[Context, courtesy of Wikipedia: “The 1953 Worcester tornado was an extremely powerful tornado that struck the city and surrounding area of Worcester, Massachusetts on June 9, 1953. It was part of the Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak sequence, which occurred over a three-day period from June 6—9, 1953. The storm stayed on the ground for nearly 90 minutes, traveling 48 miles across Central Massachusetts. In total, 94 people were killed, making it the 21st deadliest tornado in the history of the United States.”]
In all the mayhem caused by the killer twister, the fate of the Oslund baby gripped the public’s attention and came to symbolize the tragic event. Alone at home with her two-week-old son, young Mrs. Oslund snatched the baby from its crib and ran outside when the twister approached. “I thought it would be safer outside,” the devastated mother wept. Recovering in the Holden Hospital from her own internal injuries, Mrs. Oslund said “the wind tore the baby from my arms and carried it away. Then I was knocked down and I don’t remember anything else.”
For three days the papers reported the futile efforts to find the Oslund baby. The mother had been found lying in the road more than 60 yards from her home, so a frantic and intensive search had to scour the entire neighborhood where 160 homes had been demolished. As many as 150 friends, neighbors, and concerned citizens tore through tangled debris for two days.
”Where can we look now, what can we do?” a weary searcher asked. “We’re searching as much as we can and everywhere we can. There aren’t many more places we can look.”
Finally, on the third day Melvin Gardephe, a neighbor and friend of the Oslund family, put an end to the awful ordeal. He spotted the child’s body beneath the rubble of several houses more than 400 yards from the Oslund’s home.
Source:
Pletcher, Larry. “The Worcester Tornado.” Massachusetts Disasters: True Stories of Tragedy and Survival. Insiders Guide, 2006. 162-63. Print.
Further Reading:
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