The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-29

les within these boundaries, worth four
millions. and while none are destroyed,
all are damaged. The losses, fall heav-
lest on those least able to bear them.
After the storm had laid its heavy
hands upon the southern half of the
city, fire came to complete the work
of destruction. Five columns of flames
shot up but, thanks to the deluge of
rain. rhe blaze was mainly confined
to its starting point. In three in
stances engines were unable to so
nearer than a block to the fires.
Unsolicited the work of relief began
here at once by the whole people. A
melting of the citizens was held at
noon at the Merchants Exchange. AZ
ter brief addresses by Rev. DR.. w. r.
Boyd and Mayor c. p. Walbridge, con-
tributions were asked for. Within forty
minutes, or as fast as the sums given
could be acknowledged $4,000 was in
the secretary's hands. Contributions
continued after adjournment 1t is not
proposed to go outside the city for aid.
though no Offering will be refused
President G. RI. Spencer. president of
the Merchants Exchange was made
chairman of the committee on distribu-
ton and set to work at once to place
the relief money.
TRACK OF THE STORM.
In East 81. Louis the track of the
storm is as clearly defined, after touch
ing the Illinois shore. as if plated by q
surveyor.
Tearing diagonally through the city
from southwest to northeast II cut
clean swath of destruction. Bloody
island. the river front of the city, Is
t.in IN
the mainland, that was the terminus
of all the railroads centerng there.
Large freight sheds were strung along
the river front. Nine of the largest Of
these are In ruins. The greatest dam
age was done to the Vandalia the Mo-
bile and Ohio the Big Four, the Chi
cago and Alton, the Wabash and the
Louisville and Nashville sheds. AT
the Vandala. the loss of life was great
est There the structure seemed lift
ed up and dropped again over the
foundations. Fourteen of the dead
enumerated We're taken from these
shers. Across Cayahokia creek, In the
city proper, the destruction was COM
plete. The relay depot, an abomina-
tion which even the corroding hand of
time could not destroy, went to pieces
before the storm. The switch tower,
upon the perfect working of which de-
pends the movements of hundreds of
trains, was made useless. Three small
hotels in the vicinity We're destroyed.
North and east of the relay depot,
wide residence section, mostly small
houses. occupied by mechanics. was
cleaned up. 1t is through this part that
the majority of the fatalities occurred.
The new Martell house, the Nc
Causeland Opera house, the city hall.
Flannagan's hall, three churches, the
high school and residences that COW
cred fourteen blocks of ground east of
the viaduct were demolished. Fur
ther on to the north and east in the
stock yards vicinity, everything was
swept away. The definite limits of the
storm, indicated above, may be clearly
noted here. The National hotel was
uninjured, while two blocks southeast,
q house owned by Fl. d. Sexton was
torn to kndling WoC1, Posing on
outside the city. every sui,ui ban gar
den. orchard and field is razed OF its
growth. In all this desoiation. death
ran riot. High above the storm We're
heard the cries of suffering and the
shriells of people struggling helrlossly
against the storms fury. The points
of greatest disaster. the water front
and the vicinity Of the relay depot.
Scarcely single person in the storms
highway escaped some injury.
Sitting the truth from the eXaggerat-
ed stories of excited individuals. it
seems probable that the death list will
be between $50 and 200. OF the injured
any figures under 1,5O0 and over 600
may be named. Coroner Campbell to-
day held inquests on 4S bodies and bare
ly kept up with his work as the dead
arrived.
One morning paper will. tomorrow,
give the losses in East st. Louis and in
the river as follows:
River losses. S750000; by storm. $780,
100000; by fire, s25O,0O0. Total, $4,000,
900.
BOATS REPORTED MISSING.
The following boats are reported as
damaged or missing Pittsburg, City
of Vicksburg, City of Providence. Belle
of Calhoun. the Madill, the Elm G.
Smith. the Louis Houck, Dolphin No. ..
Bald Eagle, and the J. j. Odill. over
fifty people including several women.
who We're on these boats are missing.
A great many lives were lost by the
sinking of barges and small craft. In
most every case there were at least ten.
men on board each of them, and in
many cases. several of them are still
missing.
The Great Republic. about which
there We're many rumorS, is safe.
ASSISTANCE OFFERED.