The Anaconda standard., 1896-05-29


rose on st. Louis and vicinity this
morning it showed a scene of horrible
ruin and disaster. Wind. rain and fire
had combined in the mission of de-
struction. Two hundred lives were lost
In this city, as many more in East
st. Louis, while thousands were in
Jured, many so severely they cannot
recover. The exact number will not
be known for many days, perhaps new
er, for the debris of ruined buildings
all over the city covers hundreds of
human bodies. The damage and de-
struction OF property will aggregate
many millions, but the exact amount
cannot be estimated with any degree
of certainty.
The terrible tornado that caused this
destruction struck the city yesterday
afternoon at 5:15 o'clock and all parts
of the city and East st. Louis felt the
effects. The greatest damage on this
side of the river was inflicted within
three mile strip along the mighty
stream. Many buildings totally col
lapsed. others were unroofed while
very few in the city escaped injury.
Hours of sultriness, puffs of wind
coming by turns from all points of the
compass, the flying hither and thither
of light mist-like formations across the
dull, dark colored masses-these were
the characteristics of an afternoon,
which brought to st. Louis the most
disastrous storm in the city's history.
For hours torrents of shifting wind
blew hot and cold. and a storm center
developed. The fury of the elements
was borne within the city limits. In
the west a thunder storm developed.
The early mutterings indicated moth
ing more alarming than a down pour
with ordinary electrical accompani-
ments. This cloud came up slowly at
first from the west, beyond Forest
Park. AS the black rim moupted high
er above the horizon it's arc embraced
more territory to the north and south.
A strong wind from the east began to
blow right in the face of the storm.
1t was a lower current. Suddenly the
wind stopped blowing from the east
and there swept from the northwest a
terrific gale, which made the best built
structures tremble. With the hurri-
cane, for that was the first form the
storm took when 1t broke over the
western part of the city, came a del
uge. From few minutes before un-
til $50 this hurricane blew from the
northwest.
Then there came a lull. The currents
shifted. In the southwest there came
into existence a storm cloud with es-
sential features of a tornado, funnel
shaped. This second storm burst uIon
u. !
in on South Lafayette Park, struck tie
city hospital and from there tore its
way through the city to the river by
northeasterly course. 1t wrought hav-
oc that will leave traces in that part
of the city, which lies east Of Seventh
street and north of Cerre street to
Eads bridge. Boats were torn from
their moorings and capsized or went
adrift. The cloud crossed the river,
a
end bridge, then wreaked its fury on
East st. Louis.
Shortly after 6 o'clock, with the sun
more than an hour above the western
horizon there settled upon the city
clouds so dense that daylight quickly
gave place to the 1arNaPss of MID
night. That was the precursor OF the
tornado from the southwest. The ha,-
ricane from the northwest gave tie
city a severe shaking up. The torna1o
from the southwest, wlica Is respoGsi-
BILE for the loss of life and destruction
along the levee district and East 81.
Louis, followed the hurricane by al out
half an hour.
Health Commissioner Strakloff, two
hours after the tornado passed, sent
word that the deaths would reach 200
and no fewer than 1000 persons had
sustained serious injuries. BY midnight
reporters had visited all the stricken
portions of the city and suburbs. The
list of dead discovered fell far below
the first estimates, but 1t was long
enough to be appalling. Crushed be-
meath falling walls, hurled against the
sides of buildings, struck by flying tim
bers, cut by shattered glass, shocked
by the network of wires, humanity suf-
fered in ways innumerable. The names
of all the injured will never be known.
OF the destruction of property, there
can be no satisfactory estimates given.
The loss in extent and in character is
beyond conception. In the flashes OF
lightning last night the city hospital
looked like a ruin. The new surgical
ward was partly demolished. A portion
of three other buildings were unroofed.
Walls were cracked. In the darkness,
physicians began the removal of pa
tients to temporary quarters, fearful
that the strained structure would go
down in a general collapse.
There were 450 sick people in the hos
pital when the storm came. Some of
them gathered strength in their fright
and ran shrieking from the place. find
ing shelter on the outside. Thirteen
were injured in one ward.
The convention hall and the Four
Courts were in the path of the cloud as
1t passed from the city hospital TO the
river The convention hall lost part of
its roof. Ten days work and an ex-
penditure of $500 will make the hall
good again. section of brick wall
went down and the prisoners were pam
ic-stricken. In the district between
Sixth street and the river. north from
Choteau avenue, the tornado tore its
path, every building sustaining DANA
ges. Smoke stacks and chimneys top
pied over. walls were leveled, thousands
OF windows were smashed and miles of
telegraph and telephone wires left in a
network on the ground. Through this
district the streets We're impossible.
They are covered in places with debris
10 feet deep.
Along the levee. hawsers snapped
and boats were set adrift, some to go
down. others TO go ashore on the east
ern bank The loss Of life which might
have taken place AT this point was
avoided by the hour at which the tor
nado came. a little later the excursion
steamers would have been going out.
None Of them had left the wharves.