Morgue: Mapping the recovery from the 1949 tornado

At 6:56 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, 1949, Cape Girardeau was struck by a tornado.

Here are some statistics that demonstrate the destruction inflicted on this community of about 21,500:

n 22 persons killed;

n 72 persons treated at local hospitals;

n Hundreds injured who didn't seek aid at a hospital;

n 202 houses leveled;

n 231 other houses damaged;

n 19 businesses destroyed;

n 14 other businesses damaged.

The monetary loss was estimated at between $3 and $4 million.

A 40th anniversary article, published May 21, 1989, described the twister's journey through Cape Girardeau: "The twister cut a path from Gordonville Road to the Mississippi River, just south of Cape Rock. It didn't lift from the ground, but rather seemed to gain momentum as it crashed through the city. Particularly hard hit were the Marble City Heights and Red Star subdivisions.

"Just six minutes after the funnel cloud formed, the rain diminished and all was quiet. People emerged to find devastation. There was no power, no water."

In the weeks that followed the storm, the Missourian sent its reporters out to track the path of the tornado to talk to those whose homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged, and to learn from them what their plans were for the future. The result was a 12-part series enumerating the reporters' findings. The first installment was published in last week's blog. What follows here are excerpts from the other 11 articles.

June 10, 1949:

M.E. Leming Jr. said that plans are indefinite as to the type of structure, but that a new building will be erected on the site of the former fruit packing shed off Highway 61 at the Missouri Pacific Railroad spur which was demolished in the storm. The old building had been used as a warehouse for a line of spray materials for the past two years, with another part of it used by the Marty Marion Distributing Co. Mr. Leming said he does not know what Marion, the St. Louis Cardinals' shortstop, plans to do about rebuilding his business.

Friends here said they understand Mrs. J.T. Cherry, whose home on Caruthers Avenue just off Broadway was demolished, will make her home with a son, Paul Cherry, in Wichita, Kansas. She returned with him shortly after the storm when he came here to care for business matters connected with his loss. It is not planned, they said, to rebuild the residence. The nearby home of another son, Capt. Colby Cherry, 1836 Broadway, is undergoing extensive repairs after storm damage. New brick is being laid, a partial roof is going on and much work is being done inside, where upper walls on the east and west were bulged out. New plaster must be placed upstairs and refinished downstairs. Mr. and Mrs. Francis J. McDonough, who resided in the house, are staying temporarily with Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Clark, 22 S. Hanover St., until they can obtain an apartment or small residence. Mr. and Mrs. Harold E. Hughes, who resided downstairs in the residence owned by Mrs. Cherry, are living in an apartment at 818 Jefferson Ave.

The D.F. Slinkard family, of 807 Perry, has shown ingenuity in making the best of their inconvenience. They have rebuilt a concrete block garage in which they were living before the storm while a permanent dwelling was being constructed and plan to live in it now until their house is finished this fall. Rather than buy extra furniture for their temporary house, the Slinkards have pressed concrete blocks into service as "Hollywood bed" supports and are using Turkish towels for curtains and bed sheets for drapes.

Mr. and Mrs. M.G. Lorberg Jr., whose home at 810 Missouri was demolished, plan to rebuild completely from new foundation up on a different site on the same lot. Mr. Lorberg said the dwelling would not follow the plans of the destroyed structure and would be located south of the previous home. He hopes construction can begin in a few weeks. In the meantime the Lorbergs were living in an apartment at 215 N. Ellis.

All repair work has been completed on the Edward Lottes home, 1414 Dunklin, except for new doors and windows. The Lottes family plans to redecorate the whole interior of the house, after the major repairs. They have been living in the house since the storm.

Prof. Earl A. Collins is living in his study, which was only slightly damaged, while his 1304 Dunklin home is rebuilt. A wall which was blown out has been repaired and main work left now is construction of a side porch, plastering and redecorating the interior.

Work on the roof is in the process of being completed at the S.P. Neal residence, 1300 Dunklin. The family has maintained occupancy in the dwelling in spite of extensive damage. After the roof is finished, the interior will be re-plastered and redecorated. Gerhardt Construction Co. is doing the work.

Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Howenstein, 1212 Dunklin, have set up living quarters in the basement of their home during the rebuilding period. The roof is on the home and it is almost ready for re-plastering. Mr. Howenstein is doing much of the work himself readying the house for plasterers. The structure will be redone just as it was before.

June 11, 1949:

A temporary roof is still on the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Wimp, 808 N. Park Ave., and the windows are not yet in but repair work is expected to start in earnest immediately. The Wimp family has been able to live in one room. The entire interior of the house will be redecorated.

William Kuss, 812 N. Park, has decided to sell his property rather than attempt the repair job. He is living in the house at present but has several prospective buyers and he expects to sell and move to Indiana.

Rebuilding of the Rush H. Limbaugh dwelling at 814 N. Henderson is expected to start at once. The two-story brick house will be rebuilt just as it was before. During the reconstruction period, Mr. and Mrs. Rush Limbaugh are residing with their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Rush Limbaugh Jr., 1405a Broadway. Stephen Limbaugh is staying with an aunt, Miss Myrtle Seabaugh, 717 N. Henderson.

Thomas Retherford, as spokesman for Mrs. L.R. Johnson, said the Johnson home at 730 N. Henderson will be razed and at least for the time being there will be no plans for erecting another structure on the property. The Lloyd Reynolds family, which (was) living in the house, is occupying rented rooms in the 600 block of Independence Street.

Richard Pack has erected a wood and tarpaulin shelter over the ruins of his 1134 N. Fountain house and will live in the basement until he is able to rebuild. He and Mrs. Pack were injured.

June 13, 1949:

Even part of the foundation was torn up by the storm at the Ray Williams residence, 801 N. Henderson Ave. It is being repaired, debris has been removed, and Mr. Williams plans to rebuild on the corner location. The work will start soon, with the expectation that the family can move in within six weeks to two months. Mrs. Williams and small daughter, Ann Vanice, are in Memphis, Tennessee, with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur R. Patterson. Mr. Williams, laboratory technician at Southeast Missouri Hospital, has taken a room nearby at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arvel Limbaugh, 1615 Lacy St.

A finished basement, used before as a playroom, will be the home of Mr. and Mrs. A.A. Bollack, 811 N. Henderson Ave., in about a week. The basement was the only thing left after the tornado cut through their house and bore no damage. It has been roofed over, the covering atop the floor boards of the first floor and is now being readied for occupancy. Mrs. Bollack has her electric stove in one of the three rooms, plans to put up cabinets and prepare the place for a kitchen. A bath is already installed in another room and the playroom portion, with plastered walls, will serve as bedroom and living room. Mr. and Mrs. Bollack, now residing at the Idan-Ha Hotel, are undecided about rebuilding.

Clarence Shirrell is doing the reconstruction work on the home of his father, the Rev. J.H. Shirrell, 1113 N. Middle St. The new residence had to start from the foundation when the former one was blown completely away. All but finishing work has been completed, and the Shirrell family hopes to move in the latter part of the week.

To read the rest of this blog, go to semissourian.com/blogs/fromthemorgue.

Sharon Sanders is the librarian at the Southeast Missourian.