Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-06-06
ST. LOUIS STRICKEN.
Fearful Destruction OF Life and
Property by Tornado.
4At Least -Four Hundred Killed and Many
Hundreds Injured-yessels Wrecked
and Millions of Dollars Worth
of Property Destroyed.


ruin and disaster, wind. rain and fire
having com bined in a mission of de-
=struction. At least 200 lives were lost
in this city and as many more in East
St Louis, while thousands were in
jured, many so severely that they
cannot recover. The exact number of
dead and injured will, however, not be
known for many days for the debris
of ruined buildings undoubtedly covers
scores of people. The damage and de-
struction of property will aggregate
many millions of dollars. but the ex-
net amount cannot be estimated with
any degree of certainty.
The tornado, which caused this de.
struction, struck the city yesterday
afternoon at 5:15 o'clock and soon
swept to East St. Louis. The greatest
damage on this side of the river was
inflicted within three mile strip
along the Mississippi Many buildings
We're totally wrecked by the force of
the wind and others were unroofed,
while very few escaped some injury.
Signs and cornices were torn off, shade
trees and everything else suffered
Health Commissioner Starkloff, two
hours after the tornado had passed,
feared that the dead would reach 200
and that not fewer than 1000 persons
had sustained serious injuries. By
midnight reporters of the Associated
press had visited all of the stricken
portions of the city and suburbs
and DIR. Starkloff's estimates were
fully confirmed. The dead were
found in all parts of the
devastated section, while crushed be-
meath falling walls, hurled against the
sides of buildings, struck by flying
tim bers, cut by the shattered glass,
shocked by the network of down wires,
humanity suffered in ways innumer-
able and the names of all the injured
will never be known. Enough were
recorded at the dispensaries last ight
to show how widespread were the tor
nado's effects
In the flashes of lightning last night
the city hospital looked like a ruin.
The new surgical ward was partially
demolished. Portions of the other
buildings were unroofed. Walls were
cracked. Even in the darkness the
physicians began the removal of pa
tients to temporary quarters, fearful
that the strained structure would go
down in a general collapse.
The city hall and the Four Courts
were in the path of the cloud it
passed from the city hospital toward
the river, and both were damaged.
Part of the Jail wall was demolished.
Convention hall lost a part of the roof
on the eastern end and the east end
was punctured in several places by fly-
ing missiles, and sustained some de-
Tangement of the interior. Ten days
work and the expenditure of SIS, 900
will make the hall good again.
In the district between Sixth street
and the river northward from Chouteau
avenue, the tornado tore diagonal
path. The district comprises business
- - IL
type Every building within the
path sustained damage. Smokestaclxs
and chimneys were toppled over,
walls were leveled and roofs were
lifted. Thousands of windows were
broken and miles of telegraph and
telephone wires were left in network
on the ground Through this district
the streets are impossible. 4
No words can do justice to the hor-
rors of the scene at Seventh and Rut-
ger streets In one wreck alone it is
known that more than 20 bodies are
still buried Five mangled forms were
uncovered and removed just before
midnight
Of all the crafts that lined the river
Cor miles, but one remains to tell the
story of the disaster. After the tor
nado had passed it left scene of des-
~olation where ten minutes before
steamers had rocked quietly at the
docks, some just arriving and discharg-
ing their passengers; others preparing
for departure. Trucks and baggage
had been tossed hither and thither,
most of it into the river; plows and ag.
1ricultural implements had been dis
tributed up and down the 1evee far
as could be seen, and the whole ap-
-pearance was that of waste and wreck.
The death dealing cloud crossed the
river at such an angle as to strike and
wreck the upper works at the east end
of the Eads bridge and to sweep a part
of East St Louis. In comparison to
its size the fatalities and losses in East
st. Louis greatly exceed those on this
-sside of the river. The larger part of
the central portion of the city is RACED
to the ground, while on the fats along
the river back to the north of the Eads
bridge not house is left standing.
Fire added much to the loss account
Down wires, wild currents of electric
lily, crushed buildings, all contributed
to this element of destruction The
saIarm system was paralyzed. APP
breaches were blocked. A 5000 600
,confiagration on the st. Louis side was
supplemented by dozen lesser fires.
In East ST. Louis a mill was burned
rand two other considerable losses were
sustained. To the enormous total fires
added at least $500, 600 Such another
night of horror may St Louis never
know.
Near the Two million Mark.
CHICAGO, May 29.-The Chicago post
office census gives the city popula-