TORNADO DAMAGE IS NEAR HALF MILLION; RESIDENTS BEGINNING TO REBUILD HOMES
Toll Stands at Five Dead, 22 in Hospitals;
215 Houses Are Damaged or Destroyed
Debris was being cleared Saturday from an 18-block area damaged by the tornado which twisted through Holdenville at 7:07 p.m. Friday.
Five dead, four in critical condition and 18 others hospitalized were the latest figures released by the highway patrol Saturday night. All other persons have been accounted for.
Others injured including those who suffered minor scratches and bruises, totaled at least 125 persons. Most of these were treated in homes since the city’s two hospitals were filled to capacity.
Saturday night the city was still classified as a disaster area by the Red Cross, and there was no indication when the emergency status would change.
The Red Cross made a tentative report late Saturday, that 35 homes were completely destroyed and 180 were damaged to varying degrees by the vicious storm. At present no list has been compiled of individual homes damaged or destroyed.
Highway patrolmen and other units assisting in traffic work in the disaster area Saturday night prepared for an avalanche of sightseers on Sunday.
They warned motorists to stay away from the stricken areas so that salvage operations can be continued without unnecessary congestion.
The tragic twister left a trail of death in its wake. Power and communications were severed, hospitals were filled to overflowing, and the city went through a critical period until disaster operations could be put into effect.
Ambulance drivers were operating under orders to pick up only injured persons believed to be in serious condition.
Two of the fatalities died in hospitals. They were Mrs. Ben Collins, about 70, and W.U. Ford, 81. The other three were found dead after the storm.
Bodies of Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Dowdy were found almost two blocks from their home. Their bodies were recovered near the Penn West Baptist church on North Arnold.
Elmer Dean walker, 15, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Walker, was found in the home of his parents on North Belmont street.
The youth died a hero. He threw himself over the body of his small brother seconds before the storm lashed the home of his parents.
His mother said that when the family saw the storm they fell to the floor she heard Elmer Dean cry out to his brother, Jimmy. When the storm passed, Jimmy, was found crying below the badly cut and bruised body of his brother.
Mrs. Walker was on the list of critically injured victims.
Much work was begun Saturday toward rebuilding the area that was almost completely destroyed by the storm. Near the corner of North Arnold and Second streets a bulldozer was clearing the rubble from a block which was almost completely demolished when the twister struck with all its fury.
The highway patrol and Red Cross reported that “hundreds” of persons were left homeless by the storm, but there is no accurate count. It was estimated at “somewhere near 500 persons.”
Most all the homeless have been taken into private residences, hotels or rooming establishments. Last night many were housed in the armory. Tonight the armory is a barracks for guard-duty Ð weary national guard troops.
Leonard Bise, who was in charge of the fire department during disaster operations and who will become fire chief June 1, credited the power failure, which occurred shortly before the storm, with saving the city from further damage by fires from hot wires.
He said it seemed “almost a miracle” that there were some broken gas lines in Penn West yet there were no fires there. The lines, as well as those of the electric and telephone companies, were being repaired Saturday.
The force of the storm was enough to overturn heavy trucks and leave nothing standing when it hit a house directly. Patrol officials said the city is “extremely lucky” that the toll was not higher.
Hundreds of people from other towns, including police, fire department, highway patrol units and regular cityans trying to help, flocked to the city. Their only question when reaching a headquarters was “where am I needed.”
The entire population of the city was willing to help in any operation.
The American Legion post Saturday afternoon distributed printed copies of instructions on how storm victims should go about getting clothing and food.
Meanwhile, the Red Cross reported that funds will be available to purchase new clothes for the victims and that used clothing will be made available soon at the Civic Center.
The Hughes county Red Cross disaster unit was called together at the courthouse only minutes after the storm struck. The group remained in continuous operation through Saturday night.
Mrs. Trigg Lesueur, secretary of the county Red Cross chapter, was on duty constantly and was a clearing house for casualty reports, emergency messages, and other duties relatives to the disaster operations.
Carl C. Stanford, head of the disaster committee, took charge of the disaster relief work until officials from the state Red Cross office in Oklahoma City arrived early Saturday.
Just when the city would no longer be declared a disaster area was not known late Saturday.
More repair work will get started Monday and later in the week, disaster officials said. Meantime, adjustment of insurance losses is being pushed.
Col. James Weaver of Okemah, executive officer of the 180th Infantry regiment of the 45th National Guard division and disaster chairman for the guard in this area, is in command of all troops here. Twenty-five National; Guardsmen from Wetumka were called to duty here to supplement the manpower of the two local guard units. An Okemah guard unit was placed on a stand-by basis in case it would be needed to supplement or replace troops already assigned here.
Meantime, sole responsibility of policing the damaged area was checked to the city police department, county sheriff’s office, national guard and highway patrol. Major Ralph Thompson of the highway patrol is in command of patrol units here.
City Street Commissioner Earl Roberts, at a coordination meeting of disaster units Saturday, was given full authority to conduct the debris cleanup. After the streets are completely cleared, debris detrimental to public health will be given first consideration.
Householders Saturday were urged to discard their unsalvageable lumber. New lumber will be available through the Red Cross if the property owner was not protected with insurance and is financially unable to buy the lumber himself.
Meantime, the county commissioners made fairgrounds buildings available for storage purposes.
The overall planning committee for future operations is headed by Stanford. Members are George R. Eckles, Tony Lyons, C.A. Moore, John Ed Davis, Fire Chief Jack Lowrance, Tom R. Phillips, John R. Turner, Clayton Stanford, acting mayor in the absence of Mayor Frank Grayson; James W. Rodgers, jr., commander of the American Legion post, Chief of Police Jimmie Owen, Sheriff Emit Petete, Highway Patrol Chief Thompson, W.R. Johnson, director of the local office of the Oklahoma Employment Commission; Bruce Agan, Roberts, T.I. Hayes and County Commissioners Buck Miller, Curtis Robinson and Stona Fitch.
The finance committee is composed of Eckles and Davis.
COORDINATION UNWINDS CITY TRAFFIC SNARL
Holdenville’s tornado not only twisted the hearts of local victims when it swirled across the east edge of the city about 7 p.m. Friday; but it also slashed the vital arteries of transportation and traffic control lines.
Traffic is running smoothly now, but it’s no accident. Here’s how state and local officers dished up an ample portion of courtesy, cooperation and coordination and solved the traffic puzzle.
Lt. Col. James H. Weaver, national guardsman from Okemah, immediately called and deployed headquarters company, 180th Infantry, 45th Division, at strategic points around the devastated Penn West area. Local Police Chief Jimmy Owens began an all-night search for tornado victims. And Lt. O.L. Nickerson of the Oklahoma highway patrol McAlester division threw up road blocks a few miles outside of Holdenville on US 270 and State 69 while Patrol Chief Ralph Thompson and Assistant Chief Norman Holt left Oklahoma City for the scene.
Meanwhile, local police units from Tulsa, McAlester, Cushing, Ada, Shawnee, Wewoka, Henryetta and Seminole rushed to Holdenville to aid in the police and traffic work.
Additional highway patrol units from Pauls Valley, Ada, Shawnee, Oklahoma City, McAlester, Guthrie, Okemah, Okmulgee, Eufaula.
MAIL IS DELIVERED TO TORNADO AREA
Every effort will be made to deliver mail to tornado victims, Mel Clow, city postmaster, said Saturday.
Families with homes destroyed and persons who have moved from their damaged houses while repairs are begun may receive their mail from the general delivery window.
The post office sent a truck to the Penn-West area of the disaster Saturday and handed mail to families while they searched the ruins for their belongings.
PLASMA SUPPLIES ADEQUATE HERE
Additional supplies of blood plasma were received from the Red Cross, and supplies are adequate for present needs, the hospital reported Saturday night.
Twenty-four pints of plasma, sent by the Red Cross from Oklahoma City, were presented to St. Francis and P. & S. hospitals Friday night, along with 200 units of penicillin, 5,500 of tetanus, glucose and bandages.
*TH’ PESSIMIST
By Bob Blanks, Jr.
There’s three sure things - death, taxes an’ strikes.
This is th’ season when th’ lunch hour is spent tryin’ t’ decide whether t’ shun th’ onions ‘or your friends.
THE DEAD
ELMER DEAN WALKER, 15, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Walker.
W.U. FORD, 70
MR. AND MRS. W.A. DOWDY, 62 and 56.
MRS. T.B. COLLINS, 70.
THE INJURED ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL CRITICAL
Mr. Wiley Brittain 50
Mrs. Alice Hawthorne 77
Quick settlement of insurance claims was promised Saturday by the General Adjustment Bureau which is representing most of the capital stock insurance companies with local agents.
The adjustment bureau has opened a temporary “storm office” at 203 N. Broadway, in the room vacated by the Foster Butane Co. when they moved to its new location in the 100 block.
T.S. Jones, Dallas, is in charge of the office. “We are very anxious to effect payment on all capital stock insurance policies, realizing that every day saved in getting money to the policyholders hastens the day when Holdenville will have completely recovered from the storm,” Jones said.
E.B. Neighbors, Ada, is one of Jones’ assistants. A crew of adjustors is assigned to the office to hasten the claim payments.
STORM INTERRUPTS RETAIL BUSINESS, RUMMAGE SALE, TOO
The tornado interrupted business in many retail stores Ð and completely closed one temporary establishment.
Mrs. Mae Mack 51
Mrs. Violet Bowers 45
OTHERS
Mr.RalphWalker.............36
Mrs.RalphWalker............35
Mrs. Ona Brittain . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
JoyceBrittain................15
Shirley Brittain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Billie Brittain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Eldon Brittain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Mrs.DoraBrotherlor..........72
Mr.T.B.Collins...............77
Mrs.OscarNolen ............56
James Bowers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
James Bowers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Mr.W.D.Chambers...........72
Mrs.W.D.Chambers..........65
RELEASED
Bobby Brittain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
AmosBowers ...............48
AdaBishop..................11
OscarNolen.................68
T.J. Adamson
Mr. and Mrs. W.K. Grimes. . . . . . 60
Mr. and Mrs. Jess Lee and daughter
Barbara Browing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
P.&S.
Mrs. Oscar Owens
Larry, Gary Owens
Mrs. W.V. Ford
Mrs. O. Bixby was treated and released from Grimes Hospital at Wewoka.
SURETY OFFICE SET UP HERE
Lambeth class of the Methodist church was set to open a rummage sale in the corner room of the Dixie Theatre building Saturday morning.
But the sale was not opened as planned because the devastating, death-dealing storm struck Friday evening at 7:07. Instead, the clothing was left racked and will be available for distribution to needy storm victims.
RITES FOR TWO TORNADO VICTIMS ARE SCHEDULED; OTHERS PENDING
Funeral rites for two of the city’s five storm victims have been scheduled and arrangements for the others are pending the arrival of relatives.
Rites and burial will be directed by Hudson Funeral Home for each of the victims, Mrs. Laura Ida Collins, 70, William U. Ford, 80, Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Dowdy, 62 and 56, respectively, and Elmer Dean Walker, 15.
Services for Mrs. Collins have been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Penn West Baptist church. The Rev. Riley Simpson, pastor, will officiate, assisted by the Rev. T.W. White of Horntown.
Surviving her are her husband, T.B. Collins; two sons, Douglas of Tulsa and George of Lancaster, Calif.; four daughters, including Mrs. Ernest Burkes of Wetumka; 12 grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.
Funeral arrangements for William Ulysses Ford will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in First Baptist church. The Rev. Earl Stark, pastor, will officiate and burial will be in Holdenville cemetery by Hudson’s.
Mr. Ford had resided here since 1908 when he came from Tecumseh.
He is survived by his wife, one son, A.R. of Kaw City, two daughters, Mrs. Merle Whitehead of San Angelo, Tex. And Mrs. Pauline Rutherford of Bridgeport, Tex.; 10 grandchildren, and seven greatgrandchildren.
Mr. and Mrs. Dowdy’s rites are pending.
They are survived by one son, Ralph Dowdy of Tulsa, and two granddaughters. The couple came here from Ranger, Ark. In 1913.
Mr. Dowdy is survived by two brothers, G.H. Dowdy, city, and T.F. of Belleville, Ar. She also has two brothers, Ben Cannon of Belleville and W.N. Cannon of Roswell, N.M. and one sister, Mrs. Ardenia Garner of Belleville.
Bearers for the couple have been named. Mrs. Dowdy’s bearers will be Bert Glass, Hershel Hamby, John McRay, Oscar Harrington, Buck McRay and Ashley Thetford. Bearers for Mr. Dowdy will be Speck Broaddus, Sabe Smith, Cecil Robinson, Vonnie Roberson, Herman Apple and J.E. Campbell.
Rites for Elmer Dean Walker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Walker, still are pending.
The youngest of the storm victims, he is survived by two brothers, Glen Ray and Jimmy Ralph and one sister, Cloretta Joyce.
NO DAMAGE NOTED
IN RURAL AREAS
ADJACENT TO C ITY
Private pilots scanning the Holdenville area Saturday reported on damage beyond Penn West addition.
Clyde Fuqua, owner of Holdenville Steam Laundry and Dry Cleaners, and Paul Gille, city florist, were among the many civilian pilots who flew over the area to determine if the twister extended beyond the city limits.
Neither reported damage beyond Penn West. However, if there was any storm damage in rural areas, victims should register at disaster headquarters in Civic Center. An ample supply of new clothing is available to meet immediate needs.
VETERANS OFFERED
GRANTS AND LOANS
An emergency office was opened Saturday in Civic Center to make loans and grants to veterans who suffered losses in Friday night’s tornado.
Les Devine, an American Legion departmental officer, and John Lucas, representative of the state veterans department, were issuing loans and grants. **
One woman called upon the Red Cross to have a dead horse removed from her back doorstep.
RED CROSS GIVES BENEFITS TO VICTIMS
WHO REGISTER
Red Cross benefits for tornado victims include shelter, food, clothing, construction, building repairs, household furnishings and medical care.
But before any of these benefits can be bestowed, the victims must register at Red Cross emergency headquarters in Civic Center, corner Seventh and Creek streets.
For this reason, storm victims in need or who think they may need financial and other assistance before they are completely rehabilitated from storm-imposed setback, are urged to register at their earliest convenience.
The emergency headquarters will be open today and will remain open daily until registration of all eligibles for Red Cross help is completed.
“Our whole job is predicted on disaster-caused need beyond the family’s own resources,” a spokesman for the Red Cross explained. “No pull or pressure is necessary. It makes no difference as to race, color or creed of the person in need because of the disaster.”
In a nutshell, this is the Red Cross benefits to storm victims:
BUILDING AND REPAIR-Will restore or help restore the home if there are no other means. This grant based strictly on need and retention of the applicant’s former standard of living. A Red Cross building advisor will be here by Wednesday to assist in the promulgation of this phase of the Red Cross emergency relief program.
HOUSEHOLD FURNISHINGS -Will finance essential household furnishings. No luxury purchases. No replacement of non-essentials.
MEDICAL CARE - For disastercaused injuries or illnesses. In many instances, the physician charges only for the supplies used, donating his services. The Pryor Ð Johnston Ð Schaff clinic announced Saturday it wouldmakenocharge,eithertothe Red Cross or to the patient, for treatment of any storm-caused injury.
FOOD - Food lost in the storm will be replaced if the victim is without means of financing the purchase. There will be no excuse for anyone going hungry as a result of the storm. House rent also will be paid for a limited period of time under certain conditions.
CLOTHING - Funds for the purchase of clothing can be quickly made available, upon the showing of storm-caused need.
In short, the Red Cross is prepared to administer to any stormcaused need. A home visit will be made to every registrant.
SHETLAND COLT IS BORN AFTER STORM,
NAMED AFTER IT
The tornado left in its wake a name for the Shetland colt born immediately after the storm to Peewee, the three-year old Shetland mare owned by the George Turners, 319 N. Burgess.
Nado, the last four letters in the word tornado, is the name given the tiny colt. The shed near the Turner home which houses the little mare was slightly damaged by the storm, but the mother Shetland didn’t let the weather stand in the way of the natal event.
“Mother”Peeweeisadarkmare. Nado is a bay. All was well in the Shetland shed Saturday despite the littered surroundings.
Peewee was one of three mares George and John R. Turner purchased some time ago from the Frank Phillips ranch near Bartlesville. They also purchased a stallion.
Nado, the bay Shetland born right after Friday evening’s storm, will be the pet of the two George Turner children Ð Necia, 6, and Dickie, 3.
MIRACLES SOMETIME HAPPEN - EVEN WHEN
TORNADOES STRIKE
There were miracles of good luck as well as bad in Friday night’s tornado.
Jess Lee, city barber, said he heard what sounded like a “cannon barrage,” pulled his wife and daughter to the floor and tossed a mattress on top of them.
“Then I sat on the mattress,” he said. “I saw a two-by-four coming at my head and couldn’t dodge. I don’t know what happened next.”
What happened was that the house was blown awayÑall except the room occupied by the family. Their living room divan fell to earth a block away but the Lees were not seriously hurt.
IN THE STORM’S WAKE
Never before has Holdenville had such an out-of-county cars. They came from many places Saturday to view the storm damage. Relatives unable to get through long distance calls added to the flow of visitors.
Several persons viewed the storm damage from the air. Peggy Phillips, Junior High seventh grader, and her mother, Mrs. Tom R. Phillips, flew over the devastated area in a Cessna with flier Gale Pryor at the controls.
President Keith Kahle telephoned from his office in Ft. Worth that facilities of Central Airlines were available to make emergency delivery of medical or other supplies.
Several much heavier articles were blown across the yard of the Darl Vanhooser home, but a small wastebasket filled with trash stood unmoved.
Heavy furniture fared roughly in the J.B. Leftwich home, one of the 30 homes which must be completely rebuilt, but on a what-not shelf cups and saucers were undisturbed.
Splinters of wood were driven into walls of houses and utility posts.
The debris in the street was blamed for many flat and damaged tired.
Johnny Sellers is glad he forgot his car keys when he went out to his garage just before the storm hit. Before he returned with the keys, his garage was blown away.
Deputy Sheriff Martin Treat reported seeing an old-time pendulum clock lying near a wrecked home, the pendulum still swinging and the clock barely scratched.
LOSS ESTIMATED FROM
$300,000 UP TO $500,000 But Definite Total Never to be Known; Building Boom Seen
Holdenville’s Friday evening storm damage is estimated at from $300,000 to $500,000.
The $300,000 estimate is considered conservative. However, there were a few guesses of sums in excess of $500,000.
A definite total will never be known, since a public record of the individual losses will not be made.
The number of homes completely destroyed is estimated at 35. The number partially destroyed is estimated at 180. These estimates are believed to be fairly accurate. However, they do not include the destruction or partial destruction of small buildings such as garages. Many of these small structures were destroyed or damaged. The damage to automobiles is believed to total several thousand dollars.
There is no way of definitely determining the number of losses covered or partially covered by insurance, as this also is a private matter of which there is no public record.
However, it is believed that most of the losses were partially covered by insurance. One insurance man said Saturday he doubted if a single one of the better homes lost in the tornado did not have some measure of insurance coverage. Some fire insurance policies, it was pointed out, do not have extended coverage to include windstorm damage.
Rebuilding of the destroyed homes and repairing of the damaged ones will, it was agreed Saturday, provoke the most extensive home=building and home repair activity ever witnesses in Holdenville.
CLOTHING NEEDS OF STORM VICTIMS ARE TO BE FULFILLED
The clothing requirements of storm victims will be fully supplied.
American Red Cross funds will be available for the purchase of new clothing as well as household equipment. The State board of Public Welfare will share some of its disaster relief funds provided by the last legislature.
Added to this will be a large volume of clothing, shoes and bed clothing assembled and brought to Holdenville by good neighbors of other communities.
The McAlester post of the American Legion was the first to collect and send a large assortment of clothing and other useful articles. Then came the Lawrence community of Pontotoc county, seven miles southwest of Ada on Highway 12. Lawrence “good neighbors’ not only sent clothing, shoes and food, but $57 in cash. It was delivered by a delegation.
TWISTIN’ AROUND
Bert Leftwich, taking the severe destruction of his home in his stride, saying his home was “defrosted”; Joe Monroe saying his car was parked two feet from the garage, and the twister swiped his garage and left the car unscratched; Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Davis reporting they went to the shed to milk the cow shortly before the storm, lay on the floor when it hit, and when the big blow was over the cow and shed were gone but they were unharmed. . .Mr. and Mrs. David Bloom, sitting in their car in the garage when the twister hit, were unhurt and their car slightly damaged, but the garage was blown away; an unidentified photographer reporting he found an unbroken bottle of brandy in the middle of a stormswept street early Saturday; Adair Smith, public relations man from the state highway patrol, rescuing an orphaned kitten from the tornado debris; James W. Rodgers, Jr., complimented for his unexaggerated radio-interview account of the twister; Tommy Nolen suggesting he place a Want Ad in the Daily News to find his “lost garage”; A bottle of milk found intact next to a smashed refrigerator in Penn West; A home on North Burgess untouched except for the porch, which the occupants found in the front yard; Scores of residents in the Penn West area having to secure passes to go home.
