A'iv '' iillMPL LvWlXr W )W& Ji '
VOLUME XXIV NO. 15.
i
destroyed homes injured dozens of people, disrupted
crop plantings and; upset community life in eeneral
mi " ' . .. v - . . w - o
inese people must have help and have it now. Where is
where if these people are to be put back, irv normal liv
ing conditions:; .' The. total loss has. been ientativelv es.
timated at over $100,000 but no one knows what the
tfinal tally 'will be as there is no wav to tallv it.
'p Can we sit idly by and expect these people, many
01 wnom nave oeen completely wiped out, to rehabili
tate themselves? - Can we expect their next door neiffh-
,bors to shoulder all the responsibility of seeing that
i wv-i 5C1. ancuuwui xviusi, vx uiem are coioreu
people but they are neighbors to all of Duplin, white
and colored.- What will we do about it?
f We might say we have been missing the boat during
ithe past few years when Duplinites have been too pas
(ve in their attitude towards the Red Cross, its work
land what it will mean to Duplin in times of distress.
Yes these people are going to get help. Those who
qualify are even going to get their homes replaced, in a
jfashion. Their real home can never be replaced but
ithey can be put back into reasonable normal living con
ations. Who is ging to loot this bill? Not Duplin
jjQounty citizens who usually" respond well to drives for
worthy causes but people in other counties and other
states,'' Yes, even some of it will come from the west
coast and maybe even foreign countries. The Red Cross
is universal in its scope and nearly every country in the
world contributes to the Red Cross. From the total fund
kvill come moneys to help those in Duplin rendered des
titute because of the tornado Monday night. Very little
of it will come, from Duplin., This county has been given
a-. reasonable quota each, yea but We have fallen far
ifhort'of that 'quoted Now We- mtisf'ofeperibT on people
who maybe have never heard of us :to do the job of hfelfJ-
mg rehabilitate our neighbors, t
p.- Officers of the Red Cross know nothing about thisu
cujwuai. xncjr uavc iiictut; Jiu auiiuiiauuu lui am ill
this emergency but this newspaper is calling on allfPu
plinites who would like to have a part in restoring nor
mal life to the dozens of people made homeless and
destitute this week to send in contributions now. Send
them to the Red Cross office in Kenansville now. The
gencies to help relieve the suffering. Their total as
sets from annual drives are used to do what they can.
There will not be another drive in Duplin until next
year but Duplin can and we believe will respond now
and remember this disaster when the next annual drive
takes place. The year 1957 is still. young and no, one
knows when another tragedy may strike in Duplin.
Jt may be you who will have to be calling on the Red
Cross next.
Ijimes Reporter's Eye View Survey
: ' BY MABGARET TUCKER
I The tornado struck about six mil
es south of Kenansville, on highway
II in the Elder Church Commun
ity, hitting the home of Wilbert Dix
on. Jr. One third of the roof was
blown off and the house was pushed
)f the foundation and moved ap
proximately 3 1-2 feet toward the
lighway. 5 Windows Were broken
uid the chimney was damaged.
: Next door the damage to Clar
snoe ..Dixon's home was more se
irere.: The front porch roof was
torn oft, half the roof gone, wind
ows broken, two chimneys blown
lown. Tobacco barn destroyed and
he roof of the pack house blown
iway.ViV:A' .' f:;;... :vf,::.v,
I 'I asked Fannie Dixon Clarence's
rife) how hard the wind blew and
he said; 'Lord, honey, it was worst
hsn Hazel, -When asked it she had
tone to bed when the storm struck
he said, 'No ma'm, I Was too scar
id, the clouds looked mighty bad.!
t A short distance away and ac
oss the road from the Dixon house
tood Elder Chapel A.M.E. Church
vhich was completely demolished,
lembers of the church ' had re
ently had the church renovated a cl
ing new pews and ' installing an
lectric organ " which , had; been
ought or was on a trial basis, all,
vas a complete loss. -I
Sixteen' people were in -the
hurch holding choir practice when
he tornado struck. None were ser
'usly hurt5,, stH'iv-'-"'
Hardest hit' was a colored section
nown as Ntwkirk's Mill. A dUt
nce of 3 and 3-10 miles. Entering
i section I dodp't think it too
d, having seen house with half
roof gone only did I realize how
vera th damage until X rounded
a curve and saw the complete
ruction, f ii :- t- ' x ? :
the first stop was af Charlie Sa
fe's. The only thing left as proof
t a house had stood there was
ncrte floor and an Ice box.
rn the road, the home of Rot-
! a coment block house
ieltl'ebc krrffn
:. il j vj :
TRAGEDY STRIKES A BELATED PLEA
, "" BI JT. B. GKADY
Tragedy struck in Dublin this week. TomaHnPs
M coming from?;f Thousands of dollars maybe in the
end approaching $100,000, will have to come from some
Red Cross makes no drive, as a rule, during emerFp
Duplin
, Acknowledgment
The Times wishes to acknowl
edge, with thanks, The Goldgbore
News-Argus for use of their cnte
of pictures made by their photo,.',
grapher, Bill Futrelle, of scenes
of the tornado damage. The four
3 column pictures were made by
Bill and the onto were made, by
the Ooldsboro Newa-Argu and'
published In .their Tuesday edi
tion. over the furniture. ' j
Riley Lane's home was Just a
heap of broken timbers. Here they
were trying to salvage house hold
equipment and clothes. !
,The 9 room house of Walter and
Sarah Hardy was completely gone.
All that was left was the flooring
and pieces of furniture that had
been piled on top. The farm build
ings were gone. ' " , .,;
' Robert Howard's home ' wag a
complete loss as was Winifred Stok
es and Robert Mathis. '
. Part of the roof was blown off
Lbxle Bryants : house and . was
knocked off the foundation. .. '
L. A. Coble, white, lost about one
third of the root of his house. A
turkey house valued at $800 and
a tobacco barn. He stated that he
had some insurance but not enough
to take care of the damage. ' -. '
Down on the null creek, the roof
from the mill house and from a
house on the site was bkwn away.
' A huge tree was -blown down in
Henry Stokes yard and a corner of
his house was pulled away.
Shortly after' my ' arrival, Mayor
C R. Collins and Lt Joyce Cow
ban of the Klnston Salvation Army
drove In to determine the needs of
the stricken area. Major Collins
stated that they v were beginning
work immediately to procure gup
plies and furniture for the stricken
area, , t , , , -
WHAT'S NEW
that driv e"i' r,
r-i f t : If re
: r i ! t
A threaded r-
C 3 1
t r'" 'r :
KENANSVILLE, N0UTII CAROLINA. THURSDAY, APRIL II, 1957.
V
' ' Top photo shows' remains of Elder Chapel where choir practice waa being hell
when tornado struck. Seven were hospitalized. A new $3,000 organ was reported
to have Just been put In the building, and additions and remodeling completed.
Bottom picture shows lone refrigerator where the R'ley lne home once was.
Lane, v hia wife and four children were in the house but escaped.
- 4k
EIGHT PEOPLiIliVED HERE
Hardy was Injured Vt her husband
f
5 t
' It
I
v OBLITERATED
ores ef farmland.
Reft Cross Will Assist Vkfims
to. RohamlitaHoiiiOfflmes.
Mr. Robert L. West, chairman of
the Duplin County Chapter Ameri
can Red Cross, announces that the
I"'l C 'v 1 .ill ii the Emer
i - -i t -r tt-jhhi
l. v X
UadalSWl
Mrs. Walter
and six child
Remains of the Robert Howard
Car Intact bat badly damagsd.
ing the emergency period families
who have suffered disaster tosses,
and are unable to restore themselv
es to normal living through their
e-" r- (- 's or btraneel
v j2i&,. ,
- r " -t t
S i ... ... j.
. iiilii mm'
T i
V '2
r '
ren escaped nnharmea when their home was destroyed.
home are scattered across
ville.
He explained that Red Cross as
sistance is given on' needs and not
Iahm ' AnnltanntA mrm' MmjurfA 'la
use their current and potential re-
sources. Including creilt
4. (ha
, SUBSCRIPTION RATES: S3.S0 per lear In Duplin and adjoining
CmmUea: S4.00 outside this area In N. C: S5.W onMde N. C.
wmlm
9 People
In Hospital
10 Homes Destroyed
Red Cross On Scene
Rehabilitation
BY J. R. GRADY
About 9 o'clock Monday night as
all Duplin was snug in its home lis
tening to high winds, watching
sharp lightning flashes, TV's and
listening t radios, about fifteen
homes on the east and west side
of Magnolia, together with one near
Warsaw and one near Beulaville,
suddenly were jolted some off
their foundations, some twisted,
some battered and some not even
there in what was probably the
worst tornado ever to strike Duplin
County. In the spots where it struck
Hurricane Hazel was mild in com
parison. As quick as the eye could
see, the homes were no more. Scor
es were injured; nine were hos
pitalized in Duplin General Hos
pital and 30 to 40 were given first
aid. The exact number is not known
as injured were pouring into the
hospital so fast doctors, nurses and
helpers had no time to keep a rec
ord of names or first aid was ad
ministered. The hospital was all
quiet and in the dark except for
the emergency generator that lit
up halls and emergency rooms, at
about 9:30 when the first load of in
jured arrived. Nurses had about all
their patients put to bed for the
night. When the seriousness of the
rush of injured dawned on them,
doctors and nurses from outside
Kenansville were called. When the
storm in the hospital had cleared
nine, Were put to bed and other re
turned to what 'was for'hierly their
homes and churches. Doctors Rus
sell Harriss and Robert Willis of
Kenansville;, O. S. Mntthews. J. W.
Straughan ahd E. P. Ewers of War
saw and Grey P. Kornegay of Wal
lace were in the middle of it ad
ministering first aid assisted bj
hospital nurses and volunteer nur
ses, Mesdames Mary P. Bowden.
Lois Kiag, Sura Wells and Kath
arine Blanehard of Wallace. The
nurses lounge on first floo" had
been converted into an em. jcncy
room and Dr. Harris had patients in
the operating room. The doctors
-nd nurses were up about all night.
Thanks to the quick work on the
part of the uninjured getting thr
injured to the hospital and out of
the doctors and nurses, not a single
life was lost. It is almost unbeliev
able to drive through the devas
tated area and realize that no one
was killed. It was nothing less than
a miracle.
(CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE)
Briefs
Injures Ankle in Ball Game
Bill Straughan, Jr., member of
the Warsaw High baseball team
injured one of his ankles in a game
against B. F. Grady at Grady School
on Thursday of last week. Bill had
been instructed to sacrifice a play
er in. He made a beautiful bunt
but the runner failed to make home
base. Warsaw won, however, in
spite of this, 9 to 0.
Breaks Leg In Ball Game
Herbert Stroud, 13 year old col
ored boy, broke his right leg while
playing base ball at Branch school
yesterday. He was hospitalized
here.
INJURES HAND
Robert Murray of Wallace was
treated for an injured hand at the
local hospital this week when he
fell about 30 feet from the roof of
a building he was working on for
Shefield Brothers Stockyards. He
was not hospitalized.
FRACTURED FOOT
Warren James, Negro, of rt. 2, Rose
Hill, was hospitalized here Monday
afternoon with an injured foot, pos
sible fracture, suffered while work
ing in pulpwood for Hall Pulpwood
Company of nose Mm.
HOUSE DESTROYED
The home of Ike Frederick, col
ored near the Frank McGowen farm
near Kenansville, was destroyed by
fire Monday night during the storm.
No one was home. Everything was a
otal loss.
' WIND DOES DAMAGE
1 A tenant house on the farm of L.
H. Qulnn near Warsaw, was damag
ed by wind Monday night and a to
bacco barn blown out in the road.
Also reported that the roof ot a
house belonging to Gordon Ken
nedy ot near Beulaville was blown
oft Also in that section several to
bacco barns, belonging to Kennedy
George Rhodes ' and Pick Mercer
wn dtroved. : Apparently these
destructions were not In the direct
path of the tornado or possioiy n
I had about
a Dent iwu wwa
nivKd Rulavilla.
"TEMPERS THE WIND TO THE SHORN LAMB"
BY REV. HERBERT M. BAKER
WARSAW BAPTIST MINISTER
I should have sensed a portent of serious triubla the way the
lights went off Monday night about nine o'clock. Frequently a
storm plays a grim game with the power company and its relay
system with the lights going on and off two or three times before the
storm tires of the game and throws the punch that puts the power
company out for a long count. But Monday night the storm didn't
bother to play a game with the power company: its first punch
was a knock-out blow to the electrical circuits in this area, and its
next two or three blows left small areas of incredible devastation
in Duplin County.
About nine-forty-five I heard three short blasts from the
fire-truck siren at the fire-station. As quickly as I could I slipped
into some clothes I had wistfully thought of catching up on some,
sleep after the lights went out) and reported at the fire-station.
But no one was making an effort to get the trucks rolling. Instead,
people were gathered in a tight knot at the door to the Town Hall,
and as I made my way to the door I could feel the tenseness of
suppressed and conflicting emotions. Inside, Police Chief Earl
Coombs was busy at the radio, talking to the Highway Patrol and
County Police officers, mentally mapping out where help was needed
most aifc relaying the information to Fire Chief John Anderson
Johnson. Turning to the men at the door, Chief Johnson said
'I want eight men to go with me and Ellwood Revelle The rest
of you stay here to man the fire station Three of you go with Mr.
Baker in his car.' 'My car is built so that it can be made into
beds and be useful as an ambulance).
There was a good bit of excitement at the Town Hall, but no
one wasted time in getting help lined up for this emergency. It '
seemed only a moment from the time I went into the Town Hall to
the time when I was back at the car with Frank Steed, W. C. Martin,
and Johnny Todd getting in with me. As I started the car I was
vaguely aware of the good sound of whirring generators that were
providing emergency light and power at the Tiown Hall and the
Carolina Phone Company, power that even then was being used to
coordinate help for the tornado victims.
Headed South on highway 117, the four of us were so intent
on getting to Newkirk's Mill in a hurry that we all felt that
seconds had become minutes, and minutes were becoming hours.
But the clock on the dash and the speedometer on the car belied
our feelings, and in a few minutes we were stopping just behind 1
Deputy Revelle's car at the first site of storm damage, a tobacco barn
flattened along the side of the road. A man walked from his yard
across the road to tell us that his house was damaged, but no one .
was injured. Help was needed, he thought, on down the road where :
the storm had struck with full fury. While he was tniking a car
pulled up from the other direction. I did not know the occupants,
but they were residents o the area and they told us that if we
would take the next roaJ to the 'right wc .-vould be headef' toward ..
the center -Of cfcvaBlAtion.'' Thfy aiwuave us a report that the ta-"
jured had already been evacuated. Wo thanked them and started
off again, but in our hurry misreil the right turn wo should have 1
made and ended up goinK aroun ' Ui the other end of the mad that
cut through the damaged area. On our way we passed a lumbering
power company truck, and I thought about how qickly the power
and phone companies get on the scene of a disaster to repair the ,
lines of communication.
Where the dirt road leaves the highway near the dam at
Newkirk's Mill, we had to park our cars along the edge of the high
way. That enJ of the road through the damaged area was criss
crossed with blown down trees that created an obstacle course for
all would-be rescuers. I followed Deputy Revelle and Mayor Ed
Strickland as they jumped up a bank to go around a fallen tree
or vaulted over a trunk that was easier to get over thr.a .ri.unri.
Several others were going up the road at the same time, but v. ant
little conversation you heard was subdue.i in tone. We came to the
first house, and found it partially destroyed, but no one ha 1 been
hurt at that home. Most of the damage up to that point had been
forest damage: trees twisted and broken like matches in th .' mighty
grip of the wind. On up the damage was extensive and the debris
of houses was to be found scattered everywhere. But v. neii we
discovered that the injured had already been evacuated v. c headed
bac
ck to the cars to report whtt we
, miuht. he needed more. Deputy
' I had a brief consultation back at the car, and decided perhaps the
best thing to do was go to the hospital in case they needed help
there in treating the wounded being brought in from the several
disaster areas. I had to wait for two of my passengers, and while
waiting took time to listen to the Wallace station broadcasting up
to the minute news on the storm damage and the progress of rescue
work Across he road from my car Deputy Boone's car was parked
with the radio on Pedestrians kept stopping by his car to listen
to the police radio, and others stopped by to hear the news coming
over the radio in my car. They were people that I had not seen
before, but in the emergency they seenu- " life-lone friends who were
(Continued On Back Page)
Largest Still Outfit In County Hisfory
Destroyed By Half Case Of Dynamite
Nine Hospitalized
Victims Of Tornado
Duplin General Hospital listed 35
patients at noon today. Eight were
victims of the cyclone from near
Magnolia. All were colored. The
hospital was so crowded Monday
and Tuesday that beds had to be
placed on the second floor hall af
ter private rooms had been doubled
up.
Hospitalized from the storm and
hospital report of their condition
Tuesday were: Bessie Carroll, rt.
3, Rose Hill, deep lacerations and
torn muscles. Serious; Herman Car
roll, Rt. 3, Rose Hill, head injur
ies, serious. Discharged Wednesday;
Willie Lee, Rt. 1, Magnolia, internal
injuries and multiple fractures, cri
tical. Now listed as serious, Sadie
Howard, rt. 1, Magnolia, eye in
juries, contusions and lacerations,
serious. Booker Lane, rt. 1, Mag
nolia, mangled hand, satisfactory.
Alec Lee, Rt. 1, Magnolia, multiple
fractures and internal injuries. Cri
tical, now listed as serious. Nancy
Boone, Magnolia, fractured ribs. Se
rious and Martha Savage, rt. 1,
Magnolia, possible fractured spine.
Serious.
' Among other patients are: Mrs.
Jesse H. Baker, Hubert S. Rouse
and Mrs. X. C Wilson, Magnolia;
James C. Brown. Wallace, rt. ;
Mrs, w. C Stokes and Sarah M.
PRICE TEN CENTS
had learned, an. o;?ceei wnere
Revelle, Mayor neKiynu ana
The lnrcest illicit liquor still in
the history of the county was dyna
mited last Saturday night after of
ficers found it from a tip off by
Coy Hill and Rodney Thigpen to
Deputy Sheriff Oscar Houston.
Sheriff Miller says the mammoth
distilling plant was located on Go
shen, two miles deep in the woods
on what is reported to be part of
the old Kelly land in Glisson town
ship. Accompanying Sheriff Miller
were officers Oscar Houston, 'Doug'
Shivar, Norwood Boone, anyder
Dempsey and Bob White. It was or
aluminum construction composed of
two stills, each 9 feet long, 4 feet
wide and 2 feet deep, with a total
capacity estimated to be one thou
sand gallons each. They contained
copper condensers. They were fired
with two 20 gallon kerosene pres
sure tanks. On the scene was found
20 gallons of kerosene in 5 gallon
containers; sixty 300 gallon barrels;
18,000 gallons of mash, 10 cases of
fruit jars and 5 bags of sugar. Wat
r was supplied by a Briggs It
Stratton water pump. The still was
cold and no one was found at the
scene. A shelter was built over the
outfit and about an acre of ground;
around it had been cleared of un
dergrowth. The area was camou
flaged with freshly put out pinesc
They appeared they could not have
been there over three or tour
weeks- A half case of dynamite was
used to destroy it.
When you fire a Volley of censure
at somebody else, you, may ot
feel the recoil at once, but it la
pregent as surely as you arc,
: . (ConUitnci em l. '(
) .,,( Jnued Ou Back Pag)
)vrawnn vm asf. ' . ..