Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-06-10
SITUATION IN ST. LOUIS.
Relief Work Proceeding So Slowly
as to Awaken Indignation
Among Citizens.

| S23O,000 or more to aid those who lost
| their homes in last weeks tornado in
their efforts to rebuild. Building Com
missioner Randall predicts that within
| the next two or three months the only
| outward sign of Wednesdays tornado
in the devastated districts will be fine
| substantial new buildings standing in
| fine contrast to the old and dingy ones
that were RACED.
Although it is a week since the disas-
ter it was not noticed until yesterday
that all the households had disappeared.
Between the chain of rocks and ChOteau
avenue last Wednesday morning there
were siXty-four of these boats. Not one
was left by the storm. But few of
them were safe, even in calm weather,
and three-fourths of them were totally
destroyed. An old river man said: Not
one of these households is left. | have
been patroling the river now five days
since the tornado and l am sure that
over 300 of these people, including wom-
en- and children, are lost"
The total death list is still incomplete,
but the victims in ST. Louis proper and
East st. Louis will number over $50.
Topping walls in many portions of the
storm district still threaten lives of all
who come within their shadows, but as
yet no attempt has been made to guard
against fatalities and no ropes have been
strung around the death traps, and thus
far no city labOrers have been discOy-
cred searching for the bodies of those
who persisted in many of the ruins. 1t
is thought that there are cOrpSeS be-
meath the Seventh and Rutger pile of
wreckage, under the Refrigerator and
Wooden Gutter company's establish
ment 1900 South Second and the city
hospital ruin, Fifteenth and Lafayette
streets.
A fieldglass would fail to discover any
trace of city relief crews. The police
4hn Hpn n pfT11nn oh do no
work Chief Swinfley Of the fire de-
partment says it is plainly the street
departments duty. The street depart
ment officials say all their men are work
ing cleaning up the streets. Meanwhile
life is in danger. the dead are under the
ruins. the poor are crying for relief and
the city officials are suplne.
CuspidOrs and chairs were overturned,
threats and bad language filled the as
sembly room of the House of Delegates
at the meeting in the city hall yesterday
afternoon. The row was precipitated by
the discussion over the bill authorizing
an appropriation of 100000 of the pub
lie funds for the tornado sufferers. The
minority wanted action deferred until
an accurate estimate of the loss could
be made by the skilled experts now at
work in the ruined district. The ma
jority was determined, however, to rail
road the measure through the House.
and its opponents made break for the
doors Speaker Kelley ordered the SER
geant-at-arms to lock the doors and not
to let anyone out until vote was had.
The crowd on the outside tried to break
down the doors, ard all sorts of disorder
prevailed. After quiet was restored a
vote was taken, and the bill passed by a
decided majority.
Work on the Republican convention
hail is proceeding rapidly and it will be
all in readiness for the convention on
June 16.
st. Louis, Mo-, June 5.-Affairs in the
storm-ridden district of the two cities
are taking on a more cheerful aspect.
The first rush for relief is over and to-
day there is evidence of general i'm
provement in the condition of tornado
sufferers at the district relief stations.
There is a noticeable decrease in the
number of applicants for aid and it is
the expressed belief that the stations i'll
St Louis will be closed on Saturday.
With the abandonment of the district
stations. however. the relief work will
be far from finished. Whatever remains
from the general fund will be left in the
mittee, who will continue the work
wherever necessary. The relief fund
has reached S133, 531. In all parts of
the tornado district houses are being
made habitable once more and demol-
ished buildings are being rapidly rebuilt.
ton goes on steadily and there is no
abatement of the relief committees
work. Many people who were COM
PEELED TO live in tents until their de-
molished homes are repaired are becom-
ing accustomed to their new environ
ments In some places tenants live in
box cars.
Mrs. J. Fl. Ramsey, sister-in-law to-
D. G. Ramsey, ex-chief of the Order of
Railway Telegraphers, died at her home
in East st. Louis. Mrs. Ramsey's death
was due 20 the heroic efforts she made
i'll rescuing her husband from the ruins
of the Vandalia freight house on the
hight of the recent tornado. Mr.. Ram
sey still hovers between life and death.
st. Louis, Mo-, June 6.-Pursuant to a
resolution of instructions adopted at a
meeting of the citizens executive COM
mittee of East st. Louis, Mayor Bader
of that city sent out additional appeals
for aid to all cities in Illinois with a
population of 1000 or more. While the
relief corps has sufficient funds to meet
all immediate expenses, as well as con-
tinue its work ten days longer. it intends
to overlook 40 opportunity whereby it's
means may be augmented While the
starving have been fed and most of the
homeless given houses temporarily, the
need of relief work will continue for
some time.
AnOlnef DOdy. tnaI or JACOB Wendt,
Waterman at the Union elevator, was
taken from the river, increasing the list
of known deaths to 104
With the exception of branch man.
aged by the Society Of st. Vincent de
Paul in the First district at Seventh and
La Sale streets all field stations in ST.
Louis for the relief of tornado sufferers
will be closed tonight. The most popu-
lar plan. and the one that will undoubted-
ly be adopted, is for the Merchants ex-
change committee to assume active con-
troll of the field. If this is agreed upon
money as heretofore and OF all dOna tons
One mammoth distributing station will
be provided and from it viii be delivered
all goods and other articles