The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-28

necessary to provide other quarters for the
reception of the dead. In addition to those
who were killed in their houses and in the
streets. hundreds of dead are beneath the
waters of the Mississippi river OF all the
steamers on the levee when the storm broke
but one Is now afioat. All the others have
gone down, in many instances every soul on
board being lost. and in others not over two
or three being able TO reach a place Of
safety. Among the boats destroyed is the
excursion steamer Grand Republic. one OF
! the largest steamers on the lower river. Not
a man escaped from her. and 1t is said she
was crowded with excursionsts when the
storm came.
The center of the city is a wreck. Many
buildings have been demolished and others
partially wrecked. The streets are utterly
impossible TO street cars. ana In many
places progress on foot is matter OF great
difficulty. To add to the horrors OF the night
the electric light plants were rendered M
capable OF service. and the gas lamps were
also shut off, leaving the city in total dark
ness. Fire also broke out in several por-
tions Of the city. and the fire department
was unable to make an effective fight be-
cause of the choked-up condition OF the
streets and the large number of fremen
who were engaged in the imperative work
of rescuing the dead and wounded.
THE FIRST AUTHENTIC NEWS.
The only authentic information from the
stricken city tonight was sent out by the
agent OF the Associated Press. who man
aged to reach an outlying telegraph Office,
and send brief dispatch as follows:
ga tornado. blowing at the rate OF over
eighty miles an hour. struck ST. Louis to-
night and ragged for half an hour with
great fury, and as a result hundreds OF
lives are lost on both sides OF the river
Many buildings are blown down and many
river steamers sunk with all on board. 1t
| Is impossible at tine present time to esti-
mate the number of killed and wounded
as the hospitals are filled with injured and
the morgue is filled with the slain, while
| great numbers of the dead and manned
are lying among the ruins in all direction.
| A portion OF the east end of the Eads
bridge is destroyed. the grand stand at the
fair grounds is down. the woman's portion
| of thu jail Is gone. anc the immense Cup
pies Block is partly destroyed The Waters
& Pierce oil works are burning. and other
buildings in various sections of the city
are on fire."
The Western Union company announced
that because of its inability to get its
wires up it would be impossible to send out
any more messages from ST. Louis or its
| vicinity. The reports regarding the dura-
tion of the storm are conflicting. About
o'clock the operator on the Wabash road
| at small station not far from East ST.
Louis managed to get the operator at De-
catur, ILL.,, long enough to send hir, word
| that the roundhouse Of the Wabash road
was blown down and that the freight house
of the Vandalia was wrecked and thirty
five men were killed in the ruins. After
he had told this much the wire failed him.
Shortly after 5 o'clock the Wabash opera
tor at Decatur reported to the main dis
patcher's Office at Forrest, H., that a tor
nado had just passed through the country
to the south of Decatur. and it was reported
to have done great damage. In few min
utes he sent word that second storm had
passed through the country almost exactly
in the track of the first, and he was unable
to get any more information regarding 1t,
but it was thought to have done great dam
age in the country lying east of East St.
Louis
The operators on the Alton road were un-
able to get any information from their men
in the neighborhood of st. Louis. but re-
ported that just before their connections
| with that city were broken of they had
received word that there had been a tor
nado at Rush Hill, small town on the
Alton road not far from Mexico. Mo.
The dispatcher's Office of the Illinois Gen.
trail was unable. all night. to get any in
formation from any point on their lines
south of Centralia- 1t was reported to
them. however, that cyclone had swept
| through all the country south Of that point
AT EAST ST. LOUIS.
At East st. Louis the destruction seems
greatest. H. G. Rice. the Western Union
manager at the relay depot on the east side
climbed across the demolished bridge and
made his way into st. Louis. He reports
that ''the National Hotel. fremont House.
Martelle House, Dewolf Cafe. the plant Of
the Hexel Milling Company. Horns cooper
shop and a great number of other buildings
are blown down. Many dwellings are
wrecked, and many of their occupants are
known to be dead. The vandalia round
house. the vandalia freight house. in which
thirty-five men are said to have been killed,
the Baltimore & Ohio roundhouse, the
Standard oil works, East st. Louis elevator,
Crescent elevator and twelve other freight
houses on the levee are destroyed. The
Grand Republic and several more excursion
steamers with all on board are reported to
have gone down, and there is but one boat
now at the levee of which were there before
the storm came. 1t is difficult to estimate