Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-06-01

East st. Louis. $50 oOO
Near Centralla. IL 30
Breckinridge, LII. -. 1879.
Near Mt. Vernon, Ill........ 20
Near Vandalia, Ill. .......... - Is
Near Mexico, Mo. ........... 10 "a
In the Tornado's Path.
The terrible tornado that caused this
destruction struck the city yesterday
of this city and East ST. Louis felt its
effects The greatest damage on this
side of the river was inflicted within a
three mile strip along the mighty stream.
Many buildings totally collapsed from
the force of the wind, others were UNI
rooted, while very few in the city es-
capped some injury. Signs and cornlces
thing else suffered from the strength of
the wind. Hours of depressing sultri-
ness, puffs of wind coming by turns
from all points of the compass piling
UP in heavy clouds around the horizon,
the flying hither and thither Of light,
mistlike formations across the dull, dark
colored masses-these were the charac-
to st. Louis the most disastrous storm
in the city's history. For hours the
currents shifted, the wind blew hot and
cold and the storm center developed.
Gathering of the Clouds.
The fury of the elements was borne
within the city's limits. In frhe west
a thunder storm developed. The early
mutterings indicated nothing more
alarming than a doWnpour with the or
binary electrical Accomplishments. This
rain cloud came up slowly at first
from the west, beyond Forest Park
AS the black rim mounted higher above
the horizon it's arc embraced more terri
tory to the north and south. A strong
wind from the east began to blow right
in the face of the storm. 1t was Il
lower current. 1t raised the day cloud
and brought it forward faster and faster.
Suddenly the wind stopped blowing from
the east, and there swept from the north
west a terrific gale which made the best
built structures tremble With the hur-
ricane, for that was the first form the
storm took when it broke over the west
ern part of the city, came Il deluge of
rain. For half an hour from few
minutes before until $50 this hurri-
cane blew from the northwest. Then
there came a lull.
The currents shifted. In the south
west there came into existence a storm
cloud with the essential features Of the
tornado-funnel shape. The second
storm burst upon the city from the
southwest. 1t came on the south side
of Lafayette park struck the city hospi-
tai and from there tore its way through
the city to- the river by n0Ttheastarly
course. 1t wrought such havoc as will
long leave traces in that part of the city
which lies east Of Seventh street and
north of Cerre street to the Eads bridge.
The boats at the wharf were torn
from their mornings and capsized or sent
adrift.
Crosses the River.
The cloud crossed the river and de-
molished the upper work at the east end
of @ho nd Uyrn -pH
fury on East st. Louis. Shortly after 8
o'clock. with the sun more than an hour
above the Western horizon, there settled
upon the city clouds SO dense that day
light quickly gave place to the darkness
of midnight. That was the precursor of
the tornado from the southwest The
hurricane from the northwest gave the
western portion of the city a severe shak-
ing up The tornado from the south
west which is responsible for the loss of
life and untold destruction along the
levee districts and in East st. Louis fol-
lowed the hurricane by about half an
hour. What must be charged UP to this
double visitation only time can tell.
Streets Are impossible.
Every building within the path sus-
tanned damage. Smokestacks and chin
neys were toppled over. Walls were
leveled. Roofs were lifted. Thousands
of windows were smashed, miles of tele-
graph and telephone wires were left in a
network on the ground. In this district
the streets are impossible. They are
covered in places with debris ten feet
deep.
Along the levee front the hawsers
snapped and boats went adrift, some
were sent ashore on the cast bank. None
of the excursion steamers had left their
wharf. Other river passenger boats had
gone an hour before and although not
L I II
the path of the storm. The death-C,1al-
ing cloud crossed the river at such an
angle rs TO strike and wreck the upper
works at the east end of the Eads bridge
and to sweep a part of East st. Louis.
The list of dead and injured Oh the
east side of the river viii not be com
plete until the hours of daylight permit
effective search of the ruins. Enough is
known, however, to show that more lives
have been lost OH the east side than on
the west side The list of killed may
exceed fifty. The injured number hum
dreds.
Damage to the Eads Bridge.
Perhaps the most impressive evidence
of the storm clouds force is the wreck
of the eastern end of the Eads bridge.
There the tornado dealt with stone and
masonry which it tore off. Beginning
with the big eastern pier and extending
to the foot of the incline, a cloud cut
off the upper part of the structure as if
it had been fiimsy trestle instead of
structure of worldfamed masonry.
What this tornado did to the Eads
bridge will not be believed unless the
eyes see it.
Fire added much to the loss account
Down wires, currents of electricity.
crushed buildings all contributed to this
element of destruction. The alarm sys-
tenn was paralyzed. Approaches were
hec IS s $io0 8o2 bv on
dozen lesser fires. In East st. Louis
a mill was burned and considerable other
losses were sustained. The fires added
at least 100000 to the total.
Steamers Swept from Fastenings.
The wharf was the scene of the worst
devastation on this side OF the river
Before the storm along the river, steam
boats and wharf boats and barges were
moored from Biddle street to Choteau
avenue. These were swept from their
fastenings almost in solid phalanx and
cast adrift. Some were overturned and
sunk and others blown across and
cruchnd AGAINST tha 0thnr cida