–250 Public Health Service. Vital Statistics of the [US] 1950, Vol. II1 Mortality Data, p. 74.
Source
Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Vital Statistics of the United States 1950, Volume III, Mortality Data. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1953. Accessed 9-3-2023 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/VSUS_1950_3.pdf
Text content
–87 Public Health Service. Vital Statistics of the [US] 1950, Vol. II1 Mortality Data, p. 62.
Source
Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Vital Statistics of the United States 1950, Volume III, Mortality Data. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1953. Accessed 9-2-2023 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/VSUS_1950_3.pdf
–1,118 Public Health Service. Vital Statistics of the [US] 1950, Vol. II1 Mortality Data, p. 62.
Source
Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Vital Statistics of the United States 1950, Volume III, Mortality Data. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1953. Accessed 9-2-2023 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/VSUS_1950_3.pdf
Text content
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Sep 7, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–11 AP. “Eleven Perish in Wreckage…Savannah…” Florence Morning News, SC. 12-23-1949, 1.
–11 Aviation Safety Network. USAF B-50 crash 5 mi N of Savannah, GA, Dec 22, 1949.
–11 National Fire Protection Assoc.. “Large Loss Fires of 1949.” Quarterly, 43/3, Jan 1950, 167.
–11 Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Body of Tucson Flier Recovered,” Jan 14, 1950, p. 10.
Narrative Information
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1949:
“Date: Thursday 22 December 1949
“Time: 21:17
“Type: Boeing B-50A-30-BO Superfortress
“Owner/operator: United States Air Force (USAF)
“Registration: 47-110
“MSN: 15794
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11
….
“Location: 5 mi N of Savannah, GA
“Phase: Initial climb
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport: Chatham AFB, GA [Savannah]
“Destination airport: Biggs AFB, TX
“Narrative: Crashed into marsh of Savannah river about five minutes after take-off.”
National Fire Protection Association Quarterly, Vol. 43, No. 3, January 1950, p. 167:
“Dec. 22 near Savannah, Ga. U.S. Air Force B-50 $850,000, 11 killed
“All eleven crew members were killed when a B-50 plunged in flames into a water-soaked rice field. Rescue crews had to use special equipment to reach the scene due to the marshy conditions of the ground.”
Newspaper
Dec 23, Associated Press: “Savannah, Ga. – (AP) ….An Air Force B-50 bomber flamed through the sky and plunged into an’ old, water-soaked, rice field last night. There were no survivors. Eleven crewmen died in the flames. Report of the number of men aboard came from Chatham Field, the plane’s home base.
“Chatham Field’s commanding officer…said a B-50 took off from his field at 9:12 p. m. and had not reported since. The colonel said it was ‘assumed that the craft down in the middle of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge was the one from Chatham.
“The report of no survivors came from the first to arrive at the scene of the crash, Edgar S. Jaycock, superintendent of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and a wild life staff member, J. H. Dean. Both said they arrived at the crash scene on Argyle Island within 40 minutes but were unable to get close because of the terrific flames. Dean said he finally was able to spot two bodies in the wreckage which was strewn for a 1,000 feet around.” (AP “Eleven Perish in Wreckage… Savannah…” Florence Morning News (SC). 12-23-1949, 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Eleven Perish in Wreckage Of Savannah Plane Crash” Florence Morning News, SC, 12-23-1949, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=51792933
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1949. USAF B-50 crash 5 mi N of Savannah, GA, Dec 22, 1949. Accessed 9-7-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/153621
National Fire Protection Association. “Large Loss Fires of 1949.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 43, No. 3, January 1950, pp. 151-170.
Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Body of Tucson Flier Recovered,” Jan 14, 1950, p. 10. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=85052881&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=13¤tPage=0&fpo=False
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— 21 NFPA. “Fires Causing Large Loss of Life.” Handbook of Fire Protection. 1954. p. 36.
— 21 NFPA. “Fires in ‘Fireproof’ Buildings.” Quarterly, Vol. 44, No. 1, July, 1950, p. 67.
— 21 NFPA. “Gas Explosions.” Quarterly of the [NFPA], Vol. 43, No. 4, April 1950, p. 299.
— 21 Sioux City and Sioux City Public Museum. Sioux City History. “Swift Explosion.”
Narrative Information
NFPA, July 1950: “Twenty-one employees at work in…[a] 6-story fire-resistive office and meat packing building in Sioux City, Iowa, were killed and 91 were injured by an explosion on December 14, 1949. An accumulation of natural gas in the basement is believed to have ignited. The force of the explosion ruptured the reinforced concrete (hollow tile filler) first floor and caused it to fall into the basement, buckled up the second and third floors, completely demolished a concrete loading dock, and blew off elevator doors on all floors and the penthouse roof to the elevator. The blast was so powerful that cracks developed in the 12½ inch-thick reinforced concrete basement walls. Property damage was approximately $500,000.” (National Fire Protection Association. “Fires in ‘Fireproof’ Buildings.” Quarterly, Vol. 44, No. 1, July, 1950, p. 67.)
Sioux City, IA: “The clocks in the Swift and Company building froze at 11:33 a.m., marking the moment a mighty explosion ripped through the structure. It was right before Christmas, December 14, 1949. The blast blew out parts of the west wall of the building and shattered all the windows. Floors and walls collapsed. The account in the Sioux City Journal declared, “Heavy steel doors and equipment throughout the structure were blown about like matchwood.” The blast left a nightmare of twisted steel and tangled debris. Twenty-one people died and more than 90 people were injured.
“On the day of the explosion, many workers were having lunch in another nearby building or the loss of life would have been even greater. Immediately, everyone ran to help. Despite overwhelming ammonia and gas fumes, workers began a frantic search through the wreckage, looking for their co-workers and friends.
“The six-story building housed the main offices of Swift and Company along with other operations. Offices in the building received the full force of the blast. The room from which meat shipments were made was on the first floor. The third, fourth and fifth floors housed the sausage plant and smoke house. Offices, including those of the superintendent, were demolished. Hardest hit was the main floor and basement. The floor over the basement collapsed. Slaughtering houses located in the north end of the plant were not damaged as much.
“Witnesses said that employees in the main office ran from the building with their clothes in tatters. Many of them were bleeding from wounds. Others suffered from ammonia burns.
“Many told tales of narrow escapes and frightening experiences. One man explained that he was walking into the office from the loading dock when the blast tossed him into the air. He landed, somehow, underneath a platform scale. He could hear the chunks of concrete bouncing off the roof of the scale above him. Another man was having a conversation with another worker when the blast occurred. He was lifted up and carried into the street on a piece of concrete, unharmed. The other man was knocked down and severely injured….
“The Fire Department was first to arrive. Fortunately, there was little fire, and fireman quickly joined the volunteers in the search for survivors. Nearly all of the available firemen and policemen were called to the scene. All ambulances were called to duty, but there were not enough of them. Many of the injured were brought to hospitals in private vehicles. Governor Beardsley authorized the mobilization of the National Guard to help in the disaster. The Salvation Army and the Red Cross set up canteen stations to serve coffee and sandwiches to the victims and rescuers.
“Ammonia and gas fumes spread through the area, creating fear of another explosion. The police used loudspeakers to warn rescuers and bystanders not to smoke. Some rescuers wore gas masks to prevent being overcome by the fumes. Swift and Company mechanics attacked the wreckage with hacksaws in the effort to clear the way for rescuers. They were afraid that the use of torches could spark another blast. Automobile wreckers and a huge airplane wrecker from the Air National Guard were brought in to help clear the heavy steel girders.
“The bodies of the victims were taken to the Naval Reserve Armory at Fifth and Jones. Many had been killed by falling debris.
“There were many heroic stories. One man, Art Stiles, was thrown to the ground outside the building. With smoke pouring through the doorway and concrete falling round him, he dashed into the building and carried three people from the wreckage. He later learned that only one had lived.
“Natural gas was determined to be the cause of the explosion, but the blame was never officially assigned. Several years later, the Sioux City Journal reported: “It was never officially determined who was responsible for the explosion. However, payment of the $325,000 to Swift by insurance companies for the two gas firms indicate that they took the blame.””
Sources
National Fire Protection Association. “Fires Causing Large Loss of Life.” Handbook of Fire Protection (11th Ed.). Boston, MA: NFPA, 1954, pp. 33-36.
National Fire Protection Association. “Fires in ‘Fireproof’ Buildings.” Quarterly, Vol. 44, No. 1, July, 1950.
National Fire Protection Association. “Gas Explosions.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 43, No. 4, April 1950, pp. 287-309.
Sioux City and Sioux City Public Museum. Sioux City History. “Swift Explosion.” Accessed 12-14-2016 at: http://www.siouxcityhistory.org/disasters/99-swift-explosion
–10 Blanchard tally from Associated Press reporting from Arkansas and Missouri.
–10 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 951.
Arkansas (4)
–3 Cross Roads community[1]
–1 John Winningham, 69
–1 Mrs. Mandy Winningham, 61, wife of John
–1 Hiram Winningham, 39, son of John and Mandy
–1 Providence community. Arch Telley, 62.[2]
Missouri (6)
–6 AP. “Six Killed at Poplar Bluff by Sunday Twister.” Mexico Evening Ledger, MO. 12-12-1949, p. 1.
Narrative Information
Grazulis: “AR DEC 11, 1949 1445 4k 1l inj 500y 15m F3. WHITE/JACKSON—Moved ENE from Providence to north of Bradford. Seen as “a skipping column of smoke,” the tornado leveled two homes at Providence. Three people were killed as a home was carried 50 yards and dashed to the ground, 3m WNW of Bradford. $50,000.
“MO DEC 11, 1949 1545 6k 30inj 400y 10m F4. BUTLER–Moved NE, causing $100,000 damage in rural areas near Poplar Bluff. Touchdown was SW of Poplar Bluff. Four people died in one home, 3m W of Green Forest. Another extensive damage area was near Hillard. $100,000.” (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 951.)
Newspaper
Dec 12, AP: “Bald Knob, Dec. 12 – (AP) – A tornado black as midnight and roaring like hell – as one survivor described it – smashed six Arkansas farming communities yesterday [11th]. Four persons are dead; nine injured. Property losses may reach an estimated $100,000. It was a prankish storm. It seemed to strike only occupied houses; passing up the ones whose inhabitants were away, Sunday-calling. Even so, casualties might have been higher had not many weather-wise residents in the twister’s path hastened to storm cellars before it hit. It was the third time this year that the state has been battered by tornadoes. The average death toll for the year is 77….
“Killed were: Hohn Winningham, 69, of Cross Roads community, about 10 miles north of here; his wife, Mrs. Mandy Winningham, 61, and son, Hiram Winningham, 39, who died later in a Newport hospital, and Arch Telley, 62, of Providence community.” (Associated Press. “State Tornado Damage Toll at High Mark.” The Camden News, AR. 12-12-1948, p. 1.)
Dec 12, AP: “Macon, Mo., Dec. 12. (AP) – A tornado struck the south and western parts of Macon county yesterday, causing thousands of dollars property damage….
(Associated Press. “Six Killed at Poplar Bluff by Sunday Twister.” Mexico Evening Ledger, MO. 12-12-1949, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Six Killed at Poplar Bluff by Sunday Twister.” Mexico Evening Ledger, MO. 12-12-1949, p. 1. Accessed 9-7-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/mexico-evening-ledger-dec-12-1949-p-1/
Associated Press. “State Tornado Damage Toll at High Mark.” The Camden News, AR. 12-12-1948, p. 1. Accessed 9-7-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/camden-news-dec-12-1949-p-2/
Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.
[1] Associated Press. “State Tornado Damage Toll at High Mark.” The Camden News, AR. 12-12-1948, p. 1.
[2] Associated Press. “State Tornado Damage Toll at High Mark.” The Camden News, AR. 12-12-1948, p. 1.
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Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Sep 8, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–15 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 230 & 951.
— 4 Blount County
–3 Easley
–1 Oneonta, NW edge of
— 1 DeKalb County
–10 Tallapoosa County
–15 National Weather Service. Alabama Tornado Database. “1949 [US] Tornado Summary.”
— 1 DeKalb County, 18:00, F2. Sand Mountain-S Henagar-N Mentone
–10 Tallapoosa County, 17:15, F2, Hackneyville-NE Alexander City
— 4 Blunt County, 17:15 F4. Fairview-Oneonta-Tate’s Gap.
–3 Easley home
–1 Oneonta home
Newspaper breakouts of fatalities:
— 2 Easley community. Mrs. Gus Tidwell and sister-in-law Miss Jennie Tidwell.[1]
–10 Hackneyville area, Tallapoosa Co. Harkins family when house was blown into 2nd house.[2]
— 1 Henagar. Shock of losing his and his son’s homes; Joshua Graves, according to 3 doctors.[3]
— 1 Oneonta, Blount County. Unidentified person.[4]
— 1 Sand Mountain, near Valley Head, DeKalb Co. D. Reuben Crabtree, 54 of Valley Head[5]
Narrative Information
Grazulis: “AL NOV 24, 1949 1715 4k 44inj 100y 15m F4. BLOUNT – Moved ENE from “Fairview” to “Easley,” Oneonta, and Tate’s Gap. A total of 32 homes and 84 other buildings were damaged or destroyed. Several homes were swept completely away. Over 100 head of livestock were killed. Three people were killed in one home at Easley, and one person died in a home at the NW edge of Oneonta. $130,000.
“AL NOV 24, 1949 1715 10k 10inj 100y 3m F2. TALLAPOOSA – Moved E from east of Hackneyville; 8m NE of Alexander City. A woman and nine children died when their small home was picked up and thrown into another home, 150 yards away. Residents of the second home were injured. $3,000.
“AL NOV 24, 1949 1800 lk 20inj 100y 10m F2. DE KALB – Moved E, hitting only the tops of the Sand Mountain Ridges from south of Henagar to 5m N of Mentone. Three homes were destroyed, and seven were damaged.” (Grazulis 1993, p. 951.)
Newspaper
Nov 25, AP: “Birmingham, Ala., Nov. 25 – (AP) – Thanksgiving Day tornadoes roared down at four points in East Alabama yesterday and killed 14 persons. Forty-four persons were injured. The vicious, out-of-season storms left several other persons missing and destroyed more than a score of buildings as they leap-frogged in three counties about dusk.
“An entire family of 10 negroes was wiped out near Hackneyville in Tallapoosa County, 60 miles southeast of Birmingham. The mammoth wind picked up their weather-beaten little home and hurled it 300 yards across the road into another house. The second house was occupied by another large family of negroes, but none was reported hurt. Both houses were demolished – witnesses said they appeared to explode after the smashing impact.
“Near Oneonta, in Blount county two members of a white family were killed at the Easley community. The same twister hopped a small mountain and stuck again on the Northern outskirts of Oneonta, where 34 persons were hurt. Property damage was heavy.
“Another person was killed and five injured by the tornados fury on Sand mountain, near Valley Head in DeKalb county. Valley Head is 90 miles northeast of here….” (AP. “Fourteen Dead, Heavy Losses in Wake of Storm.” The Decatur Daily, AL, 11-25-1949, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Fourteen Dead, Heavy Losses in Wake of Storm.” The Decatur Daily, AL, 11-25-1949, p. 1. Accessed 9-8-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/decatur-daily-nov-25-1949-p-1/
Associated Press. “Shock of Losing His Home in Tornado is Blamed For Death.” The Decatur Daily, AL. 11-27-1949, p. 1. Accessed 9-8-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/decatur-daily-nov-27-1949-p-1/
Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.
National Weather Service, Birmingham, Alabama Weather Forecast Office. Alabama Tornado Database. “1949 [US] Tornado Summary.” Accessed 9-8-2023 at: https://www.weather.gov/bmx/tornadodb_1949
[1] AP. “Fourteen Dead, Heavy Losses in Wake of Storm.” The Decatur Daily, AL, 11-25-1949, p. 1-2.
[2] Victims identified as Sam Harkins and his wife, Allie Rae Harkins, 14, Lillie Mae Harkins, 18, Alberta Harkins, 18, Bennie L. Booker, Robert Lewis Butler, Billy James Thomas, Bobby Wayne Thomas and Dora Gladys Butler. (AP. “Fourteen Dead, Heavy Losses in Wake of Storm.” The Decatur Daily, AL, 11-25-1949, p. 1.)
[3] “Fort Payne, Ala., Nov. 26 – (AP) – The shock of losing his home and belongings in Thursday’s tornado caused the death today of Joshua Graves, 72, of Henagar, 3 physicians said. Graves and his wife, Laura, sought shelter with neighbors after their loss. A son, William Graves also lost his home and belongings in the storm-swept community near here. These two homes were among 13 destroyed in DeKalb county by the tornado. Fourteen persons were killed in East Alabama by the freak twisters.” (Associated Press. “Shock of Losing His Home in Tornado is Blamed For Death.” The Decatur Daily, AL. 11-27-1949, p. 1.)
[4] AP. “Fourteen Dead, Heavy Losses in Wake of Storm.” The Decatur Daily, AL, 11-25-1949, p. 2.
[5] AP. “Fourteen Dead, Heavy Losses in Wake of Storm.” The Decatur Daily, AL, 11-25-1949, p. 1.
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–10 Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “No Blame…Placed…Death…10 Cotton Pickers.” 11-15-1949.
–10 Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Crash Kills 16 Here.” 6-9-1959, p. 3.
Narrative Information
Nov 11, Associated Press: “Gila Bend, Nov. 11 (AP) – The crash of a truck loaded with cotton pickers and a semi-trailer brought death to nine men and injured 11 others last night 17 miles west of here. The truck overturned two or three times, throwing the men onto the highway and desert. Four of the dead have not been identified. The toll rose to nine today with the death of an unidentified man in a Phoenix hospital. Six were killed instantly in the U. S. highway 80 crash. One was dead on arrival at the county hospital in Phoenix and another died shortly after arrival.
“Charley Davis, 30…from Los Angeles, who highway patrolmen report was driving the truck, was ordered held as a material witness for a coroner’s inquest to be held Monday.
“Patrolman Earl Rogers and Norman Cole reported that Davis attempted to pass the semi-trailer loaded with 30 tons of airplane parts. A car approaching from the opposite direction forced him to try to drop back into line. The truck struck the semi and overturned two or three times spilling the cotton pickers over the highway. The patrolmen said that evidently the semi was moving slowly although Davis claimed it was stopped. It was driven by Hurk Harris, 22, of Angleton, Tex.
“The dead were taken to Buckeye, and the injured were hospitalized in Phoenix and Ajo.
“Davis said the pickers had been recruited in the Los Angeles area and were en route to Tucson.
“H. P. Myers, driver of a bus two cars behind the accident, declared that ‘none of those alive at the accident scene could walk.’ He told patrolmen that the semi was moving at the time of the crash. Another truck driver, Virgil Rogers, told the patrolmen that the semi was well lighted.
“Davis, however, said that as the truck approached Gila Bend, it struck a dip partially filled with water. He said it splashed over the windshield and as the water drained away he saw the semi-trailer stalled in the middle of the road without lights. He said he swerved sharply but struck the carrier of the trailer, flipping his truck on its back. The semi-trailer is owned by J. H. Rose of Houston, Tex.
“`There was one heroine there,’ said the bus driver, Myers. ‘She was a girl on the greyhound bus. She instantly moved in and began helping the injured. There was a sailor, too, who did a great job.’ They were Lorraine Warren, 21, a nurse of San Diego, Cal., and Gareth Nelson, 21, Safford, Ariz., navy pharmacist’s mate. ‘We first pulled the tarpaulin off the wrecked truck to cover the injured,’ Miss Warren said. ‘That’s when we found some more bodies. The first we saw apparently had been killed at the moment of impact. ‘So many of the injured had suffered shock that we needed more cover. A furniture van was halted in the traffic jam and we just requisitioned thick blankets from it.’ Myers said Miss Warren ‘worked like a roll every minute of the 45 that elapsed until the first ambulance arrived’.” (Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff. “9 Die, 13 Hurt in Wreck. Cotton Picker Truck.” 11-11-1949, p. 1.)
Nov 14, United Press: “Buckeye, Nov. 14. (UP) – Justice of the Peace Billy Meek was scheduled to open an inquest here today into the Gila Bend truck accident which killed nine cotton pickers and injured 11. Meek said the witnesses at today’s hearing would include Charles Davis, 39-year-old Los Angeles labor contractor and driver of the ill-fated truck; Vernon Colquitt, a passenger in the cab with Davis; and two bus drivers who witnessed the accident. The crash took place 17 miles west of Gila Bend last Thursday night. Davis said he smashed into a heavily loaded truck trailer due to his windshield being covered with water from a dip in the road. Other witnesses said Davis sideswiped the trailer in an attempt to pass. Four of the nine cotton-pickers remained unidentified four days after the accident. Only one of the 11 injured was still listed as being in critical condition.” (Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Inquest Today into 9 Deaths.” 11-14-1949, p. 1.)
Nov 15: “Gila Bend, Nov. 15 (UP) – A coroner’s jury today returned an open verdict not assigning responsibility for the truck crash which killed 10 cotton pickers and injured 10 others near here last Thursday night. Gila Bend Coroner Eddie Stout said the Jury’s verdict in each of the ten cases was “death from injuries sustained in a collision of two trucks.’ The jury made no findings as to the cause of the accident. Jack Renaud, deputy Maricopa county attorney, said, ‘unless something more conclusive in the way of evidence appears in the case, no criminal charges will be filed. It appears many things contributed to the accident, none of which alone was the sole cause.’
“Charles Davis of Los Angeles…refused to testify at today’s hearing, but will give Renaud a formal statement tomorrow….
“The driver of the trailer, Hurk L. Harris, 22, of Angleton, Tex., told the coroner’s jury he was going 30 miles an hour at the time. However, a highway patrolman testified that some of the bodies were found within ‘three or four feet’ of the trailer’s rear end. Three of the 10 dead are still unidentified in a Buckeye, Ariz., mortuary. Their fingerprints have been sent to the FBI. One of the injured, Clarence Hall, 29 Kansas City, Kas., is still in critical condition at an Ajo, Ariz., hospital.” (Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “No Blame is Placed in the Death of 10 Cotton Pickers.” 11-15-1949, p. 13.)
June 9, 1959, Arizona Republic, Phoenix: “…10 Mexican national field workers were killed, in a truck-car collision near Gila Bend, Nov. 10, 1949.” (Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Crash Kills 16 Here.” 6-9-1959, p. 3.)
Sources
Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff. “9 Die, 13 Hurt in Wreck. Cotton Picker Truck.” 11-11-1949, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=58152735
Arizona Republic, Phoenix. “Crash Kills 16 Here.” 6-9-1959, p. 3. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=126549781
Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “Inquest Today into 9 Deaths.” 11-14-1949, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=85051572
Tucson Daily Citizen, AZ. “No Blame is Placed in the Death of 10 Cotton Pickers.” 11-15-1949, 13. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=85051612
Text content
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Sep 9, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–11 Air Weather Recon Association. “Gone, But Not Forgotten.” Accessed 12-23-2011.
–11 Aviation Safety Network. USAF RB-29A crash off St. George’s Isl., Bermuda, 11-3-1949.
–11 National Fire Protection Assoc. “Large Loss Fires of 1949.” Quarterly, 43/3, Jan 1950, 167.
–11 Newport Daily News, RI. “10 Fliers Die in Bermuda Crash.” 11-4-1949, 1.[1]
Narrative Information
Air Weather Recon Association: “RB-29; 44-87750 “Hurricane Hattie” 3Nov49 373rd RS (VLR) Wea. Kindley AFB, Bermuda
Maj Roy H. Bruns
Capt Cleo S. Maddox
Capt John C. Mays
1Lt James E. Shewey
1Lt Andrew J. Rooks
TSgt Clarence J. Hyatt
SSgt Harry N. Barker
SSgt Preston S. Treadway
Sgt James A. Sapp
Cpl Harry N. Carden
Cpl Robert D. Myrman.” ** “Hurricane Hattie”
(Air Weather Recon Association. “Gone, But Not Forgotten.” Accessed 12-23-2011.)
National Fire Protection Assoc. “Large Loss Fires of 1949.” Quarterly, 43/3, Jan 1950, p167:
“Nov. 3 near Hamilton, Bermuda U.S. Air Force B-29 $750,000 [loss] 11 killed.
“Eleven of 14 airmen aboard a B-29 were killed when the aircraft crashed and burned 1 mile off-shore soon after take-off from Kindley Field.”[2]
(National Fire Protection Association. “Large Loss Fires of 1949.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 43, No. 3, January 1950, pp. 167.)
Newspaper
Nov 4, Associated Press: “Hamilton, Bermuda, Nov. 4 (AP) — B-28 Superfortress, crippled by engine trouble, crashed into the sea a mile from shore Thursday night. The big plane caught fire after hitting the water and 10 of the 13 U. S. airmen aboard were killed. Four crewmen managed to jump out after the stricken bomber plowed into the waves, but one died of burns a few minutes later. The three survivors, rescued by an oil company executive in a rowboat, were taken to the U. S. Base Hospital at nearby Kindley Field with minor injuries.
“Bermudians watching from shore could hear the screams of the others trapped in the blazing ship.
“Col. Jack Merrill, Kindley Field commander, said the plane had turned back from a weather observation flight when one of its four engines failed. Losing altitude, the disabled plane approached Kindley Field but was unable to land because another plane was on the runway, Merrill said. Unable to regain altitude on three motors, the ship crashed into the sea. Witnesses said the plane smacked into the sea with terrific force, skipping over the water like a skimming stone…Escaping gasoline caught fire.
“William Gleason, operator manager of nearby Standard Oil Company docks, and two St. George residents put out in a row boat and picked up the three survivors.” (Newport Daily News, RI. “10 Fliers Die in Bermuda Crash.” 11-4-1949, p. 1.)
Sources
Air Weather Recon Assoc. “Gone, But Not Forgotten.” Accessed 12-23-2011 at: http://www.awra.us/gallery-may05.html
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1949. USAF RB-29A crash off St. George’s Island, Bermuda, 11-3-1949. Accessed 9-9-2023 at:
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/64494
National Fire Protection Association. “Large Loss Fires of 1949.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 43, No. 3, January 1950, pp. 151-170.
Newport Daily News, RI. “10 Fliers Die in Bermuda Crash.” 11-4-1949, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=60252486
[1] The title notes ten fatalities, but the text notes ten fatalities on the plane and one from the four who jumped.
[2] “Kindley Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base in Bermuda from 1948–1970, having been operated from 1943 to 1948 by the United States Army Air Force as Kindley Field.” (Wikipedia. “Kindley Air Force Base.”)
Text content
–6 Ada Evening News, OK. “Six Killed When Auto Goes Wild.” 10-17, 1949, p. 1.
–6 Monroe News Star, LA. “Six Killed After Auto Hits Horse.” 10-17-1949, p. 1.
Narrative Information:
Oct 17, Monroe News Star: “Ferriday, La., Oct. 17. – (Special) – Six persons were killed and another seriously injured when an automobile crashed into a horse, skidded across the highway and collided with an on-coming vehicle shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday seven miles south of Sicily Island. Among those instantly killed in the fatal accident was a Louisiana State University professor, his wife and their two young sons. The Baton Rouge professor was identified as Cecil Sydney Camp, 42…head of the hydraulics engineering department at L.S.U. Other victims were: Mrs. Anita Pettit Camp, 42, his wife, and their two children, Robert 10 and Arthur 9.
“[Also] Francis Mitchell, of Fayetteville, Ark., an engineering student at L.S.U.
“Leo Frank Jackson of Rayville.
“The only survivor of the accident, Miss Mable Fussell, a Winnsboro nurse, is hospitalized in a Ferriday clinic with serious injuries.
“Witnesses said the cars struck with such terrific impact that they had to be pulled apart to remove the victims.
“The accident occurred with a 1949 Ford believed to have been driven by Jackson struck a horse. The on-coming Camp automobile applied its brakes, causing the car to skid to the other side of the highway, resulting in the Jackson vehicle plowing through the Studebaker….” (Monroe News Star, LA. “Six Killed After Auto Hits Horse.” 10-17-1949, p. 1.)
Sources
Ada Evening News, OK. “Six Killed When Auto Goes Wild.” 10-17, 1949, p. 1. Accessed at:
http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=49026493
Monroe News Star, LA. “Six Killed After Auto Hits Horse.” 10-17-1949, p. 1. Accessed 9-4-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/monroe-morning-world-oct-17-1949-p-1/
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