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Birdwell Park IsScene Of TragedyThe Friday-Saturday deluge in Big Spring brought with it tragedy in the drowning of Frances Klizabeth Smith, eight-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mr*. R. L. Smith, 1604 Owens The drowning occurred in a drainage tank in Birdwell Park behind the Big Spring High School Her body was recovered about 7:30 p.m.Frances had been playing in or near the water with her two brothers and a sister along with two neighbor children, her father said. One of the boys was reported to have gotten into trouble in the water earlier, but was rescued Later Frances was missing At 6 07 pm Smith notified j police that his daughter was missing ard had last been seen at the } dram' e tank15 FFFT DEEP The water was well over herj head in the area the children were 1 reported to have been playing fire-! men said The tank i* about 15 fee' j deep near its drainage pointPolice and firemen, some onI duty, others volunteering theirtime, were joined hy Sea Scouts and other volunteers in the search A boat wai launched and grappling hook* raked over the tank bottom with no results ‘ We finally got out and began walking around Fire Chief Howard V. Crocker *aid Assisting in the search were 15 firemen, nine Sea Scouts and numerous volunteers Some of them joined the search in clothes they were wearing at the time, not waiting to change before entering the waterBODY FOIND When they were about to give up the search. Bill Thompson a fireman. brought up her body She had apparently been dead for some time Doctors later placed the time of death about 5 30 p m Her body was found about 75 yards north of where she supposedly entered, in about five feet of water She was taken to the Big Spring Foundation Hospital where Drs John R Norton and Louise Ann Bennett Worthy pronounced herdead Waiter Grice, justice of the peace, rendered a verdict of death to drowning.Frances was born July 13, 1953 at Breckenridge and moved to Big Spring with her farrjily in December, 1959 The father is an engineer at KEDY-TV., Funeral arrangements are pending at the Natley-Pickle Funeral Home.Survivors include her parents, two brothers, Douglas LeRov and Patrick Gene, and one sister, Carolyn Janice Paternal grandmother is Mrs. R E. Smith, Eastland, and her maternal grandmother is Mrs. R F Duncan. Ranger'Torrent Hits San Antonio; Homes FloodedNew York Has A Sweltering DayNEW YORK CAP'-The hottest weather m four years sent Ness Yorkers flocking to beaches and parks Saturday The temperature soared to 97 degrees at 3 vs pm The previ nus high this year was 96 degree* June 13S* til* UMflitn) PrtiiTorrential rains of more than 3 mehos drove ahout 125 families from their homos in San Antonio Saturday night caused one drowning, and flooded sections of the city.Water ran info some downtown business house* as water rose over curb* throughout the city m satisfactory condition The rain* started at 6 pm and by 9 pm 3 inches had i alien The rain continued later in the night About ’.no families were evacuated from a housing area operated by the San Antonio Housing Authority near Alazan and Apache Creeks in the southwest part of the city Water entered many of the homes before the evacuation was completed A 10-1 nob accumulation of rain was measured m Taylor County Saturday night just north of the community of Trent whree flash iloodv occurred after Noodle Creek ov erran rt* banks The ram fell during a 46-hour penod At least six homes were reported inundated in the Trent area of Central West Texas In the Ballinger area farmers who planted cotton in the beds of dry lakes had several thousand acres of plants wiped out Earlier in the day. a violent I thunderstorm with wind gusts of up to 55 miles an hour hit | Nacogdoches in East TexasElsewhere over wide areas of Central North. W’est and South I Texas, showers fey m scattered patterns after a night in which rains up to eight indies drenched
Newspaper Details
Big Spring Daily Herald
Big Spring, Texas, US
Sun, Jul 23, 1961
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 09 Jan 2025
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