WIDE TRAIL OF DAMAGE— Tornadoes In U.S. Kill 41: Injured Total 400

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 May 1949, Page 5

WIDE TRAIL OF DAMAGE— Tornadoes In U.S. Kill 41: Injured Total 400

NEW YORK, May 22 (Rec 1.10 p.m.).—Tornadoes killed 41, and injured nearly 400 and smashed over 900 homes in the Midwest last night. The property damage is expected to run into millions of dollars.

The authorities in some stricken towns feared the death-roll would go higher when rescue parties completed the search through the litter of torn wires, uprooted trees, wrecked motor-cars, and flattened houses.

Scores of injured, were taken to hospital, some in a critical condition. The American Red Cross at Washington announced that it had set aside 750,000 dollars for relief of tornado victims in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas. At least five tornadoes and high winds smashed through nearly a score of towns and farming communities.

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, took the hardest blow with 19 known dead and 250 injured. The Mayor estimated that 500 families were homeless. Communications were wrecked at most points and Palestine (Illinois) was left without water and electricity. ' / Twelve storage tanks of the Standard Oil Company went up in a mass of flames when a tornado hit Woodriver, near St Louis.