Seventyfive years after the new london, texas, school explosion instantaneously ended life for three hundred students, haunted memories of all who knew them, and hushed a communitys discussion of an unspeakable event, the detailed story is now told. New london school explosion the handbook of texas online. It destroyed the school of new london, texas, a community in rusk county. The new london school explosion on march 18, 1937, nearly wiped out an entire generation of a small east texas community.
History in a pecan shell the areas first post office 1855 was named london, texas. As of 2014, the event is the third deadliest disaster in the. In 1937 new london, texas, in northwest rusk county, had one of the richest rural school districts in the united states. Longview public library hosts new london school explosion. Johnson was an infant in new london destined to become the scribe, oral historian, and dramatist for the tragedy. However, i think it would make a good read for people with a general interest in aspects of that place and time. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Austin state university, has written a play based on the new london school explosion which occurred on march 18, 1937.
C this article has been rated as cclass on the projects quality scale. The new work will also feature recent interviews with blast survivors. Nearly 300 students in texas are killed by an explosion of natural gas at their school on this day in 1937. The 1937 new london school explosion is a meticulous, candid account by veteran educator and experienced author ron rozelle. Roughnecks from the east texas oilfield rushed to new london school after the march 18, 1937, explosion and searched for survivors throughout the night. Brown and micheal wereschagin, was published by potomac books. The daisy children, a novel, explores familial tragedy. Unfolding with the narrative pace of a novel, the story woven by rozellebeginning with the titlecombines the anguished words of eyewitnesses with telling details from the historical. The resulting explosion leveled the fouryearold structure and resulted in a death toll of more than three hundredmost of them children. The daisy children, a novel, explores familial tragedy of new.
Mar 18, 20 on this date, march 18, 1937, the worst disaster to ever occur in a school in american history took place in new london, texas. Community residents in the east texas oilfield were proud of the beautiful, modern, steelframed, eshaped school building. Parents, many of them roughnecks from the east texas oilfield, rushed to the school. I remember my mother who attended a neighboring school talking about the new london school explosion. As the child of a survivor of the new london school explosion, i am so very grateful to the authors of this book for their extraordinary reporting of this story. Support us the new london school explosion occurred on march 18, 1937, when a natural gas leak caused an explosion, destroyin. New london school explosion archives texas our texas. I grew up near new london in the east texas oil patch. New london school explosion is part of wikiproject fire service, which collaborates on fire servicerelated subjects on wikipedia. Mar 17, 2020 nearly 300 students in texas are killed by an explosion of natural gas at their school on this day in 1937. This engrossing narrative of sorrow and survival burrows deep inside one of the greatest disasters in american history. The new london school explosion occurred on march 18, 1937, when a natural gas leak. This march 18th 2017 will be the 80th anniversary of the explosion at the new london school that killed almost.
As of 2017, the event is the third deadliest disaster in the history of texas, after the 1900 galveston hurricane and the 1947 texas city disaster. New london, rusk county, texas, usa lillian laverne anderson 11 jun 1922 18 mar 1937. The march 18, 1937, explosion at the new london school in east texas killed an estimated 300 students, teachers and others. New london school explosion disasters of the century. East texas has had more than its share of disasters the galveston hurricane of 1900 and the industrial explosions in texas city in 1946 are examples but the day the school house in new london blew up has a singular pathos because so many of its victims were.
Another result was passage of the state odorization law, which required that malodoronts be mixed in with methane gas destined for commercial or household use. Mar 16, 2018 the east texas city of new london was one of the wealthiest places in america, with one of the fanciest school buildings of its time. The new london school explosion was then20yearold cronkites first national story. The london museum is pleased to announce that reprints of living lessons from new london, texas, the first book written about the explosion, are now available.
Family member of girl killed in new london explosion. The disaster killed more than 295 students and teachers, making it the worst catastrophe to take place in a united states school building. The new london school explosion occurred on march 18, 1937, when a natural gas leak caused an explosion. Mar 17, 2012 the march 18, 1937, explosion at the new london school in east texas killed an estimated 300 students, teachers and others. Lorine zylks bright the author, lorine zylks bright, has written a first person account of her experience on new london schools grounds on the day a terrific explosion destroyed the high school.
The 1937 natural gas explosion at a high school in new london, texas, shocked the entire world because of the enormity of the disaster, with some 300 students and teachers killed because of. New london school explosion disasters of the century youtube. New london, tx school disaster museum, new london, texas. Natural gas explosion kills nearly 300 at texas school history. On march 18 students prepared for the next days interscholastic meet in henderson. I hope you had the chance to log in and check out our webchat with ron rozelle on saturday at noon. Seventyfive years after the new london, texas, school explosion.
Public indignation forced the resignation of the school superintendent, even though his son was killed in the explosion. One day in new london is a historical fiction novel focusing on the nlsd event. If you would like to participate, you can edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project page, where you can join the project andor contribute to the discussion. The new london museum mentioned in the book has an amazing website.
The new london school explosion occurred on march 18, 1937, when a natural gas leak caused an explosion, destroying the london school of new london, texas, a community in rusk county previously known as london. From its beginning until 1930 cotton and vegetable farming was the primary economic engine. The daisy children, a novel, explores familial tragedy of. New london school explosion a part of familys history. The new london school before the march 18, 1937 explosion.
Promotional teaser, new london school explosion duration. The consolidated school of new london, texas, sat in the middle of a large oil and. The story of a marine grunt in the first battle of khe sanh. Jackson, new london methodist minister from 193739, and was originally published in 1938. It was in a small town in texas in march 1937, when a chool full of children went to heaven. The new london explosion led to the creation of the texas board of professional engineers. Jul 24, 2007 promotional teaser, new london school explosion duration. Sep 16, 2012 the new london school explosion occurred on march 18, 1937. New london, texas on march 18, 1937, a natural gas leak beneath the new london school rocked the ground with a deafening explosion. They never knew the bell wouldnt ring that day, the buses wouldnt run and they would never play.
More than 70 law suits for damages resulted from the explosion, but a district judge dismissed them for lack of evidence that the school district or builders had been. Natural gas explosion kills nearly 300 at texas school. The new london school explosion tadpoles outdoor blog. On march 18, 1937, the residents of new london, southeast of tyler, endured the worst smalltown tragedy in u. New london, tx school disaster museum home facebook. Block 2002 in addition to the horrific losses that its servicemen endured during world war ii, east texas also suffered 2 natural disasters within the world war decade. The disaster killed more than 295 students and teachers, making it the deadliest school disaster in american history. The nook book ebook of the my boys and girls are in there. Jun 05, 2017 support us the new london school explosion occurred on march 18, 1937, when a natural gas leak caused an explosion, destroyin. The third is the new london school explosion that occurred 80 years ago in 1937. Brown will speak next month at kilgore college about his new book on the new london school explosion, gone at 3. Seventyfive years ago today, some 300 people, mostly junior and highschool students and their teachers, died in the tiny east texas oilfield town of new london. New london explosion i have looked at your coverage of the explosion at the new london school and you have done a good job covering it. The 1937 new london school explosion is a meticulous, candid account by veteran educator and experienced author.
On march 18, 1937, a spark ignited a vast pool of natural gas that had collected beneath the school building in new london, a tiny community in east texas. The disaster killed more than 295 students and teachers. Based on scores of interviews and an intimate understanding of a community torn by tragedy, gone at 3. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the deadliest school disaster in u. My grandfather worked in the oil fields near new london, she says, and my mother was a firstgrader at nearby arp when the explosion occurred. New london soon built its new school on an adjoining site. The untold story of the worst school disaster in american history. Hundreds died at new london high school in rusk county after odorless natural gas leaked into the basement and ignited.
It was almost time for the school day to end, the children were making plans with a friend. The story is told through the eyes of alfred townsend, an eightyyearold man that. Summary seventyfive years after the new london, texas, school explosion instantaneously ended life for three hundred students, haunted memories of all who knew them, and hushed a communitys discussion. Unfolding with the narrative pace of a novel, the story woven by rozellebeginning with the titlecombines the anguished words of eyewitnesses with telling details from the historical and legal record. In march 1937 a gas leak in the basement of the 1,200student consolidated school in new london caused a massive explosion that killed almost 300. Frantic parents, rescue workers and oil field employees probe a tangled and twisted mass of wreckage after a terrific explosion had leveled all but this corner of the new london high school, near. The new london school explosion occurred on march 18, 1937. May 14, 20 the 1937 natural gas explosion at a high school in new london, texas, shocked the entire world because of the enormity of the disaster, with some 300 students and teachers killed because of a.
She agreedand was killed in the explosion, while thompson and hall both survived and lived long lives, never quite coming to terms with their good fortune. Mar 18, 2019 new london, texas on march 18, 1937, a natural gas leak beneath the new london school rocked the ground with a deafening explosion. It was one of the most devastating disasters in texas history and the worst school disaster in us history, yet little known outside east texas. The odorless, colorless gas went undetected until the flip of an electrical switch triggered a colossal blast. When the east texas oilfield came in a few miles west of town, everything changed. The new london school explosion has gotten relatively little coverage over the decades, in part because the traumatized community did not want to be put on display and this was before exploitative news camps hounding victims to supply 247 coverage, so they were better able to refuse. The 1937 new london school explosion by ron rozelle. Family member of girl killed in new london explosion shares. The force of the explosion was felt even four miles away. Mar 14, 2016 new london school explosion a part of familys history.
Two ships exploded in texas city on april 16, 1947, killing 576 people and injuring 3,500. See more ideas about new london, texas city explosion and london. The new london texas school explosion laura vanarendonk. New london school explosion a big thanks to ron rozelle for the great chat on saturday. The new london explosion immediately brought about changes in school construction, especially in the 8mile by 40mile oil field. On this date, march 18, 1937, the worst disaster to ever occur in a school in american history took place in new london, texas. It sent the floor up, chunks of concrete flew dozens of feet. On march 18 students prepared for the next days interscholastic meet in. Johnson was an infant in new london destined to become the scribe, oral historian, and seventyfive years after the new london, texas, school explosion instantaneously ended life for three hundred students, haunted memories of all who knew them, and hushed a communitys discussion of an unspeakable event, the. Mar 17, 2017 294 killed in new london, texas school explosion, 80 years ago augusta robinson, tyler morning telegraph, associated press published 4. The east texas city of new london was one of the wealthiest places in america, with one of the fanciest school buildings of its time. The untold story of the worst school disaster in american history, by journalists david m. But on march 18, 1937, a natural gas leak caused an explosion at the school that collapsed much of the building and killed 294 people, mostly school kids.
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