Some Disasters That Fell

Some Disasters That Fell

On The Thirteenth

A quick review of major world tragedies reveals that no more than a usual percentage of disasters has occurred on the 13th, despite almost universal belief that this number is unlucky. Of the hundred or so disasters at sea since 1865, none happened on the thirteenth. On January 13,1915, there was a colossal earthquake in Avezzno, Italy, killing 30,000 people and measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale. In 1928 the St. Francis Dam in Santa Paula California collapsed, killing 450 people on March 13. On September 13 of the same year. Lake Okeechobee in Florida flooded with a death toll of 2,000. Tornadoes do not seem to favor the thirteenth. None of the major tornadoes recorded since 1936 has struck on that day of the month. There have, however, been a couple of nasty blizzards. Most of us remember Hurricane Connie in 1955. which struck Virginia, the Carolina’s and Maryland on August 13, causing the death of 43 people. Connie picked a Thursday to strike but Friday the 13th was truly disastrous for the people of Bangladesh in 1970, who sustained a cyclone in November of that year which took a total of 300,000 people.

A major oil spill occurred in 1968, on June 13. Responsible for the disaster was the World Glory, which experienced hull failure and lost 13,524,000 gallons of oil.

The thirteenth has been the date for several major explosions, although none of them was on a Friday. In 1928, a dance hall in West Plains, Missouri, exploded, killing forty dancers on April 13. In 1966, a chemical plant in LaSalle. Quebec, exploded with a toll of 11 on October 13. On April 13, 1976. a munitions work in Lapua Finland blew up, killing 45.

Several major fires have been recorded on the thirteenth day of the month. They are: The Rhoads Theatre fire in Boyertown, Pa., killing 170 on January 13, 1908; the Norman, Oklahoma state hospital fire on April 13, 1918, in which 38 souls perished; and the Melbourne, Australia hotel fire on August 13,1966, which killed 29. On May 13, 1972, a fire broke out in an Osaka. Japan night club, with a death toll of 116.

The only major U. S. railroad wreck recorded on the 13th is a wreck near Humble Texas in 1922. which killed 22 in December.

Tw6 tragic aircraft wrecks have occurred in this century on the 13th: An Aeroflot TU-104 exploded and crashed at Alama-Ata, Central Asia, killing 90 on January 13, 1977; and. in the same year, on December 13, a DC-3 crashed after takeoff at Evansville, Indiana. Among those 29 killed were the University of Evansville basketball team.

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