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Newspaper
Ottawa Herald
Location
Ottawa, Kansas, United States of America
Date
May 21, 1957
Page
6
A deadly tornado carved an 80 mile swath across Kansas City's southern outskirts at sundown yesterday leaving 35 dead and over 200 injured. Rescue operations continued with many still trapped. Martial law was declared in Ruskin Heights Hickman Mills to speed relief, stop looting, and deter onlookers.
Early tornado damage includes 26 toll poles down in five locations and 450 spans of wire out. 24 rural lines serving 144 homes out, 30 town lines down. Crews from Kansas City assist. local calls normal and long distance delayed. Patrol and sheriffs redirected traffic and aided injured. Death toll 29 in Kansas City suburbs, 2 in Ottawa. Ruskin Heights shopping center worst hit. Weather Bureau warned of severe blow, radar showed funnel activity including Ruskin Heights.
Pilots Chuck LeMaster and Thomas Snouffer recount witnessing a tornado from the air and ground. LeMaster observed a teardrop cloud forming and a defined path from Ottawa to Spring Hill, counting 22 farmhouses destroyed as rescue efforts began and shelters opened. Rescue teams and officials coordinated from Ottawa through Ruskin Heights, with 156 hospitalized and 100 homes demolished along a 300 yard wide path.
A violent tornado struck Franklin County Monday evening killing Mr and Mrs J A Marsh and injuring seven others. It formed near Silkville in Coffey County and cut a wide path across farms from Williamsburg to Wellsville, leveling homes, barns and outbuildings and damaging power lines. The storm also caused heavy rainfall flooding, with Pomona receiving 1.35 inches and the Marais des Cygnes river rising to ten feet.
In Spring Hill Kansas a tornado tore through the northwest edge of town killing four relatives of Isham Davis and injuring many nearby. The dead include Mr. Davis 35 and his daughters Pamela 7 and Tamera 5 found near their wrecked home. Residents describe two funnel phenomena as rescue workers shift through debris amid personal loss.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms east with fair conditions in west and central this afternoon. Thunderstorms most intense southeast and extreme east. Tonight showers and scattered storms east and south central with increasing cloudiness elsewhere. Wednesday showers and storms spread across meat states cooler northwest. Low tonight 40 northwest to 60 southeast. High Wednesday 65 to 75. Lamb Insured Payment Plan.
The Friday program and basket supper at Hood School have been cancelled due to tornado damage. The roof is breached plaster is cracked and peeling windows broken and venetian blinds twisted. Officials deem the building unsafe in its current condition.
Red Cross Relief Headquarters opened in First Baptist Church at 4th and Hickory with Mrs. Lois Snider as field representative. George Lister of Ottawa chairs Franklin County Disaster Committee. Immediate aid available includes food clothing medical care furniture home repair and rebuilding as grants not loans.
Persons treated and released last evening at Ransom Memorial Hospital were R L Kirkpatrick 416 S Cherry abrasions and lacerations Mrs Ruth Hoopes RFD 1 shock Tania Merrell 3 RFD 3 lacerations of right side abrasions and shock Sandra Mash eter 10 Princeton leg injury and shock and Richard Fogle leg injury and nail puncture of foot Two other unidentified persons were released by physicians with out need of treatment.
Mr. and Mrs. Sherman A. Smith escaped destruction as their home was demolished by a tornado. Mrs. Smith changed plans to take the children with him, and fifteen minutes later the storm hit, leaving their duck house gone while the ducks survived. Their daughter Connie May turned one year old that day.
A tornado damaged the Ottawa area causing phone lines and AP feed outages. Late crews north of Banton worked to restore regular service and by mid-morning AP printing resumed via Topeka and the Kansas City clearing house.
Advance warning saved lives as a twister swept through Franklin County near Ottawa on US 50. Motel guests and truck stop workers sought shelter in basements and cars as debris damaged Mulcahey Buick Co. and nearby homes. Dozens faced injuries and property loss while responders treated the wounded at Ransom Hospital.
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