The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-01-13
A CYCLONE IN ST. LOUIS.
1t Sweeps through the City, Leav-
ing Death and Destruction in
It's Track.
Lives Lost, Buildings Unroofec
and the Streets Filled With
Many Wrecks.


In it, Tour.
ST, Louis. No, Jan. l9.-At 1870 this af
ternoon a cyclone struck the southwestern
section Of this city and swept ON THROUGH
the northern limits, making pathway near.
lyn quarter ~ anlile wide and leaving death
and destruction in its track. There was
scarcely any warning of tue approaching
storm, owing to the fact that the sky had
been overcast for several hours before the
full force of the wind WIS felt, In addition
to dozens of dwellings and stores in The
southern, centrnl and northern sections of
the city. more or less wrecked, the follow
ing hig bindings were damaged
Anchor mills; Goodwin candle fac
tory; Pullman shops; Van Brooks
furniture factory; Kingland and Ferguson
farm implement works; Missouri Pacific
hospital, Holden school, German Eyaneel-
lcal church, Second Presbyterian church
and three fatalities are reported, but the
names of the victims have not vet been ns-
certalned They comprise an entire family.
1 then mother and child, residing on Mound
st eet. They met their &c til 10y the fall ng
of building ON their dwelling. The LOSSES
ON property roughly ostimat are 100000.
but likely will prove more. The cyclone
seemed TO have enterfd tine city in its
full force at Twenty-third street and
Chotcau avenue, passing northwest until il
renched Seventeenth and Olive streets,
where IL apnln turned tu the northeast.
leaving the city and striking the river Just
north of Tyler street. The only announce
ment Of its approach and progress WIS a
dull and sullen roar. quickly followed by n
torrent of ram. which IN turn WAS succeeded
10y slott. ana before the victims could
realize what had happened tn, storm had
swept hy, lowing wrsckage and mangl d
hu.nonity In its pathway. Telegraph poles
were swept down, while roofs of build n, s
re fed and tossed INTO the NJ teis. NJ =.
Cn.Tles NJ Her. who res des with her Jus,
bHnd bt lw nti th and Eugenia streets. was
| ting IN chair with a babe in her arms
./hen the roof was littod from the
'use. She rushed to window,
a d just th the wall gave way and Mrs.
Miller and her babe were buried under the
debris; the babe escaped without scratch
but the mother wos badly hurt and may II /
recover. Mr.. Milhr escaped unhuit. This
is one # dozens of incidents 0f the terrible
storm. telephone message from Ven ce.
Ia. % q 'tt tue northern part "f the city,
says the storm WAS very disastrous there.
and several lives were lost. but no d,tn Is
are gwen. The list OF victims secured thus
far are; Deid, Mrs. Maggie Connurs, aged
10: Bernard Me- 'onnell, aged 10; Joe Mtay-
or, aeed 2.
Injured: Teresa Weaver, aged Q. both lcgs
hr'k,n and will probably die; Mrs. Charles
Miller i. dly cot and bruised; Annie Com
neIs, Maggie Conn, rs md Francis Conncrs.
mess, nger just arrived from tHo east
side uf the river snys thc storm III 1t. Clair
county. Ills. was unusually severe. Brook
lyn, a VILLA, OF about 100 people, seems 10
have suffered most OF the damage. Brook
Ian Is about three miles north of
II. Louis. The population is largely
composed of cOlvred people. Al
though several are injured, no lives are lost.
A number of dwellings ire in ruin. The
Baptist church / entirely demolished and
The 81. j.. church is unroofd and burned
clear around ON IL foundation. AT Belle
Vile, Illinois. several p-blic buildings we Q
unroofcd, Int NO one II iepuitrd injured.
4 late W0bas rain arrived mt East ~.
Louis ut aboi e;l5 u. m. ~ engineer and
conductor rtTot { that during the storm
they feared iher { an would be thrown
from the track 80 terrific was the force OF
wind.
litchfcll. Ills. is also reported as having
who was so badly injured N io-day'z torn,
leils tie following story; THE entire roof
Of rnr house WAS blown away, the windows
were shattered and the rest of the house
was more or less damaged. When the
storm struck the Ii use, / WAS sitting with
my baby ia my arms, ] did not know
what had hnppcnrd at frat but
j ,uped np and II to the window.
! In "a inst at ( err, o, seemed 10 he lifted
l.. 4.
crash, The back gallery and stairs were
blown away und had time only 60 sec the
mir filed with parts of the wreck that
seemed % be whirling around, when ] was
struck III the head aud fell to the ilour.
( When ! recovered consciousness the storm
+ had ppssed. ] WIS cove ed with blood and
| thought my baby was dead, but fortunate.
/ ~ was the worst hurt"
Tie doctor who is attend ne Mrs. Miller
stated toni. ht TINT she il d. vigorously hurt.
Another death Is Just rcpOit,d. Willie
Marks, aged G years, whose parcuts reside
| ~ the northern section Df the city, wis II
/ bed. sick with fever. Tie storm hlcw tho
roof on Mhfu' home and bricks came
crushing into the rOom killing the boy
from sheer fright as ~ usual in puch cases
/ The weather preceding the cyclone waH
close, mnpgY aud oppressive, the atinos-
phcfe beng CHARGED with electricity. Dur
lne the forenoon the day became dark and
lowering. the temperature boing Of ~ ring
time mlldness. Towards afternoon "a heavy
RAIN began. shortly ufttr4 O'Clock the cy-
cioic burst upon tue city, and brief reign
ot terror Hnd dtHJlaiion succeeded. II scat
tered d,brs ot suufs. chmneys nnd church
Spires down into tie broad thpiuuphfarcs,
uutll the Inspect Of general ruin prevail d.
/ The effect OF todly's cyclone upon telegraph
and telephone spi vice was disastrous. Any
estimate Of The financial loss done
by the cyclone Is rendered i'm
possible Ut the present moment, but
there is no doubt the total Will come inn }
/ "a large mlrhiuu TN roof Of a I,'si.
! donee torn oH by the cyclone WIS twisted
I into an nlHiuit compact mhfls, being drop
ped hllully uu the ~ e,t not covering a
sprct rgcr thnn door way.
man named junn Charles was hurled
from q wagon, which TaA overturned ana
t1rpWn 0-ruos tue street eid against the
lrInt Ol % hOug-. CbuflfB received severe
I Il lurIrs. frAidrucp On lopin street, lust
cus, 0l jefferson avenue, had the roof blow i
aEHy and the SIDE wall stove in. Grepi.'
rc-idenC On the cust corner Of Twenty
/ FIRST and Randolph streets lost its roof and
wis ui etwise damaged. AZ tli
hour ll.2J q. m.l tne thermomp-
] ter marks Is dc2rees above zero
and perfect gale is blowing. lteportt d
deutbs nc Nniot, H., prove unfUuuded.
WI men, VIM were buried beneath IA,
ruins Ht Bfoohlyn. were taAen ,o Venice loi
sur-penl Treatment, and from this incident
rumois sprong.