FIVE DEAD, 82 HURT WIDE DAMAGE IN TEXAS TORNADO

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22948, 17 May 1949, Page 5

FIVE DEAD, 82 HURT WIDE DAMAGE IN TEXAS TORNADO

(10 a.m.) NEW YORK, May 16. A tornado swept through the Panhandle section of Texas tonight, killing at least five persons in the residential district of south Amarillo. About 82 persons were admitted to three hospitals suffering from injuries. The storm interrupted communications and it is impossible yet to get a clear picture of the damage and casualties. Fire brigade officials said the damage extended over about 30 blocks m Amarillo. Torrential rain and huge hailstones accompanied the tornado. It flattened two hangars at Amarillo airport and caused 200,000 dollars’ worth of " damage to wheat combines and harvesting equipment at the Massey Harris plant. The main fury of the storm concentrated on Amarillo. It overturned some vehicles on the highway outside the city and blew several vans off a goods train off the line 10 miles from the city. A farmer said he saw two horses blown about three-quarters of a mileState highway patrols sent cars from the surrounding districts to assist in the rescue work and urgent appeals were made for blood plasma. The complete casualties will not be known until the rescue crews have searched the debris. J . The authorities said the fact that many people were at church or the movies kept the death-roll down.