBank complex and roared lacioss the heart of the city, heaving damage to Lubbock's modernistic City Hall and the a Avalanche-Journal. Clocks In the Avalanche- County Courthouse standing above Main SW? Pncrio VA.HCS Street devastation. Floodwaters follow tornado --Slrff Photo by ME1NHARD EiCHEL at Fourth Street and Avenue Q.

20 Die in Tornado at Lubbock inrai locai raoios. (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) a line of parked cars. said Mayor said C. W. Cranford In the matter of seconds, tber'I guess we'll try to.get themjLuhbock policemen.

torm crushed downtown Lub-jinto Midland. Odessa and Ama-i He said police quickly stopped at p.m. as jbock where the towering 1 'patrolling the downtown streets; tne nds reached a crescendo. Barnes, wtoo flew into Lub-j story Grcat pj a ins National Life Gov. Preston Smith, who is a inhere nearly all of the store A newsman attempting to bock said he saw long lines Building reeled under native of Lubbock, mobilized were blown out.

place a long-distance call of traffic converging on the city tne devas tating impact. jtional Guard units earlier this' Cranford said that water in'shortly before the tornado which will add to the The building was roped off ear-i morning as word of the storm; the streets was at headlight'' was told by a telephone congestion and confusion. today as large cracks Austin. 'kvel on his squad car following' opcrator six blocks to the High waters remained in the massive structure which I Beverly Williams, 3 house-, the shattering blast. i southwest that the lights "had serious problem in low areasjin recent years had become of Policemen who had at noon.

Throughout the citvjsymbol of progress in downtown A I 1 evidence of jthe tornado came xvhen I heara levels could be seen Lubbock City officials at noon tremendous whomp, accord- One observer said this an inspection of the! to Associated Press reports, ing it looked as ihoush a borabldamaged 20-story Great Plains! She and a neighbor piled a had hit this South Plains city. jLife building at Broadway anditresscs on top of themselves and Earliest reports today L- out the storm. across the stricken i gone areas The newsman who had jut said the downtown district cted tne a i his par more of the storm's iorce. i are i hit hv tnan did the Texas Tech campus tornado I have to lip Heavy damage and a juries occurred in the city's: out tornado roared across the area from what ed damages in excess of S200J The tall slender building ap-, Mrs. Williams said.

"A neigh-; Mexican-American i i Downtown million as a battalion of rescue jpeared to be. twisted- and or -woman kept yelling where blocks of buildings were j' workers moved into a one huge crack appeared; Qod, we're going to" and Lneadv flattened. i aptnalK- flnnar devastated city in search of the east side of the structure ij ust tried to calm, her down, ditional injured and dead. which had most of its windows was scared, but I never thought; il was oin to Onlv three buildings fivp downtown Lubbock remained 1 long, half Avalanche Jou -nal to At least two tornadoes and blown out. winds clocked at more than 100j The nearby 10-story Pioneer! brief lull, she said the! wUb power at dawn today.

ifonndations ironed off a miles an hour smashed withoutj Hotel evacuated in began kicking up again. Jay Harris managing editor. event the Great Plains buildin '-This time we climbed iQT off a por bock and a northern residential should C0 a pse section shortly before 10 p.m. 'This time we climbed into 'ibathtub, but the second time Journal, said that during First came sne added. Bank Building in A Voight, executive drec-! Building had all te night the "First tio 5 tbe TMf- Rowing the A 30 per cent chance thunderstorms is forecast the Lubbock vicinity this evening by the U.S.

Weather Bureau. No severe weather watches have been issued. debris fell to the streets. The tornadoes cut a swath 8 i virtually nonexistent. saying, "Official reports are 'downtown running in small rivers im One of Lubbock's newest skyscrapers, the Pioneer Gas Co.

and First 7 1 -jy Monday's tornado. It looks like somebody a buMng. miles long and 2 miles wide. "We have no estimate oj. shooting at it with Nearly every downtown busi-jnumber of homes or buildings jnons," he "Large ness building sustained damage, destroyed because our efforts cf concrete sidmg blown The Lubock Avalanche Journal storm was unusual ApparenUj the funnel was one, have been aimed at rescue and! the building by the storm fht-jof the wider ones to nit tnej Building was damaged heavily as relief work.

jtencd automobiles and parked jLubbpck area in years, con-, Residents met the dawn this winds ri PP ed rtions of the We a one shelter open I trucks in the street." the wide slot it cut in Residents met tne oawn ini roof from the section housing a we a people goin intoi A a on lho sixt floor of; the city. The second unusual pHit-nrial Hpnflrt.menf:. One news- ith-v First National Building had i feature is that after the a i morning in a state of shock. Streets were blocked by tons of debris, downed utility poles and crumpled cars in northeaster section of town counted. A dozen homes in the 3200,000 price bracket were smashed in the northern Country Club Addition of Lubbock.

More than 100 planes parked at the airport were damaged or destroyed. The tornedo touched down at 19th and Avenue then spread out into a 2-mile swath as additional "finger" twisters moved at 100 miles per hour northeastward across the city. A state of emergency was declared by Mayor James Granberry wno a the catastrophe "massive "just massive." Two of the city largest hospitals had to turn away cut and bleeding patients after the hospital corridors began filling Church Team Leaves Aid T-! A Tornado Victims tor Disaster Area editorial department. One news man. Tanner Lane, broke a leg the newsmen fled for safety.

Today's edition Avalanche was our municipal coliseum. Branifl-International, for the elevator whenifunncl. had passed, strong hur- all night flights into the storm hit. The power wentjricane like winds, I Amarillo law enforcement of- medical personnel and i other emergency units answered I Amarillo Globe-News shipped by truck back to Lubbock for city distribution. The entire city went into total darkness when all of the electri- svilh cots, stretchers makeshift beds.

and The twisters first struck near the Texas Tech campus, level- a brick wall mjwch cr ushed cal power lines were smashed toj bo at midmorning. i 'PhyrmrrVi on The disaster van of the Clarendon rwntly. blowing th Day Advcnlists Church of; She issued an appeal for bed-: cs for Erik departed osrly i i i and children's clothes tll! niorninu morning en route i.o Lubock. 1 which may bo taken to a Disaster a and medical isiiim at Erick and Bell. 'personnel were en a i and power lines.

i A rs G. II Rustad of Mrs. a a i tornado stricken" ama as 4n At 2 a.m. today the downtown; Hell, whose husband is pre.s!-; members put the finishing news arrived that hcin moved 45 patrol units into Lub-! a a a Jnn and Chap-iscction a a cene scene a of the Te.xico Conference of; -h on the restocking early Public Texas Safety Department of i injured, reportedly had! the ground. Water mains were broken, and the residents were placed on emergency state of water rationing as dawn broke over the town.

The Bell Telephone System had moved nearly 400 repairmen into Lubbock this morning, and additional crews were en route from Dallas on morning flights to bring cable and other needed replacements. Dozens of Red Cross workers were mobilized into emergency units from Dallas, Wichita Falls, Amarillo and Waco, Ambulances were dispatched from nearly every South Plains town, as well as and Clovis. N.M. are trying to set up some! sort evacuation system for the arral Motel, both located on the broken wood, scattered brick.iScvcnth Day Advenlists, said; day. Most of it already had been 1 Other units were In- Through the early edge of town on U.S.

glass forming van's stock of 10,000 she said i case aditional help is needed hours today, nurses and both damaged heavily by a solid carpet in some areas, was almost depleted when it; she said the van has its Among the emergency crews provided byithe storm. AlMines at the u.b.stwisted metal, street signs and went to the tornado-sticken area: i from A a i i A worked under lights provided auxiliary power with flashlights." One hospital sent out an appeal for any kind of light, flashlights, kerosene lamps and lanterns. and some! Weatner Bureau at the Air disaster representative said early this morning that "the medical situation is under control" with most of the injuries many were in critical condition." And in the middle of all the tragedy, looting broke out on a wide scale "Looting started before the winds died Terminal were knocked out. Perot Honored as 'Patriot of Year' LOS ANGELES (AP) H. I and-even larger ones from the Ross Perot, the Texas million-i medical building across the airc who has been trying to ease (street from Dunlaps.

lights and ravaged buildings. The force of the storm was so great that it ripped marble slabs from large three story support posts from around the First National Bank Building, the lot of American prisoners of war held by North Vietnam, has appearing to be minor, "but been named "Patriot of the Year" by a student, group called VIVA--Voice in Vital America. Sen. George Murphy, and Gen. Jimmy Doolittle were among 1,000 persons who turned out for a dinner Saturday at which Perot was honored.

In the north part of the Citizen National Bank Office complex, near the alley on 13th street, a gaping hole was torn in the second story, as though chewed out by some monster. As the storm passed over the area at 8th and Avenue lightning or some sort of static when it; it to the tornado-sticken area-power plant and kitchen. andK Amarillo dispatched to -ihot foods will be served to thei LuhI) ock were 18 Department of i torn ado-stricken victims in PUDl 'c Safety Units, two Potter i i ORDERS CUTOFF WASHINGTON (UPI) --The' jbock. tv Sheriffs units. Among those, who arc with the van are 0.

G. Minden and Mrs. electricity shorted out the power school districts. Health, Education and WelfareiQrover Bills. Department (HEW) has dered a cutoff of federal ARRESTED to the Pewitt Independcntj ALEXANDROUPOLIS.

Greece School District in Omaha, Ross Klincr, 23, for operating a of Pavilion, N.Y., was arrested schools. customs agents Monday and The order, which takes effect charged the smuggling 88 in 30 days, was the first by-pounds of hashish into Greece. HEW Secretary Robert. H.j Police said Klincr told Finch since July 7, when he ciitjcustoms officials he had bought off funds to three hashish in Afghanistan and medical officers of the Medical Platoon of 22nd Battalion of 142nd Infantry Division of the Amarillo National Guard the Red Cross disaster van, two registered nurses and 40 student nurses. (was taking it to West HONOLULU-An prisoner returned 0 I i a to his cell after aiding a jailbreak.

LONDON'-An offshore pirate radio interferes with shore stations, "i.