| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Abercrombie, Clotiele B.
Abercrombie, Loyd D. Sr.
Abercrombie, Virgie Blalock
Armstrong, John
Bain, Pamela
Bento, Lola
Box, Dorothy Womack
Campbell, Lu
Holbert, Pearl Shaw
Challis, James E. "Ike"
Cole, Beaver
Coleman, Howard
Cronkite, Walter
Degnan, Julie E.
Duch, Greg
Erikson, Charles Henry
Ezell, Alta Reigh
Farrell, Hal
Gregory, Doug
Grenley, Martha Rogers
Grigg, Horace
Grigg, William N.
Hannon, Bill
Harris, Howard
Johnson, Joe and Bobby
Kronjaeger, Jim
Lester, George
Lester, George - Playmates
Lummus, Darlene
Lummus, Don
Martinez, Nelma Cummins
Mayhew, Bessie
McAllister, Mark
Meissner, J. Raymond
Moody, Mildred
Motley, Pete
Nelson, Ron
Plant, Sally
Platton, Mike
Read, Osceola Jefferson
Robertson, William Judson
Robinson, Jimmie Jordan
Mack Thornton Rogers
Ryan, Terri Jo
Seacrist, Debra
Shaw, Marjorie
Stanley, Glenda G.
Taylor, Bob
Taylor, Jim
Thompson, Bill
Vail, Mary Lechtenberg
Vento, Eduardo
Vinson, Allen Earl
Vinson, Melvin
Williams, William B. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Walter Cronkite |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Walter Cronkite Remembers |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Among those who converged on tiny New London was
a cub reporter, fresh from his university
schooling, who was working for United Press (UP)
in Dallas. The young man's name was Walter
Cronkite.
Cronkite was one of the first reporters to reach
the scene, having been dispatched as soon as he
received confirmation of an advisory from the
Houston bureau that a major story was breaking
in New London. He got his first inkling of how
bad the incident was when he saw a large number
of cars lined up outside the funeral home in
Tyler.
When he finally reached the scene, it was dark
and raining. Floodlights were being set up,
casting long shadows from the big oil field
cranes that had been brought in to help remove
the rubble. Workers were climbing up and down
the piles of debris like ants, instinctively
going about their grim task.
From the perspective of a news reporter, this
was a tragedy of epic proportions. The UP team
that eventually joined Cronkite set up a news
bureau in the Western Union office in nearby
Overton, and he accidently ended up sharing a
tiny motel room with a complete stranger. He
crept into the room very late believing the
sleeping figure in the other bed was a colleague
from UP.
Thus began his career, one that would eventually
include his Emmy Award-winning role as anchorman
for the CBS Evening News. Decades later, as his
life in the public eye was winding down,
Cronkite said, "I did nothing in my studies nor
in my life to prepare me for a story of the
magnitude of that New London tragedy, nor has
any story since that awful day equaled it." |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
As a student of New London Elementary School, my
brothers and I were on our way home walking to
Old London. We had stopped to talk to one of our
Sunday School teachers living the teachers’
housing across the street from the high school.
We were facing the High School when the
explosion happened. We saw the building lift up
off its foundation then mushroom out and
collapse. Bricks and parts of the school fell
around us, but nothing hit us.
We were told by the lady to run to Old London
and tell the people what had happened. She said
stop at the big house on the hill to have them
telephone in for help. I don’t remember the
family name of that house.
I ran down the Main Street of Old London telling
the stores and the Baptist Church what had
happened. My brothers were running to houses
telling and asking for help. People had been
wondering what had happened. We got to our home
about 4:30 pm. Mother and Dad (Inez and Henry
Erikson) had been to Tyler on a shopping trip
with my baby sister. They heard about the
explosion while there. Mother was so happy to
see her three sons were safe.
Dad promptly went to the school to help in the
work of recovery. He was an employee in the East
Texas Oil field. He worked at the school until
all recovery was done, coming home only for view
hours of sleep each day.
We moved to Spring Hill, then later I graduated
from Sabine High School (now known as Liberty
City). After graduation I joined the Marines and
was stationed at El Toro Marine Base and
remained in California after a 4 yr. enlistment.
While viewing the coverage of the Oklahoma City
Bombing I experienced flash back visual memories
and then realized part of the reason of my
retirement activities. In 1993 I became involved
with California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief
and helped in mass feeding for the Laguna Fires,
then the big North Ridge Earthquake. From that
point on I followed God’s leadership in the
mission of assistance during times of disaster.
Presently I am California Southern Baptist
Associate Director of Disaster Relief . In
addition I participate in the Critical Response
Team for the American Red Cross. These groups
have sent me on many local, national, and
international disasters.
My wife just discovered this website and then I
saw and read for the first time in many years
what had only been memories.
Charles (Chuck) Erikson
Email – chuckmjo@juno.com |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alta Reigh Ezell from an email from Robin Ezell |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
This is a photo I scanned this morning. It is a
clipping from a newspaper. The clipping is glued
into a scrapbook that belonged to Alta Reigh
Ezell. In her handwriting is the following:
"Naomi Bunting was killed in the New London
school explosion."
"John Smith had 2 kids killed also."
She dated it March 20, 1938. I do know it was in
1937 after doing a search on the internet and
finding your site!
I do not know if Alta knew these persons
personally or if she was writing what she had
read.Click on the Clipping To Enlarge To Full
Size. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
