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The Tornado of March 18, 1925
by Geneva Nipper
On Wednesday, March 18, 1925, the deadliest and most destructive tornado ever, struck the three states of Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois.
Between the hours of 1:01 and 4:18 p.m., the tornado moved 219 miles on the ground, uninterrupted, sometimes at speeds in excess of 300 miles per hour and up to 1.5 miles wide.
In the three states, 695 people were killed, 2027 injured, and $16.5 million damage done at 1925 values. Fifteen communities were damaged from 20 to 100%.
This tornado is listed as one of the top seven major catastrophes to ever hit the United States.
One of the areas hardest hit in Hamilton County was the Braden Valley Community.
This is a recount of that area storm as told by a little girl four years old who was in the storm.
I awoke with the intentions of going to school for a day visit, but when I looked out of my bedroom window, my sister June, then six years old, was leaving. I cried. The atmosphere was at that early hour as green as grass.
My mother consoled me by saying we would go to my Grandpa's store (Bob Rogers) to get some material to make June a dress for the last day of school.
About 10:00 a.m., a hired hand (Roscoe Wooldridge), came and hitched a young span of mules to the wagon to take us to the store. Myself, my mom, and my brother (1 year old Dwight) headed to the store.
We stayed with Grandpa and Grandma at the store and as the day moved on Ode and Ora Braden came in. Also two brothers, Gayle and Elmer Arms, they were in their late teens.
The clouds began to move, the thunder roared and the green atmosphere remained. My mother took my brother out to the well in front of the store for a drink and I followed. Soon my dad rode up on a horse (he was in election process for Supervisor of Flannigan Township). I remember he said, "It's going to storm and I must get my new saddle off the horse."
I followed my mother and little brother inside. Mom went to the back of the store to a west or SW window. She screamed, "My Lord, it's a tornado." I had no idea what a tornado was except what I saw. It looked like a big black and green smoke, rolling on the ground as far as I could see in the valley, rolling trees and every thing in its path.
Somehow I ran ahead of mom and I heard Dad say "Where's Geve?" I had gone to the porch to see if school was out. I rushed back to him and he had my brother with one arm and picked me up with the other arm, feet dangling. He said "Let's all go to big ditch." We all started but it hit as we got to the porch.
I was loose from Dad when Mom said she saw me about three feet in the air being twirled very fast around and around. When the wind released me it left me under the mules. Mom said she couldn't pick me up. One of the teenage boys (Gayle Arms) did. He has asked later "Was she worth it?"
It seems I awoke and looked to see Grandpa's house, barn and all were gone except at Grandpa's house, it was all gone except the upright piano was still on the floor. I remember hearing mom crying and saying, "I know June's killed" as she could see the school about two blocks away was gone. Mom and Dad left the scene and hurried to the school.
Grandpa got me and Dwight and by that time it was raining, hailing (size of goose eggs) and put a raincoat over our heads and took off for a little house between the store and school. I was real disgusted, as I wanted to see what was going on. By the time we got to the little house, the school children were coming in with blood on their faces and scratches. Emma Warren, the lady of the house, was trying to keep kids quiet. She said, "Jims almost killed", that was her six year old son.
In the meantime Dad had sent the hired hand (Roscoe Wooldridge) out to check. He came back and said, "Nearly everybody's killed". After that Dad and Grandpa were gone to help the injured and dying.
Roscoe Wooldridge took Grandma, Mom, June, Dwight, and me home. The new wagon bed was gone. Two boards over the frame with a quilt was what we rode home on. We never recovered the wagon bed.
When we went over the hill home, Grandma wanted to check to see if Braden Church was there. It was. We went on home. Our house was standing. The front bedroom window was out. The fence around the garden was down and the cows were in the garden. This to me was the worst part of the storm as the lettuce was big enough to eat, peas were tall, rest of garden was all up.
That night, no Dad or Grandpa around. At dark, Eddie Smith rode a horse over to check us out for Aunt Coline Cox in McLeansboro. We were reported all alive but all possessions gone.
Grandma said, "Eddie, how much do I owe you?" He said, "Oh about a dollar, Zona." He went on. I can still smell and taste the ham meat we had for supper. I followed Mom to the smokehouse to cut down a ham from the ceiling. I don't know what time we ate, but it was really late.
As to the causalities, Marion Pittman, who helped Dad break the mules on Saturday, was found in a ditch. The Lonnie Smith family, four killed and Willie lost one of his eyes, Uncle John Lockwood killed and his wife "Lyde" was injured. Their bodies were found in a hog lot where 2x4s and straws were driven through trees. He was on one side under the rubble and she was trapped but alive on the other side of the house. Ruby Jean Braden had severe head injury resulting in a metal plate and spent several weeks in McCoy Library which was converted to a hospital. Not long ago she told me it never caused her any trouble. I remember Belva on Sunday in church with her black velvet beret with red plume. I still remember where she sat. She was so pretty.
Most homes were destroyed or badly damaged.
Following the storm, our neighbors, Uncle George and Aunt Georgia Hunt came at sunset to spend the night to go to the cellar if needed. I liked them as Aunt Georgia called me "Sugar" and always had sugar cookies for me.
After 75 years, my perception of a tornado is more violent than as a four year old.
The images, sounds, sights, and impressions are still very vivid in my mind. I wouldn't like to see a repeat of the above today, as today I would be able to anticipate, calculate and (resent, recount, relate, recall) for the rest of my life.
By Geneva S. Nipper
From Braden Valley Community
Then four years old.
(03/10/2001) Copyright 2001 by Geneva S. Nipper)
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