The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-05-29
MAINE FRIDAY MAY 90 1896.

Mayor Bader has called upon Gov. AL,
geld for aid. Tho governor quickly ol
dered two companies of militia to th
scene. The governor himself arrive,
tonight.
A meeting of the leading citizen,
was held and after discussion of the sit
uat1on is was decided to issue an appea
for aid to the people of the United States
Ihe appeal says that East St. Loui
mas been visited by one of the most de
structive tornadoesin the history of tn,
country. AT least two hundred lives ar
lost, while the number of MANNED and
wounded will probably run into tn
thousands. The damage to residences il
very great, six hundred families being
rendered homeless. A great many O.
these are without shelter. The appeal
says that almost every citizen has direct.
ly or indirectly suffered damage. "W,
feel utterly unable to supply the absolute
necessities of the afflicted people, although
our own citizens are putting forth ever,
effort and are contributing more liberally
| CDHr9t0Tf
appeal to the generosity of our sister
cities, and other communities for help in
this time of trouble.''
! n. Abt, president of the First National
bank OF this city was appointed treasurer,
TO VIII ON all subscriptions may be sent.
In addition to the injured in the schoo
houses. there are twenty four manned
people in St. Mary's hospital. Womer
and girls from the surrounding country
poured into the oity in droves this after.
noon and evening with bundles of ole
linen, clothing and other necessaries and
proffered their services as nurses Nearly
every victim in the public or extempor-
lied hopsitals has an individual attend
ant tonight. g
WHAT THE MORNING FOUND.
Early Scenes Attending the Horrible
Disaster.
st. Louis, May 2s.-When the sun rose
on st. Louis and vicinity this morning
| it showed q scene Of terrible ruin and
disaster. Wind, rain and fire had com
bined to work destruction. Two hundred
lives were lost in this city and as many
more in East st. Louis, while thousands
were injured, many so severely that they
cannot recover. The exact number of
dead will not be known for many days,
perhaps never for the debris of ruined
buildings all over the city cover hundreds
of human beings. The damage and de-
struction of property will aggregate
many millions of dollars, but the exact
degree of accuracy. r.
Hours of depressing sultriness. puffs
of wind coming by turns from all points
of the compass, piling up heavy clouds
around the horizon, the flying hither and
thither of light, mist-like formations
across the dull. dark -colored masses
these were the characteristics of an after
noon which brought to st. Louis the
most disastrous storm in the city's
history.
In the West a thunder storm developed.
This rain cloud came up slowly beyond
Forest Park. AS the black rim mounted
higher above the horizon, its arc en-
braced more territory to the north and
south.
A strong wind from the east began to
blow in the face of the storm. 1t was a
lower ourr ent. 1t raised the red cloud
and brought it forward faster and faster.
Suddenly the wind stopped blow ing from
the east, and there swept from the north
west a terrible gale which made the best
built structures tremble.
With the hurricane came de1uge of
rain. For half an hour this hurricane
blew from the northwest.
Then came lull. The currents shifted.
In the southwest there came into ex.
istence oloudburst, with the essential
features of the tornado-the funnel shane.
The second storm burst upon the city
from the southwest. 1t came in on tho
south side Of Lafayette Park, struck the
City Hospital and from there tore its
way through the oity to the river by O
northeasterly 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 Core street to the
Eads Bridge.
Shortly after six o'clock 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 oity it's severe
shaking up. The tornado from the south
west. which is responsible for the loss Of
life and untold destruction along the
levee district and in East st. Louis, fol-
| lowed the hurricane by about half an
hour.
| There were four hundred and fifty sick
people in the hospital when the storm
| came. Some gathered strength in their
| fright and ran shrieking from the place,
| finding shelter Oh the outside. Thirteen
were injured In one ward.
| Convention hall and the four courts
were in the path of the cloud as it passed
| from the City Hospital toward the river.
Convention hall lost a part Of the roof at
the eastern end and was punotured in
several places by flying timbers an sus-
| tained some arrangement of the interior.
| Ten days work and the expenditure of
$4,000 will make the hall good again.
| A section of the briok wall of the jail
went down and the prisoners were panic
| stricken.
| 4 In the district between Sixth street and
the river, northward from Choteau ave-
nue., the tornado tore G diagonal path.
The district comprises business houses
many of them of the older type. Every
building within the path sustained dam
age. Thousands of windows were smashed
and miles Of telegraph and telephone
wires were left in a network on the
| ground 1hrOuUh this district fine streats