Wednesday Evening, May 11, 1927
"The destructive tornado which
struck Poplar Bluff Monday afternoon wrecking practically every business
building, snuffing out scores of lives and injuring hundred's of others
left the citizen, as is usual in such calamities, stunned by the awful
catastrophe. None could realize that the splendid business buildings, the
prosperous mercantile establishments and other institutions, which go to
make up a beautiful and prosperous community, had been wiped out in the
twinkle of an eye. Many of these places had been years in the building.
Many of the citizens had spent the better part of their lives in the
directing the growth of their business and for a time there was a fear that
the task of rebuilding would be a burden greater than the community could
bear.
But with the generous and timely help of our neighboring communities the
work of burying the dead and caring for the injured is under way and today
we see the spirit of Poplar Bluff in evidence. Streets are being cleared of
the mass of wreckage, electric service is being restored, temporary repairs
are being made and the citizenship of the city is carrying on.
Communities are characteristic of the type of these individual citizens and
we are proud to say that no where will there be formed a high class of
citizenship than that which has labored for many years in developing a
small backwood village to a city of beautiful homes, well paved and lighted
streets, splendid schools and churches and prosperous manufacturing and
mercantile establishments. To many of us this is the city of our choice. We
came here because we were attracted by its natural advantage, all of which
were left untouched by the recent catastrophe.
To be sure the task of rebuilding will not be an easy one. It will tax our
efforts and our ingenuity to the utmost. It means that our confidence in
our city, in our fellow man and in ourselves must remain unshaken and out
of it all will emerge a greater and bigger and better Poplar Bluff.
Are Poplar Bluffians down hearted? Are they disgusted with efforts to
building the finest and best city in Southeast Missouri? The answer is
found on every hand - - a thousand times NO! Poplar Bluff will be rebuilt,
bigger and better than ever."
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POPLAR BLUFF WILL REBUILD
MILER PLANS TO REBUILD ALL HIS BUILDINGS
Charles Miller, probably the largest individual property owner and well-
known local merchant, returned to Poplar Bluff yesterday from St. Louis
where he went Sunday to be at his wife's bedside during an operation. Mr.
Miller this morning said Poplar Bluff could count on him to rebuild all his
damaged buildings. "I'm really puzzled, yes," he said, "I just can't
realize what has happened. It seems like a dream to leave Poplar Bluff a
good little city and to return only to find it in ruins." "I am going to
rebuild everything I own just as quickly as possible," said Miller. "Labor
is scarce and some of us will have to wait to get help to handle our work,
but just as quickly as I can arrange to do so, work will be started on all
my buildings. I will build them bigger and better than ever before."
Miller's large store building on South Main street was badly damaged by the
storm. Other buildings of his were also wrecked. -------------------
WOMAN WAS UNDER DEBRIS MANY HOURS
Red Cross workers yesterday morning found Mrs. B. Deen in a pile of debris
near her home in East Poplar Bluff. She had been pinned under the wreckage
Monday afternoon and remained there through the rain that night. She was
badly injured. She was taken to a hospital in a very serious condition. ---
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EAST SIDE SCHOOL ENDED FOR YEAR
Fine New Building to Replace One Damaged - School Not To Be Resumed This
Year.
There will be no more school this year in the East Side school, struck
hardest by the tornado Monday afternoon.
J. H. Woopers, president of the school board, said this morning, the board
has agreed to suspend school at once, since there are only a few more days
of school scheduled for this term.
"Not long ago we revised all our insurance on school building," he said,
"and we are well protected. We will plan immediately to put up a real
building in East Poplar Bluff. We hope to have one of the finest schools in
the city there."
"Since one of our schools had to be hit by the terrible tornado, it is
probably well, form a standpoint of building conditions, that the East Side
school was hit. Of course it is a terrible thing that the children had to
suffer. Some of them were killed, which makes it the more terrible. Those
distress parents and children certainly have the heartfelt sympathy of the
school board and the people generally."
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LABOR BURAU AT THE LYCEUM
A labor bureau has been opened at Lyceum Theater building. This bureau will
be a hearing house between labor and employes. Al people seeking jobs may
apply at the labor bureau, and their applications will be filed in their
respective lines of work.
People wanting labor may apply at the bureau. Frank J. Schweitzer is in
charge of the bureau. He will have names of all people wanting work,
including carpenters, brick masons, shod carriers and other classes of
labor. This bureau is organized, he said, to aid in rehabilitation of the
stricken area.
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The Frisco passenger train encountered the tornado which visited Poplar
bluff at Hoxie Monday afternoon. Two coaches loaded with passenger(s) were
thrown off the track, and conductor Rice and Brakeman Steck were injured.
It was considered miraculous that more passengers were not hurt. The
engineer cut his engine loose and came on to Poplar Bluff arriving here at
midnight.
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Grief Stricken Prepare to Bury Dead
Nearly a hundred grief stricken families today were preparing to bury their
dead following the worst tornado that has ever struck Poplar Bluff.
The death list continued to mount today, with discovery of other bodies in
the ruins of the old Riverside building and other collapsed structures. The
list of dead now is ninety-one with possible other bodies to be found.
Funeral services for some of the tornado victims will be held tomorrow.
Other bodies have been shipped to various points for funeral rites.
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Child Dies
Little Harry Rexford, 12-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Rexford of North
B. street, and one of the victims of the East Side school wreck, died
enroute to a hospital in St. Louis last evening. The body was returned to
Poplar Bluff this afternoon for burial tomorrow.
The body of Pat Barnett was taken from the ruins of the old Riverside this
afternoon. Other bodies are expected to be found there.
The Board of Health this afternoon announced that free typhoid inoculations
would be given those wishing such treatment, beginning at 2 o'clock
Thursday afternoon and continuing for a week. Three "shots" will be
requested, each patient being informed when to return.
Many Injured
The Red Cross estimates that between 350 and 400 were injured to such an
extent that treatment was necessary. Many others were less seriously hurt.
Searching parties continued this afternoon to prod the wreckage of the
Melbourn hotel, the south Broadway pool room, the Riverside and various
other buildings.
Sixty-one people were being treated at the hospitals. Milton Moore, negro
porter, and employed at Dalton's store, was the only employe (continued on
Page Two) [get rest of story ��]
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Read the death list
THE DEAD
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EXPLANATION
The Daily Republican has been seriously handicapped in its work during the
past two days because the press room was flooded with water, damaging the
large motors used to drive the presses. The typesetting machines were also
damaged.
A large crew has been at work yesterday and today trying to get the
equipment in condition.
Every effort will be made to issue a normal newspaper tomorrow, although
conditions are as yet questionable. The subscribers are asked to bear with
The Daily Republican until such time as normal operations of the newspaper
plant can be restored.
The equipment of the Montgomery & Son job shop was in use today in getting
out this small paper. -------------------
FUNERAL RITES FOR WM. BOYT TOMORROW
Funeral services for William O. Boyt, will be held at the Christian church
at 2:30 o'clock Thursday afternoon. The Rev. A. L. Wilkinson will have
clergy.
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REBUILDING OF CITY IS IN PROGRESS
Hundreds of men were busy today clearing the wreckage of the business
district of the city laid waste by the tornado, torrential storm and
disaster, that wrought a two million dollar property damage here Monday.
The city has the appearance of renewed industry and the devastated area of
the business district is being removed with all possible haste.
A hurry and scurry of busy workers on every wrecked building, with the
property owners directing and assisting the arduous tasks of removing the
tangled inasses of ruins, shows signs that Poplar Bluff is to be rebuilt in
record time.
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Will Rebuild
Property owners seen today state that all the building damaged beyond
repair will be rebuilt from the ground up and that rebuilding will be
started at once. The owners talked freely of their plans and a check up
discloses that the entire devastated area will be made ready for occupation
with all possible haste.
A new Butler County courthouse will be built. It was stated in court
circles that the building was damaged beyond repair, though still standing
with its walls and roof, cracked and leaning, shows signs of danger to
those working inside to save the records of the county. The building is
partly covered by insurance.
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Rebuild Club.
The Elks Club, a tangled mass of ruins, is to be rebuilt. Removing the
wreckage started today. The building was fully covered by insurance.
Property owners in the downtown section, who stated today their buildings
would be built and repaired without delay, included W. N. Barron, Charles
Miller, Mrs. W. W. Trner, Carl and Ed Abington, C. M. Ducam, Grover Dalton,
Snider and Hamilton, Walker {need the 'rest of the story �.}
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The Daily Republican Poplar Bluff,
MO -
Thursday Evening, May 12, 1927 - pg 3
TORNADO SIDELIGHTS
Dr. Z. Lee Stokely was working on a patient at his office when the storm
stuck. Stokely turned to look at the flurry of wind and hail, and as he was
standing in the window and before realizing anything else, he found himself
standing amid a pile of brick and debris on the sidewalk below. Stokely
said he looked up and the patient was still seated in the dentist chair. --
-----------------
Tricks of the wind when recounted today brought forth one of unusual
interest when it was found that the works from a wrist watch worn by Miss
Lena Farnham were taken from the case and deposited on a counter across the
room. The watch crystal and works were found together.
-------------------
An iron lid for a coal hole on the sidewalk in front of the Ducker hotel,
was lifted from its position and carried away. It has not been found. The
lid weighs possibly 75 pounds.
-------------------
Mrs. Sherman Ballard, who was the only member of her family at home on
Sixth street at the time of the tornado, narrowly escaped death when her
home was picked up and sailed in the air for several hundred feet and then
fell to the ground in shattered pieces when it struck a telegraph pole.
Mrs. Ballard was pin- [need the 'rest of the story]
-------------------
Many wild and thrilling stories were started on the streets yesterday and
today. Reporters went scurrying about endeavoring to get the low-down on
such reports. However, in virtually every case it was found that the rumors
were started by someone with a magnified imagination.
-------------------
The speed with which streets were cleaned following the tornado was
remarkable. Industry is on every hand. Men are cleaning streets, searching
debris, repairing buildings and doing other work of a substantial nature.
-------------------
Thirteen must have been a "bad luck" number Monday afternoon because the
Western Union clocks stopped at 3:13 o'clock, indicating that was the hour
the storm struck. These clocks are electrically driven, and stopped as soon
as the wires were broken.
-------------------
Trainmen operating the special train from Poplar Bluff to Dexter, to get
doctors and guardsmen Monday afternoon, are to be complimented for their
efforts. They assumed charge of a local freight train when it was turned
over to a newspaper man, and did all possible for a stricken city. The crew
was composed of W. M. Estes, conductor, J. F. Stewart, V. Stewart and S.
Louis, brakeman, Tom S. Blackwell, engineer, and Fireman Ward.
-------------------
Eighteen hours after the tornado, Otto Christian and John Gorman heard the
cries of a baby from the debris, near the East Side School. After digging
down through the timbers, they found the 4 month old baby girl of Henry
Brown. The child had lived in the wreckage for 18 hours.
-------------------
The Dalton Furniture Store, the largest furniture store in Southeast
Missouri, was piled in a heap on the ground with 14 people in the store and
one one death. The colored porter, Milton Moore, is beneath the ruins, it
is quite evident, although the body has not been found. Woodard Baldwin and
Miss Gertrude Stokely remained in the office of the store, on the second
floor, John Casey and two customers on the third floor in the rug
department, and the other employees of the store and three customers on the
first floor and in the basement. The small space in which Miss Stokely and
Mr. Baldwin stood was the only place on that floor left hanging. After the
storm had passed they swung down a pole and went on down to an opening
which they could see. The other employees and customers found small
openings from which they escaped. A traveling man in the building at the
time it collapsed cannot be accounted for, and it is not known if he
escaped.
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Another Body Is Found in the New Melbourne
The body of a man believed to be Crit McCollum of Corning, Ark., was taken
from the ruins of the New Melbourne hotel this afternoon. The body was
horribly mashed, being located under tons of brick. The searching crew
believes other bodies will be found in that part of the building.
Lack of help has caused considerable delay in the work of prodding the
ruins of various buildings, it was said today. Other people are asked to
assist in this work. Little work could be done last night because of the
lack of lights and shortage of labor.
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Free Wood For Those Wanting To Haul It
Out People wanting kindling wood may help
themselves to the portions of building wrecked and thrown into the streets,
city police announced today. Anyone wanting to get loads of the old lumber
may drive into the city and load it on their wagons bring trucks in order
that the debris may be cleared away as soon as possible.
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'Daily American Republican Poplar Bluff,
Butler Co., MO - Wed., May 21, 1962, pg 11A:
[Three photos of the devastation of building destroyed by the 1927 tornado
� tried to scan the 'copied' images but they didn't turn out well enough to
be viewable]
Caption beneath the photos:
IT HAS BEEN 35 YEARS since the Poplar Bluff tornado, but the memory lingers
with many persons who were here at the time. John Burns, 939 Park, dug out
these pictures a few days ago --- grim reminders of the storm. The top
picture is the old Dalton-Baldwin building (now Woolworths); the middle
picture looking south from in front of the post office on Broadway, the old
Fraternal Building on immediate right, and lower picture is what was left
of the three-story brick Melbourn hotel, just back of the Dunn. The tornado
hit at shortly past 3 in the afternoon of May 9, 1927.
