Southern Illinoisan from Carbondale, Illinois • Page 1

Tri i PUBLICATION OFFICES Ctibondtie, 22? VV. Main Hemn, 212 N. 16tb Murphytboro, 9 S. 12tb Ml Vsl. 65 298 Se a Copy 24 Paps THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1957 Carbondaic Hcmn Murphysboro, Illinois I I IHI i 0 i rimnj lf7 Li I i lln'rii body of Drench Joyce Jolin- son, 12, is removed from ruins mm Uulslj tot.

i 7 FACE OF TRAGEDY George Butcher, whose wife and three children were killed 1 'i-K-' 4 4 y-r '-j JU' IS A IS in the Murphysboro twister, finds the family photograph al- bum in the ruins ot his home. Then Butcher's face was masked with sorrow. He found a treasure in the ruins the family photograph album. Business Halted Murphysboro business life slowed to a standstill this morning. A spokesman for the Retail Interest Committee of the Chamber of Commerce said efforts were under way to have stores open this afternoon, but said operation of the stores would depend upon electricity.

Several grocery stores were open this morning under emergency operation. All schools were closed. Most of the schools have electrically operated stokei furnaces, and were without heat. Friday Father, Son Survive 5 Si i7" Mrs. E.

W. Lono, 8 Grant was injured, (Photo by Den Gelman) Hesray persons were reported seriously in-j jured. Police patrolled ravaged areas after minor looting was reported. Centralia, Benton and Salem firemen aided Mt. Vernon firemen in fighting small fires and clearing rubble.

Here's Where To Find News Of Disasters Here's where to find tornado disaster news and pictures and other news in today's Southern Illinoisan: 1. Page of pictures of tornado damage, Page 24. 2. National news, Pae 22. 3.

Pictures of disaster and eyewitness report, Page 3. 4. Children at Willisville school saved by Christmas pageant practice. 5. Map of twister area, Page 3.

A -IT rrr Hi 4 kit 4 win 1 '--si) right is Illinois Electric Gas plant which also was heavily damaged. Walnu street is at up- right. Bij Muddv River is at (Photo By Ld Greer) 40 Houses Homeless; 200 Murphvsboro suffered the hardest blow from a series of tornados which lashed Southern Illinois Wednesday. At noon today, nine persons were known dead and estimates of injuries had reached 200. About 35 persons were hospitalized, but lew were in serious or critical condition.

Total property damage was expected to exceed $1 million. Jackson Sheriff Howard Cheatham said at least 16 people arc reported missing. ue are having people report missing cases to the state's attorney's office, and then we're sending search parties out to check the cases. Plight now we don't have accurate records on names of those missin, but we're checking at least 16 dit ferent cases," Cheatham said. The known Murphysboro dead are: Mrs.

Martha Butcher, 30, and children Mary Jane, 13, Donald Ray, 5, and Janet 3 Air. and Mrs. Richard Menley, both about 60 Brenda Joyce Johnson, 12 Mrs. Julia Marshall, 72, and grandson Bobbie Marshall, 2. One man, James Carter, died in a twister at Sunfield north of Du Quoin.

The twister roared through the southwest and east-side sections of Murphysboro about 4:55 p. m. An explosion and fire in the wind's wake added to the destruction and injury toll. At least one man burned to death. He was the ninth victim, identified as Richard Menley.

The body of his wife was found Wednesday nidit about 20 feet from where his charred corpse was found buried in debris. The body was found shortly before 8 a. m. to day by a neighbor, James Watson, 24. The savage wind destroyed or damaged at least 40 homes, mostly on the city's east side in the river bottom area covered by floods last spring.

Hundreds of persons were left homeless and deprived of nearly all possessions. The wind's force also shattered windows, ripped off limbs and uprooted trees throughout the city. Downtown streets were littered with dass and debris. National Guardsmen called out shortly after the storm blocked off the ravared area at 10 p. m.

Wed- nesday to prevent looting. It was opened to persons with sheriff's passes at 6 a. m. today. No looting had been reported.

The 50 Carbondale Guardsmen will patrol until the sheriff releases them. Commander Col. Frank Brock said. Most of the injured required only first aid and were released after treatment or sent to a temporary ward in the St. Andrew's School ovmnasium.

Others stayed overnight in the Logan Junior High School The Red Cross and other agencies provided bedding -and food for the homeless. Jackson County Coroner Gale Williams said today a joint inquest would be held for all victims as soon as identification is complete. Two, tentatively identified as Mr. and Mrs. Richard Menley, arc still officially unidentified.

Williams said an inquest would be before the first of the year, tm less complete identification was de- laed. The Cairo Weather Station said today 26 tornadoes had been reported in the Missouri-lllinois-In-diana area coveted in Wednesday warning. At least 14 of these were in Southern Illinois. The forecast calls for cloudy eather today through Friday, with occasional rain likely tonight and Friday. There is a chance for thunderstorms, hut no indication a5 vet as to how severe.

No tcm- I Many Are Injured perature change is foreca-f, with a high day of 55, a low tonight of 40 and a high Friday of 48. A Chester newspaper editor estimated damage there at a half a million dollars, with 25 to 30 homes destroyed or damaged. Some injuries were reported. Other Illinois tornadoes were re- ported at Boyd, eight miles north west of Mt. Vernon; Welge; Wood River; Hartford; Campground, northeast of Mt.

Vernon, and Annapolis. Some farm buildings were reported destroyed between De Soto and Hurst. There were no reports of injuries. Chief problem faced bv rescue and salvage workers tdav was sightseers, State Highway Police headquarters at Du Quoin said today. The scene at the Sunfield Wye, North of Du Quoin at the intersection of Rts.

51 and 154, looked like a child's bowling game. The twister had whipped through a junk yard at the intersection, scattering old cars around the landscape. Every house in the tiny settlement was flattened. Officers found Carter's body across the road from his restaurant, against a concrete culvert. A witness said Carter had just stepped out of his car in front of the restaur ant when the tornado hit.

Neighbors fixed time cf the storm at The winds knocked out a stretch of telephone line, including main trunk lines to Centralia. Ne.ir Carbondale The Cedar Lane Trailer Park on Rt. 51 2 miles south of Carbondale was hit by a twister at 5:25 p. turning over 15 trailers andj seriously damaging at least three houses in the area. Clyde Arnold, owner of the park, said the twister hit the center cf the trailer park but no one was injured seriously.

He said five persons were treated for minor in juries. Fifteen of the 22 trailers in the park are probably total losses, he said. He estimated trailer damage at more than $50,000. Lewis Bahr's house near the trailer park was re ported badly damaged. The home of Delbert Holder, southwest of Carbondale, was destroyed and Mrs.

Holder was hospitalized. The business district of Gotham and the residential district east ol the Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks were flattened by a twister, apparently the same one which later hit Murphysboro. Every business building in town either was destroyed or damaged. Stone's restaurant as flattened but the nearby railroad depot was not damaged. The Flod Norton home and Bill Vanover home at Gorham both were blown away.

A number of injuries but no fatalities were reported. Cutler Damage One of the earliest twisters hit the area north of Cutler in Perrv County about 2:45 p. knocking two houses from their foundations, damaging several other fann-steads and knocking a car off the road. Homes owned by Herbert and Donald Howard, brothers, at the intersection of Rts. 150 and 154 were heavily damaged and four i persons suttcrcd minor injuries at the Herbert Howard nome At the height of the storm a car was blown off the road and over turned.

The driver, Ray Brown of Dupo, escaped with no serious injuries. Pete Howard, Herbert's uncle, said be was at the Herbert Howard home with Herbert's wife and 5-year-old son, Johnny, and a neighbor Mrs. Cliff Thomas. No one was at the brother's home. All Murphysboro Unit 186 Schools will be closed Friday.

of her grandmotner's home in Murphysboro. Her grandmother, trailer truck was overturned by the high winds. Two rural schools east of Mt. Vernon were reported seriously damaacd. Also hit was the corn- (muniry or Boyd, northwest of jMt.

Vernon, where eight of the town 12 buildings were leveled. Broken wires and shattered glass covered many of the streets. Manv of the injured were cut by flyine glass and debns. Officials said 27 persons werej taken to the Good Samaritan Hov I pital and 12 were admitted to Jef- ferson Memorial. Others did not' require hospitalization.

Only five! LOCAL WEATHER Low yesterday 55; 7 a. ra. today 37; 6 p. ra. yesterday 62 High yesterday 63; noon today 50.

Precipitation 0.58 inches from 7 a. m. yesterday to 7 a. m. today.

Sun rises 7:19 a. sets 4:35 p. m. Crab Orchard Lake 2 inches above spillway Little Grassy Lake 4 inches above spillway I it iiJ 5 lower right, flattening homes and starting fires. At least two fatalities occurred on either vide ot Illinois Central Railroad tracks at uppci left.

At lower 4 In Family Dead Mt. Vernon i Mayor 7kii T. uaiiey7 esumarea damage at one million dollars was caused bv a tornado which ripped three sections of the city about 4:35 p.m. Wednesday. Between 75 and 100 h-Tnes were destroyed or damaged.

Nearly 50 persons were reported injur esiimarea damage at ed. No den rhs had been reported at noon today. Twelve elderly persons were injured when the twister splintered parts of the frame Quinn Nursing Home and a tree crashed through the roof and one side. None was Kriously injured. The tornado hit the southeast side of the city, then slammed the north and northwest areas.

Fifteen to 18 homes wore de-inoved in one northwest side res-idential block. Lack of electric power hampered civil defense workers and doctors and nurses at two hospitals. Fire department emergency generators were used to keep the hospitals operating. Trees were splintered throughout most of the city and many autos were danced. At least one I.

J-i TORNADO PATH Aerial view ot Murphysboro looking west showing areas ex- tensively damaged by Wcdnes- dav's tornado Storm travelled from upper left in photo towards ir. C7 I i One son was unharmed and a daughter was seriously hurt, (Photo by Ben Gelman) Boil Water, Murphysboro People Told A precautionary "boil water" order was issued this morning by Jackson County Health Officer Dr. R. F. Sondag.

Dr. Sondag said preliminary checks show no danger for the Murphysboro city water supply, but said the boiling should be carried out as a precautionary measure in event of contamination. Windows in the filtration plant were kninrked out, but no major damage was reported to equipment. Rural Loss Is $100,000 Jackson County rural area property sustained damage estimated in excess of $100,000 in Wednesda) 's storm. Electric sen ice probabh will not be restored until i lav niht, Supt.

ed Povers said. Powers said primary damage to the sen ice wa near the plant, wht re high winds cut srvral main ecder lines, lie said mx main ed. eeder lines were daniig- ouers saiJ lull scale power .,.11 i should be restored Friday night. He said, partial service mav restored to some areas tonight, but could not state which areas might have service. Powers said the plant sustain- ed damage to the exterior of several buildings, but said equipment was not damaged severely.

Powers said gas distribution was not affected By Ben Gelman Of the Southern Illinoisan A grieving man, shocked by tragedy, picked through the wreckage of his Murphysboro home this morning. "I sure would like to have a picture of where the house sat," George Butcher said. His wife and three of his children died in the twister. Another daugh-tcr Glenna, is in serious condition. Only he and a son, Lcrov, 9, escaped unharmed.

'She's breathing good," But-chcr said of Glenna. He sorted through the odds and ends left of his home, which was swept into pieces and moved about a 100 vards from its foundation. "There's part of my workshop," he said wistfully as he picked up an electric motor. "That's Janet's doll," said Le-roy. Power Slated By Murphysboro Murphysboro utilities took a s'aocerine blou' in Wednesday's tornado.

Electric service was completely out as winds knocked down part of the Illinois Electric and Gas Co. station on E. Walnut Street, and smashed service lines in a 12-block area. Water was ou: shortly alter the storm struck, as fire fighting drained the tan I- orage, and a lack of electrical power prevented refilling by pumping. Emergency pumping status was regained about midnight, and water service was restored early this morning.

Local telephone service was not disrupted. The Genial Telephone Co. reported its standby electrical system took Utilities Dealt Heavy Blow over shortly alter city service was knocked out. and local service was open continually. The office clamped an "emergency onlv" status on local calls Wednesday night, after heavy uscage strained capacity ol the standby equipment.

Regular service was maintained today, with the exception oi one brief period when decreasing power caused loss of ringing pover. The office reported virtually no long distance lines open. Lines are open to Ava and Campbell Hill on toll service, and to Carbondale. The office routed one emergency line through Carbondale oiii. out nek' the line only lor calls.

specific emergency viiiy- -'W.