The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-29
WINDS FURY.
Cyclones Death
Roll Crows.
St. Louis Loss Is EStimat-
ed at $5O,OOO,0OO.
TerribleExperience on Broken
EadS Bridge.
Statement Of a Passenger in a Car
That Was Overturned.
Engineer Eye Witness of the Destruction
OF HIS Home In East ST. Louis.
TerribleExperience on Broken
EadS Bridge.
Statement Of a Passenger in a Car
That Was Overturned.
Engineer Eye Witness of the Destruction
OF his Home in East ST. Louis.

ST. LOUIS, May 20. - Desolation still
reigns supreme in the tornado stricken
districts of East st. Louis and this city.
The day opened up clear and cool, and
everywhere could be seen gangs of men
delving in the ruins for the buried VIC
tins, clearing the streets OF lismantled
poles. wires and general debris, repairing
the damage-done TO thousands of build
ings and relieving the injured and home
less. AS the time goes on 1t becomes
more and more evident that the tornado
was the worst that ever visited this or
any other city on the North American
continent. Horrors multiply every hour,
and the list Of dead is appalling. More
than 1870 dead bodies have been rescued
known to have been injured. Mapgled
cadavers are found in innumerable places
along the path OF the storm, and are
being taken to the improvised morgues
in the different portions of the distressed
districts. 1t will be weeks before a COM
plete list of these killed can be made, hut
the list of dead is climbing TO the 200
mark. Only mere guesses can be made
as to the property loss on both sides OF
the river. but the mercantile agencies say
that 1t may reach $50, ,0J0, 600 in this city
alone, while in East ST. Louis ii will be
several mili MS
In East -. Louis the disaster was COM
plete. The western portion of that railway
town is one vast charnel house. Only
single dwelling was left standing on
what its called "the Island" and sia
hundred families are homeless. The citi-
zens estimate the dead at fully 200 on the
east side. In the wake of the tornado
came grave problems. To meet one OF them,
the protection OF the city in the absence
of the electric ligh hts, the First Missouri
has gone on duty for patrol service and
the police commissioners " i'll add $50
men to the force. Beside this all preyi-
Gus calamities of the Kind seem trivial in
cost. Manfully the business men of ST.
Louis have taken up the work of relief.
An earnest meeting on Change yesterday
was the beginning. There are thousands
who can pull themselves out of this
trouble. There are thousands who have
lost oil and must be helped
A partial resumption of the street car
service has been effected. The east and
west roads north of Market street are in
operation, and also the Broadway and
the Grand avenue OF the north and sout h.
The southern division of the Schullin
system IL the mos. badly crippled, owing
TO the destruction of the power house, and
the officers venture no prediction as to
when cars will be running. Partial resto-
ration OF the light system is promised in
forty-ejght hours, but IL VIII be n couple
OF weeks before all the circuits are in or
der.
The destruction of poles and wires along
the path OF the storm was complete. The
inquests on the bodies of t2 of the slain
in st. Louis have been held by Coroner
Waite aud that DUTY continues.
A fpf afl lkol f,..t
cidentel, was rendered in each case.