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Arkansas Gazette, Sunday, March 30, 1975, pgs. 1 and 23A
By Bill Lancaster - Gazette Southeast Arkansas Bureau
Mill Hit Hard; Pryor Fears Loss of Jobs
WARREN - The death count from Friday night's tornado here climbed to seven Saturday as Warren residents began to regroup from one of the worst storms Southeast Arkansas has witnessed.
According to Governor Pryor, who toured the area Saturday afternoon, roughly one out of four of the town's 6,000 residents needed temporary shelter. Scores were injured.
The governor also expressed concern that the heavy damage to the mill of Potlatch Forest, Inc., here would result in "widespread unemployment."
After viewing the destroyed homes and businesses, the governor made a damage estimate of $6 million to $10 million. Late in the day, Potlatch officials said damage to the mill alone would amount to "less than $10 million."
The Potlatch officials said "partial production" was expected to resume within two or three weeks.
Churches that had expected crowds for Easter worship today were turned into shelters for survivors. The newly built Westside Baptist Church was demolished.
Temporary shelter also was provided Saturday night at the YMCA, school gymnasium and other available spaces.
By late Saturday, everyone reported missing had been accounted for, State Police said.
Nightmare Got Jump On Energy Planning
Spring, usually a gentle and abiding friend to this sleepy Saline River Valley town that has become famous for its pink tomatoes, dealt a hellish nightmare at 7:50 p.m. Friday in the form of the killer tornado that ripped open the heart of the residential and business districts.
Ironically, the twister selected basically the same route as a 1949 tornado that killed 55 persons. The Good Friday twister was particularly horrifying to those who lived through that one 26 years ago.
The storm occurred only three days before the first scheduled meeting of the city's newly organized emergency rescue squad, which intended to specialize in tornado relief.
The damage was awesome.
Mr. Pryor, who toured the area along with other state and federal authorities, described the score as "horrible."
Appeal to Be Made For Disaster Relief
The governor said he would ask federal authorities to declare the city a disaster area so that residents and businessmen would be entitled to low-interest loans in rebuilding.
P. Wallace (Buddy) Whiteaker, administrative assistant to Senator John L. McClellan, toured the area with Mr. Pryor. Whiteaker said he was almost certain the city would qualify for disaster relief.
Loss More Devastating Than in 1949
Although the 1949 storm took a heavier toll in terms of casualties, Friday's was more devastating, according to survivors of both storms.
The Red Cross, after its survey, said that 54 persons were injured, 17 of these having to be hospitalized. The Red Cross said 126 homes were destroyed, 67 had major damage and 171 had minor damage.
Accounts of the 1949 twister reported 120 homes destroyed, 92 others with major damage and "conservatively" 250 injured. The Bradley Lumber Company, predecessor of Potlatch, sustained "extensive" damage. The 1949 tornado struck 40 minutes after workers left the mill at 5:30 p.m., or the casualty figures probably would have been higher.
Southwestern Bell Telephone Company set up an emergency calling center at its building here for use by persons who were without phone service. Southwestern estimated about $125,000 damage to phone equipment.
The twister was no respecter of persons. The rich as well as the poor were caught in its five-mile path. Black as well as white died. Big and small businesses alike fell in its wake.
"It was the most Godawful experience I've ever had," one dazed survivor said. "This may sound bad, saying it right before Easter and everything, but I've never experienced such a terrifying, goddamn thing, and I hope I never do again."
Police Chief Tommy Dunnaway, supervisor of the cleanup, wept outside the police station as he described the storm and the outpouring of assistance from surrounding communities.
National Guardsmen from Warren and Fordyce, state troopers from three districts, local authorities, Civil Defense workers Red Cross volunteers, Salvation Army member from as far away as Fort Smith, and private citizens bearing chain saws, ropes and other equipment poured into the city Saturday with offers of assistance.
Switchboards at the police station and State Police headquarters were jammed with calls of assistance.
Emergency rations provided by the Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District, an Economic Development Administration funded organization, were distributed to the homeless at the YMCA building, a temporary relief headquarters. A command post to oversee the relief operation was established at the city police headquarters.
Warning Was Issued Shortly Before It Struck
The tornado apparently was spawned from a huge thunderstorm cell that moved into South Arkansas from Louisiana.
A tornado warning was issued by the National Weather Service for Warren and Bradley County shortly before the twister struck. But, as in most such instances, residents were caught off guard.
The ground-level twister struck first at the Farmville community five miles south of Warren and moved directly into Warren, following the exact same northwesterly path of the 1949 storm.
Several houses at Farmville were demolished and two persons killed. Large trees were uprooted and thrown across the highway leading into Warren.
Farmville survivors fought feverishly in the darkness to remove the trees in order to get the injured to Warren's hospital, which sustained heavy damage. A cardiac wing under construction virtually exploded in the wind, according to Mrs. Shelton Clark, a registered nurse.
At Warren, the tornado roared first into a black neighborhood on the southwest side of town. Frame houses were obliterated, carports smashed onto automobiles. Giant trees were swallowed up by the black funnel. Fishing boats were smashed against remaining trees and two-by-fours were scattered like matchsticks.
Patrons of a pool hall scurried to safety moments before the building broke apart and exploded. Only a pool table remained behind. A pinball machine and soft drink dispenser were tossed outside.
As it moved toward the downtown area, the tornado struck a white residential area before slamming into the Bradley Division of Potlatch Forests, Inc. mill.
The huge structure was virtually destroyed and one of its two smokestacks was blown away.
Ellis Clanton, a prominent citizen who involved himself in many civic activities including the Heart Fund and other such charity drives, had gone to the mill to categorize new supplies. He was killed.
Other victims were identified by State Police as Mrs. Dorothy Fay McKinstry, 41; John Albert Frey, 75; Danny Richard Boyd, 22; Mrs. Vertie Lou Stoddart, 73; Miss Marilyn Robertson, 39, and Mrs. Gentenval Morgan, 85. All Except Mrs. McKinstry, who is from Wilmar, are from Warren.
The seventh victim died Saturday afternoon at the hospital.
Chaos prevailed in the city shortly after the storm hit as survivors crawled form the rubble in search of loved ones, some of whom were buried in the debris. Immediate rescue attempts were hampered by the darkness and heavy rain. Power outages occurred in most parts of the city.
Much of the electricity, gas and telephone service had been restored by lat Saturday. Top executives from utility companies prowled among the ruins Saturday, surveying damage. Crews and specialized equipment were dispatched to the area.
A two-story house in a plush residential area burst into flames shortly after the storm lifted. The 22-member volunteer fire department fought in vain to save the structure.
Some historic homes were either damaged or destroyed. Three homes belonging to the Fullerton family, founders of the Bradley Lumber Company, were damaged heavily.
Rescue operations and cleanup activities were into full swing long before daylight and continued into Saturday night despite heavy rain showers and a chilling north wind.
The city was sealed off by State Police to prevent sightseers from interfering with rescue operations. Security was strict.
Considering the extent of the damage, seven deaths seemed comparatively slight. Destruction was spread over a five-mile long, quarter-mile wide area. The twister apparently stayed at ground level through most of its trek. Flowers, shrubs, and even patches of grass and turf were shredded.
Many Tell Accounts Of Miraculous Survival
As in most natural disasters, there were instances of miraculous survival.
Mrs. E. L. Johnson and her daughter clutched the white family Bible and huddled under the kitchen table as the storm destroyed their house.
Bradley County Sheriff Raymond Johnson said a family of nine stood unharmed on the floor of their large home after the structure lifted into the darkness. A family of three stood unharmed on the foundation of the mobile home after the shelter blew apart.
Officials Consult On Relief Efforts
The governor viewed the damage by helicopter and on foot. He said the most pressing need would be to arrange housing for the homeless.
Mr. Pryor met at the National Guard armory with Whiteaker and other officials on the course to pursue in arranging help for the victims.
John Frazer, 38, serving his first term as the city's mayor, told the governor that the tornado had been a "very terrifying experience."
He described the massive relief effort by volunteers "gratifying." Mr. Pryor said the outpouring of assistance "intensifies my faith in humanity." Recalling the 1949 storm, the governor said Warren residents had "true grit," and "staying power" and could be expected to overcome the disaster.
Whiteaker said he would meet Saturday night or today with Senator McClellan about the Warren situation. He said federal assistance could be made available as early as Tuesday.
Federal Team Expected to Visit
Whiteaker said a team of federal officials from various organizations, including the Housing and Urban Development Department, and Labor Department, would be sent to Warren to assess the situation and outline relief methods.
The governor and other state and federal officials left Warren early in the afternoon, leaving Mayor Frazer and local authorities to co-ordinate the cleanup operation, which will take at least a month to complete.
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