Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-05-28
many so severely that they can not re-


many so severely that they can not re
cover.
The exact humber of the dead will no
be known for many days and perhap;
never, for the debris of ruined buildings
all over the city covers hundreds of hu
man beings.
The destruction of property will ag
gregate many millions.
The terrible tornado that caused thi.
destruction struck the city yesterday af
ternoon at Sis O'Clock and all parts o
the city and East st. Louis feel the eff.
fects.
The greatest damage on this side oil
the river was inflicted within the three
mile strip along the mighty stream.
Many buildings totally collapsed. 9th.
ers were unroofed, while very few es-
capped injury.
Hours of depressing sultriness, puffe
of wind coming by turns from all points
of the compass, flying hithtr and thither
a light mist-like formation across dull,
dark, colored masses-these were the
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AFTERNOON
which brought to st. Louis the most
disastrous storm in the city's history.
For hours the torrents shifted, the wind
blew hot and cold, and the storm center
developed. In the west thunderstorm
developed. The early mutterings indicat
ed nothing more alarming than down
pour with the ordinary electrical accom-
paniments.
This rain cloud came up slowly at first
from the west. AS its black rim mounted
higher above the horizon, its arc en-
braced more territory to the north and
south. strong wind from the east be-
gan to blow right in the face of the
storm. This was the lower current.
Suddenly the wind stopped blowing
from the east and there swept from the
northwest terrific gale which made the
best built structures tremble. With the
hurricane, for that was the form the
storm took when it broke over the west
ern part of the city, came deluge. From
a few minutes before o'clock until $50
this hurricane blew from the northwest.
Then there came lull. The currents
shifted.
THE FUNNEL SHAPED CLOUD.
In the southwest, there came into ex-
istence storm cloud with the essential
features of tornado. 1t was funnel
shaped. This second storm burst upon
the city from the southwest. 1t came in
on South La Fayette park, struck the city
hospital and from there tore its way
through the city to the river by north
easterly course.
1t wrought havoc that will long leave
its tracks in that part of the city east of
7th street and north of Cerre street to the
Eads bridge. Boats we're torn from the
and capsized or went adrift.
The cloud crossed the river, dem olished
the upper work at the east end of the
bridge and then wreaked it's fury on East
st Louis.
Shortly after O'Clock, with tho sun
more than an hour above the western
horizon, there settled upon the city
clouds so dense that daylight quickly
gave place to the darkness of midnight
That was the precursor of the tornado
from the southwest, which is responsible
for the loss of life and the destruction
along the levee district and at East ST.
Louis.
OVER ONE THOUSAND INJURED.
Health Commissioner Strackloff, two
hours after the tornado had passed, sent
word that the deaths wonld reach 200 and
no fewer than 1000 persons sustained
serious injuries.
By midnight reporters had visited all
the stricken portions of the city and sub
urbs. The list of dead discovered fell far
below the first estimates, but it was long
enough to be appalling.
Crushed beneath falling walls, hurled
against the sides of buildings, struck by
flying timbers, cut by shattered glass,
shocked by the network of wires, human
ity suffered in ways innumerable. The
names of all the injured will never be
known.
OF the destruction of property, there
can be no satisfactory estimate given.
The loss is beyond conception.
SERIOUSLY INJURED AND MISSING.
Among the seriously injured are: John
Bewiger, h. @. Hall, Mrs. Ellen Hennesy,
W. h. williams, Patrick Kennedy, D. Ben
der, j. H. Uchanan, J. H. Mowan, L. p.
Elan, w. G. Van Meeder, William Hopo
Mayor Il. P. Badee, badly injured
about the head by flying timber.
Mrs. Horace Trump, Bert Farrell, Dan
Kelly, Joe Duffy, William Price, Baby
Brewer.
John Block, Ambrose Norman, James
Raisey.
Four members of the Armour family.
Frank Rolf, W. NJ. Hope, Ed. Gull
Peter Harris, Mrs. L. Hientel.
Among the missing are: City Clerl
Jerry Mark, Eddy Bland, Frank Bland
Frank Mccormick, Albert Holman, J
Keene, Geo. Woods, Mike >Kildea, W. r
Keefers, LAWN Mote, Will Murtiay, Dar
Nicely, George Romer, W. E. Preelink
Link Hanford.
RAILROAD BUSINESS DEMORAL1zED.
The union station was crowded las
night by persons awaiting the departure
of trains on which they intended to leav
town. The hurricane created havoc il
railway business, which was demoralize'
for the time. The incoming and outgo
ing trains were stalled for hours.
SOME SALIENT DETAILS.
The city hospital buildings were un
rooted and the walls cracked. Even u
the darkness the physicians began tn
removal of patients to temporary quar-
ters. There we're $50 sick people in tn
hospital. Some of them gathered
strength in their fright and ran shriekin
from the place. Thirteen were iniure
! in ono ward.
Convention hall and the Four courts wer
in the path of the cloud. Conventio
hall lost part of it's roof. The expend
ture of 5000 will make the hall goo
again. ;,
A section of the brick wall of the ia
went down and the prisoners we're PAM
stricken. 81
In the district between 18th street an
the river, north from Choteau avenue
every building sustained damag
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