Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1896-06-04
ST. LOUIS STRICKEN.
Ecarful Destruction OF Lilo and
Property by a Tornado.

gcarful Destruction OF Lilo and
Property by a Tornado.
At Least -Four Hundred Killed aud Many
Hundreds InIarcd-E-ssrIs WRECKED
ana Millions of Dollars Worth
os Property Destroyed.
ST LOUIS. May aS-When the sun
rose on ST. Louis and vicinity this
morning it showed n scene OF terrible
ruin and disaster, wind, rain and fire
having combined in a mission of de-
struction. At least 200 lives were lost
n this city and as many more in East
~. Louis, while thousands were in
jured, many SO severely that they
cannot recover The exact number of
dead and injured will, however, not be
known for many days for the debris
of ruined buildings undoubtedly covers
scores Of people. The damage and de-
struction of property will aggregate
many millions of dollars, but the cx-
net amount cannot be estimated with
any degree of certainly.
The tornado, which caused this de-
struction, struck the city yesterday
afternoon at 5:l5 o'clock and soon
swept to East s. Louis. The greatest
damage on this side of the river was
inflicted within a three mile strip
along the Mississippi Many buildings
were totally wrecked by the force of
the wind and others were unroofed,
while very few escaped some injury.
Signs and cornices were torn off, shade
trees and everything else suffered.
Health Commissioner Starl1loff, two
hours after the tornado had passed,
feared that the dead would reach 200
and that not fewer than 1000 persons
had sustained serious injuries. BY
midnight reporters of the Associated
press had visited all of the stricken
portions of the city and suburbs
and DIR. Starkloff's estimates were
fully confirmed. The dead were
found in all parts of the
devastated section, while crushed be-
meath falling walls, hurled against the
sides of buildings, struck by flying
timbers, cut by the shattered glass,
shocked by the network of down wires,
humanity suffered in ways innumer-
able and the names of all the injured
will never be known Enough were
recorded at the dispensaries last night
to show how widespread were the tor
nado's effects
In the flashes of lightning last night
the city hospital looked like a ruin.
The new surgical ward was partially
demolished. Portions of the other
buildings were unroofed. Walls were
cracked. Even in the darkness the
physicians began the removal of pa
tients TO temporary quarters. fearful
that the strained structure would 60
down in a general collapse.
The city hall and the Four Courts
were in the path of the cloud as it
passed from the city hospital toward
the river, and both were damaged.
Part of the Jail wall was demolished.
Convention hall lost a part of the roof
on the eastern end and the east end
was punctured in several places by fiy.
ing missiles, and sustained some de-
rangement of the interior. Ten days
work and the expenditure of $500
will make the hall good again.
In the district between Sixth street
and the river northward from Chouteau
avenue, the tornado tore a diagonal
path. The district comprises business
houses, many of them of the older
type. Every building within the
path sustained damage SmolSestacks
and chimneys were toppled over,
walls were leveled and roofs were
lifted. Thousands of windows were
broken and miles of telegraph and
telephone wires were left in a network
on the ground. Through this district
the streets are impossible. "A
No words can do justice to the hor-
rors of the scene at Seventh and Rut-
ger streets In one wreck alone il is
known that more than 20 bodies are
still buried. Five Dangled forms were
uncovered and removed just before
midnight
OF all the crafts that lined the river
for miles, but one remains to tell the
story of the disaster. After the tor
nado had passed it left a scene of des.
olation where ten minutes before
steamers had rocked quietly at the
docks, some just arriving and discharg-
ing their passengers; others preparing
for departure. Trucks and baggage
had been tossed hither and thither,
most of il into the river; plows and ag.
ricultural implements had been dis.
tributed up and down the levee as far
as could be seen, and the whole ap.
pearance was that of waste and wreck.
The death dealing cloud crossed the
river at such an angle as to strike and
wreck the upper works at the east end
of the Eads bridge and to sweep a part
of East St Louis. In comparison to
its size the fatalities and losses in East
st. Louis greatly exceed those on this
side of the river. The larger part of
the central portion of the city is razed
to the ground, while on the flats along
the river back to the north of the Eads
bridge not house is left standing.
Fire added much to the loss account
Down wires, wild currents of electric
ity, crushed buildings, all contributed
to this element of destruction. The
alarm system was paralyzed. Ap-
proaches were blocked. A 5000, 600
confiagration on the st. Louis side was
supplemented by a dozen lesser fires.
In East ST. Louis a mill was burned
and two other considerable losses were
sustained. To the enormous total fires
added at least $500, 600 Such another
night of horror may St Louis never
know.