Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-06-04
I'm the Tornado,s Path.

The terrible tornado that caused this
destruction struck the city yesterday
afternoon at 5:15 o'clock and all parts
of this city and East st. Louis felt its
effects. The greatest damage on this
side of the river was inflicted within a
three mile strip along the mighty stream.
Many buildings totally collapsed from
the force of the wind, others were I'M
rooted, while very few i'll the city es-
capped some injury. Signs and cornices
were torn off, shade trees and every
thing else suffered from the strength of
ness, putfs of wind coming by turns
from all points of the compass piling
up in heavy clouds around the horizon,
the flying hither and thither of light,
mistlike formations across the dull. dark
colored masses-these were the charac-
teristics of an afternoon which brought
to st. Louis the most disastrous storm
currents shifted, the wind blew hot and
cold and the storm center developed.
Gathering of the Clouds.
The fury of the elements was borne
within the city's limits. In the west
a thunder storm developed. The early
mutterings indicated nothing more
alarming than downpour with the or
binary electrical accomplishments. Ibis
rain cloud came up slowly at first
AS the black rim mounted higher above
the horizon it's arc embraced more terri
tory to the north and south. A strong
wind from the east began to blow right
in the face of the storm. 1t was
lower current. 1t raised the day cloud
and brought it forward faster and faster
Suddenly the wind stopped blowing from
the east, and there swept from the north
west terrific gale which made the best
built structures tremble. With the hur-
ricane, for that was the first form the
storm took when it broke over the west
ern part Of the city, came deluge OF
rain. For half an hour from a few
minutes before 5 until $50 this hurri
cane blew from the northwest. Then
there came n lull.
The currents shifted. In the south
west there came into existence Il storm
cloud with the essential features Of the
tornado-funnel shape. The second
storm burst upon the city from the,
southwest 1t came on the south side
of Lafayette park, struck the city hospi-
tai and from there tore its way through
the city to the river by 4 noTtheasterly
course 1t wrought such havoc as will
long leave traces i'll that part of the city
which lies east of Seventh street ard
north of Cerre street to the Eads bridge.
from their moorings and capsized or sent
adrift.
Crosses the River.
The cloud crossed the river and de-
molished the upper work at the east end
of the bridge and then it wrecked its
fury OH East st. Louis. Shortly after q
O'Clock. with the sun more than an hour
above the Western horizon, there settled
upon the city clouds SO dense that day
light quickly gave place to the darkness
of midnight. That was the precursor of
the tornado from the southwest. The
hurricane from the northwest gave the
western portion of the city severe shak-
ing up. The tornado from the south
west which is responsible for the loss of
life and untold destruction along the
levee districts and in East st. Louis fol-
lowed the hurricane by about half an
hour. What must be charged up to this
double visitation only time can tell.
Streets Are impossible.
Every building within the path sus-
etained damage. Smokestacks and CHM
neys were toppled over Walls were
leveied Roofs were lifted Thousands
of windows. were sirra shed, miles OF tele-
graph a lephone wires We're left in
the streetA impossible. They are
deep.
Along the levee. front the hawsers
snapped and boatsN went adrift, some
were sent ashore on t8le east Dank None
of the excursion steaiQers had left their
wharf. Other river pasSenger boats had
ed an hour before nm although not
lid asmom1 had proDaDly passed beyond
TN 1estorm. The, death-deal-
i1 Nd the river aras such an
a Re and wreck the upper
y send Of the Eads< bridge
SaN\t Of East st. Louis.
ke7 and injured OIL, the
!. ,fsfer will not be cpm-
al &nrs of daylight permit
e searqo$0f the ruins. Thoughts
however, to show that more livAs
cen lost on the east side than ON
lest side. The list of killed man
fifty. The injured number hun-(
Damage to the Eads Bridge.