The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-03-16


counts.
from he st. Louis Republican. 9th
"A lew minutes past three o'clock the awful
VISITATION opened its fury without moments
warning blowing from the southwest, com.
'ns up Inc river in diagonal line inclining
eastward in its advance-a terrible wbirlipq
iorce, compacted III path of about six or
eight hundred ieet wide, AMI rushing onward, ,
with roar like an angry sea, and the velocity
Of flight. AT another time perhaps 1t will
be possible to collect particulars of the com.
ing of the tempest, but yesterday hardly a
witness could be found who could give a co
herent statement. They all seemed TO think
that it smote the earth as with sudden blow
aud they knew not that it was coming until
it was upon them. They did not see 1t COM
ing, but only felt its awfal seizure. The tor
nado seems to have barely touched our SOUTH
ern limits, but to have kept east oil the city,
and no very alarming damage was done until
1t struck East st. Louis. Here it manifested
It's dreadful power, within a space OF three
minutes, in manner never before eqCaled In
TINS part oil the country, and almost indescri-
bable.
edifce struck on the Illinois shore, a strong
frame building. The roof was torn to rib
bOns, and large portion of it, like black
meteor, shot northward aud fell tar away in
the river. Then came the destruction OF
other houses; some were unroofed, aud some
were rent 10 pieces, walls and all, and the un-
happy inmates buried in the ruins. The
stately steamer Molie Able, lying at the
East st. Louis wharf, had her texas torn Of
and hurled in the river. The bridge tug
"Hewitt" had her wheel house disposed of in
the same way, and became wreck. The
whole fcEest OF frame work over the east abut-
ment pier OF the bridge was twisted mp like a
bunch OF reeds in the fingers ofthe storm, and
crashed down in a pile OF chaotic ruir.-
Railway cars and engines were dashed down
on their sides, or whirled off the tracks
as if they were paper boxes. Whole trees
We're either struck to the earth as il the trunks
had been severed by cannon shot, or lifted
bodily aud carried yarJs away from whera
they moment before stood. Put all these
distractions together and hundred Others
fill the air with with blaze OF wnrling OBJ.
1ects, and imagine sky as black as ink,
scanned every moment with tongues OF light.
ming and reverberating with thunder crashes,
while there is a steady roar OF great rush.
ing on earth, and some idea may be gained
OF The outburst of the tornado on East St
Louis. Itwas an awful scene never to be for
gotten.
The tornado did not last more than three
minutes. As above stated, it seemed to come
from the south southwest, and touching the
Illinois shore first at the elevator, passed
along the river bank, inclining eastward, and
terminating at the track OF the Toledo, Wa
bash and Western Railroad, nearly at the
head OF Bloody Island, and at this point about
eight hundred yards from the river. Its
speed is estimated at between sixty and sew
enty miles an hour, and its strength was al-
most irresistible where any fiat surface was ex-
posed.
From the st. Louis Democrat.
On the bridge works the most terrific havoc
Was made. The east river pier still stands,
but the ponderous frame work that surround.
ed 1t is mass OF ruins, and nearly half of the
immense timbers are floating down the river.
The derrick boat, with its massive hosting
apparatus. was torn to atoms, while perpen-
dicular timbers tully d loot in diameter we're
snapped off like reeds. The air boat was ly-
ing behind the solid masonry, and thus pro-
tected. it escaped injury. The spectacle pre-
sented at the east shore pier was more terri
BILE than the other. About one hundred men
were at work on the masonry and the boats
surrounding it, and many OF them were killed
or wounded.
The frame work for the hoisti1g of the
huge rocks for the masonry formed a compii-
Gated net work of colossal beams that sup
ported heavy iron pulleys. large wire cables
and ponderous iron shafts. This together
WITH the derrick and engine boats, Ine super
intendeuts office, and, indeed, almost all the
buildings and apparatus, are an immense leap
OF ruins.
There were eight purchases" for raising
rocks manned by two men each, and not more
than five minutes before the tornado burst
| upon them eight of the men stopped work,
| and, leaving their places, prepared TO cross
the river 10 theii homes. This doubtless saw
ell their lives, as none OF them were injured.
or the other eight, however, several are miss
ing. and it IS reported that some were hurled
into the turbid waters of the river, while
others were buried bereath the wreck. Sam
uel Cochran, laborer on the west pier, and
apparently an intelligent and honest man,
made statement to The following effect:
| He was ct work on the scaffoldiBg at the
east pier of the bridge, helping to hoist stone.
| There were nearly forty men working on that
pier at the time the tornado struck it. He
was up in what is termed the "traveler.'
| The scaffolding was erected OH barge, anc
as the hurricane struck it, it was taken ovel
and lodged, partially, on the moth side Of the
| buge. Cochran was at work on the east side
of The pier. Two meu working on the east
side of the pier were killed; he saw the deaf
bodies, but did not learn names. One man
near him, had both his arms broken. Several
| parties were precipitated into the river III,
| did not know whether or not they were al
saved. Terrible anxiety prevailed among tht
wofkmen, who trembled for their lives.
| tug came to the relief of the men and tool
them of. The works caught fire bat th'
flames were extinquished. Cochran saw
tug capszed and one or mole men fall intt
the river from it, but in the general upheav
ing be took but little account OF anythin
save his own safety. The air-pnmps whicl
supplied the men in the caisso.i with air wer
of course stopped by the demolition OF tn
engines, and the men were sensiby affected
by the shock. The air escapes were at one
shut off, and as the supply OF compressed al
in the calsson was sufficient to last sever:
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