Tornado Rips Malakoff at Early Hour Sunday Morning

A Tornado, minimized by some winds of tornadic proportions ripped through the City of Malakoff at around 3:00 a.m. Sunday causing property damage estimated into the thousands of dollars.

The high winds, demonstrating a "twister effect" and cutting a swach of approximately 200 [illegible] in width directly down [illegible] Highway 31 from west to east left its toll within its wake. Starting west of Trinidad, in the vicinity of the Trinity River, the twister plowed through telephone poles, leaving them [illegible -???wling] along the route. The twirling clouds touch the ground again west of Malakoff to seriously damage the Lincoln [illegible] School in the Negro Quarters in west Malakoff. Through the Negro section numerous of the dwellings of the Negro residents, were badly damaged. The entire eastern half of the school, as was the Charlie [illegible - ??man] Grocery in that area on [illegible] Highway 31, was irreparably damaged by the tremendous vacuum, created by the overhead pressure, to push the walls out from the original foundation.

Further East on Highway 31 the Red Bowman garage, together wit the Bowman residence; the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Garland Holt and their warehouse, located nearby, were seriously damaged.

The new construction of the new home of the Royall & Waller Chevrolet Company also suffered considerable damage, estimated into the hundreds of dollars. On through the town, the tornadic winds continued to wrought their havoc. Television antennaes, throughout the town blown down, bent, broken and twisted, and trees and shrubbery throughout the 200-yard swath contributed their toll toward the devastated area.

In the downtown area, not more than a hundred yards off of the beaten course, was the damage to the Elmer Roberts store building, owned by Mrs. Dan Gentry. The west transom glass on the west side, facing the town's main business street, was broken out by the onslought of the terrific winds, and which continued through the brick structure to completely destroy the east wall of the east-west structure.

Further east, in the immediate proximity of the highway, the heavy winds broke a plate glass window on the west side of Phillips Foods, and a south plate glass window in the auto showroom oat the Royal & Waller Chevrolet Company.

Continuing its course eastward along the highway, the tornado continued to uproot trees, shrubbery and small buildings within its path.

Two sheet-iron barns on the Dodd Lake properties east of town, were completely wiped out as the winds carried its metal roof and siding pieces to far-flung places throughout the country side, depositing them in trees and wrapping them around fences and fence posts all along the area.

Also badly damaged was the huge metal barn on the Alfred Williams place, east of town. The building, a huge and valuable structure, was completely unroofed, while the sheet iron walls were left standing for the most part. The sheet iron pieces, were left scattered from several hundred yards in the easterly direction as was followed by the devastating winds.

Dollar-wise the hardest hit by the tornadic winds was the plant of Texas Clay Products, Inc., local brick and tile manufacturing concern. The damage to the plant, losses of needed production and labor time, coupled with the physical property damage, it is estimated, could exceed the$15,000 figure. At the plant the top of the shed, covering the machine room, in which clay is fed from tanks into the machines, was blown away. This, according to information received by the News was of the greatest concern to the production management. A second shed, constructed of corrugated iron, measuring 46x140 feet was torn completely over a lengthy brick storage shed and deposited on the tracks of the Cotton Belt railroad. One freight train, it was said, had to be stopped at that point to afford the clearance of the debris.

All of the active kilns at the plant were temporarily stopped, due to the stoppage of electric power, which resulted in the stopping of production of 60,000 brick. While the kilns are gas-fueled, they are likewise powered by electricity. The kiln time suffered a loss of time of approximately four hours.

Some of the old kilns, according to Plant Superintendent Charles Lake, could have continued in their progress had it not been for a dangerous gas leak which he discovered, after having been called to the plant shortly after 3:00 a.m.. Since the electric power was completely shut off, Mr. Lake equipped with only a flash light, said that he was unable to find the gas-leak and that his only alternative was to shut off the gas over the entire plant.

After leaving the brick plant, the winds lifted to completely clear the new plant of Texas City Tile, Inc., located a short distance away to the north and east to again strike at the new automobile sales and service plant now in the process of construction by Royall & Waller Chevrolet Company on west highway 31.

The tornadic winds, coupled with twisting currents, seems to have a criss-cross direction all along State Highway 31 through this area, striking first on the south and then on the north side of the right-of-way.

It is roughly estimated, though no accurate figure could be obtained immediately, is figured [sic] at upwards of $100,000.

Among many other damages wrought by the Sunday morning storm, which are too numerous to mention in detail, includes roof damage to Phillips Appliances store, and the water damage to much of the store's merchandise; broken plate glass windows in the Mrs. Grace Noble building, which was used as a warehouse by Mr. Phillips, a broken window at the Malakoff Radio and Electric Service and the Kirby Dry Goods store. Awnings were torn away from numerous structures all along the path of the tornado.

The storm struck the city about 3:00 a.m. and continued n a raging force for a matter of minutes. The electric services of Texas Power & Light Company, went completely out wit the first force of the lightning and driving winds and rain, and was not restored until about four hour later, thus contributing to the excitement and discomfort of the residents of within the area.

Local insurance firms are now engaged in recording damage claims which, overall are expected to run into several thousands of dollars.

"The Lignite City" was fortunate, however, in this catastrophe in that no casualties or injuries to human life were recorded.

The Malakoff News, Malakoff, TX 10 Apr 1964
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