Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-06-04
The g. Louis Storm.

| The papers of Friday contained lists OF
the dead and injured BY the storm at St.
Louis and vicinity. The dead VII null
Der about 500. and the wounded twice
| that number. The property loss VIII
reach into the millions.
| The tornado that spent It's fury upon
the city had no path. The area OF Its
ravage is as wide as It IS long. Only the
scientific man, with his theories, pre-
tends to speculate. Whence It came and
| where it began its havoc no other man
knows.
| The wind blew from the south and
men hurrying through the streets braced
| themselves against il. In an instant tire
current came from the north, and the
people were taken off their feet before
! they were aware Of the change.
Then the darkness of an Egyptian tomb
lenveloped the city The artificial lights
Of the Streets and stores were snutted out
| as if by some superhuman power. There
was a roar more frightful than that of
thousand cataracts. Crash followed
crash. Great buildings creakrd / and
strained, and there could be felt the
whirl of flying objects that could not be.
seen.
Mingled with the crashing Of bodies Of
masonry was the cracking Of glass, like
the snap of musketry amid a lombard
ment by great guns All this within a
few minutes, probably 10 more than sec
onds. and then sombrc twilight and fear
ful calm made up the scene. And what
a scenel Not until next day was the eX-
tent of the calamity apparent.
Colonel Wetmore, manager OF the Llg-
gett & Myers tobacco plant, which was
DESTROYED, estimates the entire property
damage at S25, ,ooO, 900, which viii be, he
says, almost a total loss, owing to The
lack of cyclone insurance. Other est-
mates range from SIS, 100000 to S3o,ooo,-
oco, but the majority OF them are close to
that make by Colonel Wetmore.
There is not a tree nor building stand
ing i'll Lafayette Park. The wreck OF the
City Hospital is so surrounded by wreck
age that it is barely possible preach IT.
By far the most remarkable freak OF
the storm was at this many-winged house !
About 200 patients were scattered through |
the wards when the tornado struck It, |
but, although the entire upper story was !
cut off clean aud one wing razed to the !
ground but one inmate was killed. The |
victim was located i'll one of the upper |
stories and was killed by flying brick. |
1 4lC lOOA Neili4N 80 a. Al N'S'fA'
foundations, and thus, after resting upon |
sound bed castings, enabled the patients
to be rescued without serious injury. The |
entire building was rendered useless, and |
the totterlng walls will be torn down and
a new structure built.
Each body is numbered as IT Is recover
ed, and description of the remains tax
Ell, together with any property or papers
J, ,,,i,~It4 1aoI tp iIaf,t- ECaffpu
This ghastly directory Of the dead Is
being constantly studied by people in
search of missing ones, and when they
think they have found the description OF
the missing relative or friend, the body
to the number OF the de-
is shown them. Sometimes an
is made in this manner, or
sometimes the body is recognized before
it is removed to the dead house. BY far
the greatet number of dead however,
will 20 into an unknown" grave.