Daily Republican-Register from Mount Carmel, Illinois • 1

I 1 Iff IT I a I I I ni cm Special 4-page section on Allendale disaster Monday, January 9, 1989 Volume 150, Number 5 Nit. Carmel, Illinois They feared 'another Marion' if jpi in imum Grounds and Allendale Mayor Jack Loeffler to activate National Guard assistance at the scene. Many law enforcement agencies and emergency service personnel responded to the scene and WGH activated its disaster plan, calling in all available medical personnel. Local doctors, a dentist and-nurses joined, two on-duty emergency room physicians just before 6 Saturday evening as the first of some 50 injured victims began arriving at Wabash WGH Controller Ed Cooper, who directed the hospital's disaster plan, indicated three or more of the injured people were seriously hurt, including one man who was transferred to Vin-cennes Good Samaritan Hospital and an infant boy who was transferred to an Evansville hospital. Wabash General used color coded tags to identify individuals hurt in the tornado, by apparent severity and nature of injuries and treatment began virtual ly immediately.

Twenty-seven individuals were reportedly admitted to WGH for injuries sustained during the tornado. Communications cut off Throughout the night Saturday, family members and neighbors made inquiries at the hospital and at emergency shelters established at Parkview Christian Church in Mt. Carmel as well as -the St. Francisville Senior Citi zens Center concerning the welfare of relatives and friends. Telephone communications were cut off by the tornado's swath in northern Wabash-County, including disrupted long distance service from Mt.

Carmel exchange. WGH officials in the, hospital's front lounge, area crosschecked lists of injured and admitted patients with the inquiries being made by many individuals in the early hours of the crisis. Many of the survivors told incredible stories of crawling from ruins or of being hurled distances by the tornado's fury. During an 1 1 a.m. media tour Sunday, ISP Trooper D.R.

He showed the foundation ruins of one home where a family of three survived by huddling beneath a small wooden stairway going to the basement. Village evacuated Again Sunday, the village was officially evacuated and cordoned off with tight security and patrol by law enforcement, civil defense and National Guard personnel until officials have had an opportunity to assess the area and declare it safe for re-entry, officials told yesterday's news conference at the First National Bank in Allendale. The bank has servedas -an emergency command center since shortly after the weekend disaster. Rob Coleman, First National's senior vice president, said the bank -has established an Allen dale Relief Fund and is accepting contributions at its Allendale and Mt. Carmel locations to help the immediate relief efforts.

Established in 1906, the First National has never closed on a banking day, Mr. Coleman noted, and assured the financial' institution's efforts in support of Allendale would continue, Illinois State Police public information officer He told Sunday's news conference only one minor incident was reported after Saturday night's evacuation. One individual who refused to leave the location was arrested about 4 a.m. for allegations of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. "Unauthorized people will be arrested," he stressed of the continuing evacuation of the village.

Also during the conference, Sheriff Grounds stated that it. took him approximately one hour to reach Main Street after leaving his home four blocks away. "Right after the tornado down, we had heavy rain and hail which made rescue and search almost impossible for the next hour," said Grounds. According to Grounds, about 35 percent of the town was devastated, primarily the southeastern portion which also includes the business district. "We have 'roughly about 47 homes that have been totally Please turn to Page 12.

Hoiv ffrey A family of three persons survived the Allendale tornado Saturday night by sheltering themselves' underneath these stairs. Their house, however, was a total disaster. (Staff photo by Ben Dicus) 1 Victims helped 17 school halted 2 days By Phil Gower and Larry Reynolds Volunteer Linda Cusick as well as other emergency workers in ambulances shuttling injured tornado victims to Wabash General Hospital (WGH) Saturday night feared "another Marion." "It's awful. The fire station is' gonc.the bank is where they are triaging injured people," she said before the ambulance returned to the disaster scene. Nearly 18 hours later, Illinois Governor James Thompson also compared the total devastation to that of the Marion tornado of 1982 although noting the earlier storm's swath was much more widespread.

The Marion tornado caused 10 deaths and left 146 injured plus another 1,000, people homeless on May 29, 1982 From the emergency workers to the governor, those who witnessed the aftermath of the storm at Allendale shared the same disbelief that there were not lives lost in the rubble pi-homes and buildings. Touring Allendale, the governor called the property losses "just awful" and assured the state would do "everything it can do to help." He said Allendale lost inost of its downtown, its public facilities and buildings including village hall, community center and school. Civil emergency A joint declaration of civil emergency was signed. by Wabash County Sheriff Randy District By Bob Livingston DRR Staff Writer School for elementary stu7 dents of' Allendale District 17 will be halted for-at least two days, today (Monday) and tomorrow, while high school students, who' attend Mt. Carmel High School, are advised to make their own way to school if possible.

That was the decision here Sunday night in an Emergency Meeting of the District 17 School Board in the offices of District 348. The decision came about because of the tornado hjt Allendale Saturday night and destroyed th6 K-8 school building there. Meanwhile, the board will investigate consider, during today and tomorrow, its options for holding school for the elementary students. Superintendent Graver Burkett said the district needs at least News in 'V postponed The YMCA annual meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight at the First Christian Church has been postponed until Jan.

23. Water district plans There will be- an important meeting of the Rural Wabash County Water District on Tuesday (tomorrow) at 7 p.m. All committee members are urged to attend as the organization plans the agenda for the upcoming public meeting. The rural water district public meeting will be Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6:30 p.m.

at the Lancaster Christian School. Deaconess treats As of 7 a.m. this morning (Monday) these people's conditions were confirmed at Deaconess Hospital: and Brad Payne were treated and released, Austin Walker, Jayson Coomer and Charlotte Johnston were listed in fair condition. Harry Schafer is listed in serious condition and Sue Liddle is listed as from Edwards County: said he would check on those possibilities today. Other assistance Burkett said District 348 had offered to let District 17 set up temporary offices in the District 348 office and he had accepted.

Burkett said all inquiries to District 17 should be made to the District 348 office until further notice. Meanwhile, district officials and faculty members will attempt to salvage any and all materials possible from the ruined building, including books and computers. Burkett said the district's financial records were on a computer disc which was now located at board secretary Ed McFarland's home. The board held a short Executive Session to discuss person-nel, but took no action afterward. 40s Wednesday- and Thursday and lows in the 30s.

Highs Friday in the 30s and lows in the 20s. Prayer for today God of birth and life, we pray for your blessing on all families of the earth. Amen. Lions gather The Mt. Carmel chapter of Lions International will hold its -Kgularmecting tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6:15 pjn.

in the Elks Club. Lions president Don Mains asked all members to bring canned food which will be distributed in Allendale. Musings Wabash Whew! Only more months to go until the new releases are concerned. Offers of facilities came from the Lawrenceville District in the form of the St. Francisville facility, from the First Baptist Church in Mt.

Carmel, from district attorney Richard Kline, and from District 348 board members Kevin Williams and Ron Wilcox, members of the Mt. Carmel Church of God who were attending the District 17 meeting in an unofficial capacity. Burkett also said he had talked to Illinois Governor James R. Thompson and State Senator Bill O'Daniel (D-Mt. who toured Allendale Sunaay, about funding for replacing the school building.

Board president Tom Wood said he had inspected the school buses and surveyed the damage. He asked Burkett about replacing them and Burkett said he would attempt to borrow one bus from District 348 and one Saturday 65 22 .57 High Low Precip. Sunday 31 '21 0 Wabash River readings: Friday ,10.06 1.33 Saturday 11.801.74 Sunday 12.73 .93 Forecast Illinois: Monday night partly cloudy. Not so Low ranging from 5 to 10 northwest tip to the mid 20s far southeast Tuesday mostly cloudy north with a chance of snow north third, pardy sunny south. Highs ranging from the 20s far north to the 40s far south.

Southern Illinois: Monday night fair. Low in the lower or middle 20s. Light southerly winds. Tuesday mainly sunny. Warmer.

High in the middle or upper 40s. Illinois extended forecast Wednesday through Friday: North half fair; Highs mid 20s to mid 30s Wednesday, in the 30s Thursday and Friday. Lows in the teens and 20s. South half partly cloudy Wednesday, a chance of rain Thursday, fair and colder Friday. Highs in the nine classrooms and told the board that he had received a couple of offers.

The board will meet again tonight at 6, in the District 348 facility. A faculty meeting has been calledlor tomorrow at 8 a.m. in the same office. Game goes on Despite the no-school situation, the Allendale basketball team will play tonight in the Bonpas Conference Tournament' at St. Mary's Gym in Carmel.

Team members are to assemble at the school at 6:30 p.m. If they have uniforms and equipment they are to bring them but not to let the lack of the same hinder their participation. Equipment and uniforms will be found. The board also authorized Burkett to make air decisions as needed due to the "emergency situation. He is to be the official voice for the district as far as Brief Weather Wabash County weather readings: Friday High High Low Precip.

50 45 .01 Low Precip. Route 1 closed Illinois Route 1 at Allendale will remain closed to through traffic probably until mid-week, a spokesman for Illinois State Police said today. All but local traffic has been detoured up the Bridgeport blacktop and back to Route 1 on the Allendale-Lancaster road. However, the ISP spokesman in Carmi said state, local and police officials were meeting today to decide how to handle traffic flow to the tornado ravaged community. 7 Church open Karen Hobler of Parkview Church on route 1 told the DRR this morning that food, blankets and clothes are no longer needed but urges people from Allendale to come and pick up the supplies they have collected.

The church will be open daily from 9 to 5. By Larry Reynolds DRR Religion Editor vA Mt. Carmel man was one of the first on the scene after a tornado struck Allendale where he was able to help a distraught family to safety in blinding rain and dark. Gary Trusty, a pumper for Beard Oilwell Service, had been sent to Allendale Saturday evening by a report that one of Beard's tank batteries was on fire. He speculated the, morning after, sitting in a Sunday School class, that perhaps he had been sent there early for a higher purpose.

Trusty arrived shortly after 5 p.m., apparently only minutes after ravenous wjnds devoured one-third of the community. Rubble from nearby houses was scattered across State Route 1 at the south edge of town and almost seemed to setlk before his eyes. Suddenly, a National Guardsman appeared in the headlights of his truck as he clamoured, over crumpled houses. He. yelled to Trusty that he needed help in rescuing a little girl who was trapped inside a house.

Trusty started following the Guardsman across the rubble, but came upon a man and woman and two children huddled against the side of a car. rSome appeared to have been injured. They asked for When he looked, the Guardsman had disappeared into the darkness, so Trusty turned to help the family. The husky, 6-foot-1 oil pumper "grabbed one of the children and together they stumbled and slid across broken studs and sections of roofing. "When I got back to the truck, Francis Beard was there and he took them to the hospital," Trusty said.

"It was raining and blowing hard," he said, "and it began to hail." Unable to find the Guardsman, Trusty began to search for addi-' tional victims. While crawling through the wreckage of one house, a telephone started ringing. He didn't answer. When he returned, to his truck he was contacted on a two-way radio by a co-worker, Dale Hughes, who had gone t(? check on his parents and friends just southwest of the community. He had found Harry Schafer, an elderly widower, pinned under his Route 1 house and help was needed to gel him.

out. Trusty, blocked by debris, had to drive around on the Bridgeport blacktop to reach the house. On the way, he came across two teenagers who joined the rescue effort. They arrived at the Schafer residence about the same time as another couple. Together they lifted a section of the house, propped it up with a broken 4-by-4, and Trusty and Hughes pulled Schafer to safety.

Trusty transported the victim to the hospital while the unidentified woman prayed all the way to Mt. Carmel, holding Schafer's injured leg in her lap. The injured man was transferred to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville' with a serious leg injury where he is still listed in critical condition today. The' pumper turned northward again, but when he arrived in Allendale area law enforcement -officials and rescue crews had organized a search, so" he joined Hughes in checking the tank battery. It had been destroyed by fire.

During a calmer moment tne next day, someone in his Sunday Schopl class suggested that perhaps God had sent him there. to help. "I hadn't thought of it before," he told the DRR. Asked how Guardsmen happened to arrive so quickly after the tornado had struck, the oil worker said they were returning -from Lawrcnccville after routine weekend drill. It appears that Sgt.

Ross Madden and Jerry Lathrop had also been brought to Allendale. .1.