The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-28
HUNDREDS KILLED
BY THE CYCLONE
A Tornado Of Frightiul Fury Visits St.
Louis.
THE LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY
Houses Destroyed, Boats Wrecked,
Electric Railway Lines Burned Out.
An ArmOry Used as Temporary
HOspitai..Rain Falls in Torrents.

st. Louis, Mo-. May 27-Death and
destructionmarkes the pathway of u
tornado which passed over this city
shortly after o'clock this afternoon.
The list of the dead in St. Louis cannot
be estimated. until alarming reports Of
loss of life in collapsed buildings can
be confirmed. At least forty lifeless bod
les have been found up to 10 o'clock If
the reports are true that 200 girls are
in the ruins Of q cigarette factory and
that many We're killed in st. Louis, the
list will reach nearly 800. The city IS in
state of panic. Nearly all electric
wires are down and the city is in
darkness.
To add to the confusion the torna-
do was followed by deluge of rain.
accompanied by vivid flashes of light
ming, which still continues Telephone
wires are useless and liverymen refuse
requests for conveyances on account or
Frustrated electric wires.
The scene i'm East st. Louis is appali-
ing. The tornado struck that city with
terrific effect. and II is now estimated
that 200 persons are dead in that place
alone as result of the wind. flood and
flames.
The tornado was followed by an out
break of fire. caused by lightning and
before the flames We're gotten under
control. property to the valu" OF nearly
threem illion dollars was destroyed. The
tornado passed in an easterly direction
. and it is reported that VandaGa and
Caseyville, in Illinois, suffered sevt rely
| At $50 p. IL. the clouds that had COW
| cred the city since noon, broke into a
| furious storm. Within ten minutes the
wind reached velocity of eighty miles
an hour, sweeping with it dense waves
of rain. The highest speed of wind
| previously recorded here was - miles
an hour, in August, 1873. The screech-
| ing Of the wind through electric wires,
the crash of debris that swept 1t in
every direction, the electric flashes from
tangled wires and crashing thunder
made a scene indescribable. The loss
of life is appalling.
At I y. m. the lowest estimate of
fatalities In East st. Louis and this city
| is placed at 900.
East st. Louis suffered probably the
gcatest. Messengers came at p. IN.
from there. asking for physicians and
| nurses.
The steamer D. II. Pike, with 30 pas
sengers on board, bound for Peoria, was
blown bottom side up in the middle Of
| the river and number of persons
, killed
! The steamer Delaphin with a crew of
e'X and twenty leIy passengers on
! board was blown against bridge pier
and brohea in two. The ladies and
two Of the crew clung to the bridge
stonework and were rescued.
The steamer Lihbie Concer with only
Captain Scman, his wife and three of a
crew aboard went adrift. The wreck of
a boat opposite Carondelet Is supposed
to he the steamer Conger.
| Ottened's furniture store at Broa dwny
and Sou'ard. was demolished and six
mer are reported killed. A saloon at
e0i SOuti, Seventh street fell with nine
! men In the ruins.
CHURCH FALLS IN.
st. Patrick's church at Sixth and
Biddle streets. fell and the debris fills
the street. The electric railway line Is
burned out. as well as electric plant
Fourteen fire alarms were sounded
within an hour, and three alarms were
sent In from the poor house, which
building has 1900 inmates. The ROOT
of the poor house was blown off and the
fatalities are great.
During the last race at the fail
grounds. the roof was blown off the
grand stand. The crowd had gone tc
men We're killed.
The arrnory at Seventeenth and Pine
streets is being used as a temporary
hospital.
At 7.3O y. m. the rain. which had
ceased for time. began afresh and fel
In torrents. At O'Clock the eastern
sky was ailame with the light of fire.
In East st. Louis. The metal roof o
the Merchants exchange was rolled
up like scroll and fell into the streets
The Louisville and Nashville cas-
bound local passenger train had JUS
reached East Louis when the storm
struck that city. The train was over
turned but miraculously only u few
passengers were injured. They were
taken from the cars by railroad yard
men.
The Chicago and Alton east bount
local passenger train, which left st
Louis at 3 O'Clock, was on the east spar
Of the bridge when the wind picked tht
cars W. and turned them over on theii
sides. The iron spans and trusses held
the cars from toppling into the river
100 feet below.
The passengers were thrown into @
confused mass. The work Of rescu,
was made difficult and dangerous, but /
is thought all will be got out uninjured
|
badly wrecked that II will take three
days to allow trains to pass. The re-
ports Of fatalities In East st. Louis /.
hourly increasing, and at 8 o'clock 1t /.
estimated that the loss of life will ex
coed l50. II IL impossible to cross thu
bridge or river to get particulars.
OIL WORKS IN FLAMES.
Lightning struck the Standard OF
works and flames were soon pourint
from q dozen buildings. The fire de
partment was utterly pOwerless to cop,
with the conflagration and it Is feared
nearly the entire business and q grea
portion Of the residence section will b,
destroyed by flames. II not already so
by the wind. Among the principa
buildings already In ruins are the Ma
tional hotel. the Standard OIL works
East st. Louis Wire Nail works, tn,
Crescent Elevator, Hasel Elevator, al
freight depots and stores and residences
en- st. Clair avenue.
At 0 o'clock tonight no wire can b,
obtained to surrounding territory II
the western and northern portion O
Missouri, but It Is feared that the los
OF life In these sections will be yer.
large. The damage to property in ST
Louis Is estimated at 81, 900, 900, and tn
loss in East st. Louis Is already $1,000,
600 and the first Is still raging.
TWO CYCLONES.
There were really two cyclones. On
came from the northwest and the 9th
er from the direct east. Both met Of
the Illinois shore Of the Mlssissipp
river and Joined In whirling cloud o
death and destruction The list o
dead In st. Louis IL beyond presen
computation.
A startling report has Just reache,
police headquarters that 200 girls are Il
factory 1t Tower Grove park. Alarm
ing reports Of great loss Of life In tn