Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-06-04

were III Iull SWluS anu the grand SIduQ
crowded with people. Returns from
the ST. Louis races were received at
the track at Lakeside, and at a few
minutes after O'Clock the operator
sending the report of the races stopped
work long enough to remark: There
goes tie gran stand" and then tbs
wire collapsed and nothing more was
heard from him. In a few seconds the
same message was reported from Lex
ington, KY, with the additional infor-
nation that fully one hundred ond
fifty people were dead. This informa-
ton was substantially corroborated by
the operator of the Wabash road at De-
catur.
Thousand Reported Dead
st. Louis, May 2S.-Death and de-
struction reign supreme in St. Louis
and vicinity as a result of the most
terrible storm that ever visited this sec
ton Of the country. So widespread is
the destruction in both st. Louis and
East st. Louis that it is impossible even
TO estimate the amount of damage and
loss of life. Buildings of every de-
scription are in ruins and as a result
one thousand people are reported dead
and injured. Reports are in cirnula-
ton that seven steamers lying at the
wharf on this anG the East ST. Louis
side of the river have been sunk with
all on board. The city was in dark
ness as the electric lights and trolley
wires were down With one or two
exceptions street car lines in the city
are at a stand still. The storm broke
at 5 o'clock in the afternoon after a
most oppressively hot day, and rain
began to fall. 1t soon developed into d
fierce thunderstorm with wind from
the east, and little later the wind lad
gained velocity OF eighty miles an
hour driving the rain before It and
tearing away everything in it's way.
Buildings of every description were de-
molished and others set on fire oy
lightning and crossed wires. The fire
department responded to fourteen
alarms. The streets were full of poo
pie going home from work and a manic
ensued as soon as the storm broke.
Men were picked up and hurled against
buildings, horses and carriages were
sent flying here and there, and falling
wires full CT deadly fluid added to the
horn Or Of the scene. Suddenly the
wind veered around to the west end
completed its obstruction. It is as
serted by some of those who have
traversed the Town town nart Of the
city that Chcre are but few buildings in
ST. Louis that hive not suffered III
some way from the storm. Last n ght
the streets we're in complete darkness
and travel III any direction was dan
gerOus because of fallen live wir3s and
debris lying everywhere The wagon
way of the rlads fridge on the East ST.
Louis side is cIumbling mass Of nor
tar and stone t.r:l parts of the tower
and pier No. ! are also torn away
Thousands Of collars will not cover the
Hreckage. An outbound accommodate
ton train on th> Chicago & Alton Dad
was wrecked BY a broken rail, but
fortunately no1o'lE among the fifty las
sengers was hurt. \ trolley car LOAD
ed With pa ssengers bound for the west
side is said 20 have fallen through to
the railroad track below, but with VIVA
result is not Enown. The roof of the
republican convention hall was blown
off and twenty-fCur sections the
western wall 1f the city Jail are clear
down, exposing the interior It was
during exercise hours and two hun
dred prisoners we're exercising n the
building. They were panic stricken
and too frightened to try to escape.
Jailer Wagner was On the scene N
moment and with the aid of number
of detectives and policemen had the
prisoners placed in their cells The
tanks of the Waters & Pierce u. CON-
pany, on Gratiot street, blew up
spreading destruction on every rand.
Three stories of the Coe Manufactur
ing company's building on Ninth AMI
Gratiot streets, and nearly half of
Wairwright's brewery were blown
down. The engineer of the Etna iron
works, was instantly killed, scalded to
death by steam. The Consolidated
Wire works are almost totally wrecked.
Seven people were injured seriously by
this wreck. The two story building Of
the C. H. Sawyer Manufacturing COM
pany vas demolished and John Saw
yer member o. the firm and, Emma
CLANCY and Isabella Hamden, type
writers, were crushed to death. H. II.
Sawyer, another member, was injured
fatally. The Gets tank at the south
end of the Twenty-First street viadutt
was blown over, crushing four men to
death and possibly more.
At Brooklyn.
Decatur, ILL.,, May 28.-Word has
been received from Brooklyn, near
East st. Louis, that the Vandalia
freight house was destroyed and thir-
ty-fve people killed in it. The Wa
bash round house is destroyed. Part Of
the east appro ach to the Eads bridge
was blown away. 1t is said one hun
cred and fifty people are killed at East
ST. Louis
Renick Wiped Out.
Kansas City. Mo, May 28.-Ten peo- /
pie were killed in a tornado whfcl
struck the village of Labaddie, Frank /;
lin county, last evening and the town
o. Renick, Randolph county, was CON-
pletely wiped out. i