The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1896-06-06
In the Tornado's Path,

,
Near Mexico. Mo. ......... 10 "a
In the Tornado's Path,
The terrible tornado that caused this /
destruction struck the city yesterday
afternoon at 5:1J o'clock and all parts |
OF TINS city and East st. Louis felt its /
eHects. The greatest damage on this /
SIDE OF the river was inflicted within a /
three mile strip along the mighty stream (
Many buildings totally collapsed from /
the force of the wind, others were un- /
rooted, while very few in the city cS-
capped some injury Signs and rorniccs /
were torn off. shade trees and every
thing else suffered from the strength of I,
the wind. Hours of depressing Sultri- |
ness, putfs of wind coming by turns |
from all points OF the compass piling /
up III heavy clouds around the horizon, |
the fiying hithCr and thither of light, I
mlStilke formations across the dull, dark /
cOlored maSSeS-thCSe were the charaC- |
teriStlcS of an afternoon which brought |
to st. Louis the most disastrous storm |
IN the city's history. For hours the |
currents shifted, the wind blew hot and /
cold and the storm center developed.
Gathering of the Clouds.
The fury of the clements was borne /
within the city's limits. In the west
a thunder storm developed. The early /
mutterings indicated nothing more I
alarming than a downpour with the or
dlnary electrical accomplishments, This |
rain cloud came UP slowly at first
from the west, beyond Forest Park. /
AS the black rim mounted higher above |
the horizon its arc embraced more terri /
tory to the north and south. 4 strong
wind from the east began to blow right /
in the face OF the storm. 1t was a
lower current. 1t raised the day cloud
and brought il forward faster and faster. /
Suddenly the wind stopped blowing from
the cast, and there swept from the north /
west a terrific gale which made the best
built structures tremblC. With the hur-
ricanC, for that was the first form the
storm took when it broke over the west
rain. For half an hour from few T
minutes before until $50 this hWrri- 7
cane blew from the northwest. Then I
there came lull.
The currents shifted. In the south I
west there came into existence a storm I
cloud with the essential features cf the 7
tornadO-funnel shape. The second T
storm burst upon the city from The /
southwest. Il came on the south side +.
of Lafayette park. struck the city hoSIi- I
tai and from there tore its way through /
the city TO the river by a HvTthraSt"rIy I
course. 1t wrought such havoc as viii I
long leave traces in that part of the city /
which lies east of Seventh street ard +
north Of Cerre street to the Eads bridge. /
The boats at the wharf We're torn
from their mOorings and capsizcd or sent /
adrft.
Crosses the River,
Tho cloud crossed the river and de- /
molished the upper work at the east end !
of the bridge and then il wrecked its /
fury on East st Louis. Shortly after q /
o'clock. with the sun more than an hour
above the Western horizon, there settled !
upon the city clouds SO dense that day |
light quickly gave place TO the darkness
4
the tornado from the southwest. The |
hurricane from the northwest gave the /
western portion of the city 4 severe Shak !
ing up. The tornado from the south !.
west which is responsible for the loss of
life and untold destruction along the !
leyee districts and in East St Louis fol |
lowed the hurricane by about half an
hour What must be charged up to this 1
double visitation only time can tell.
Streets Are impossible.
Every building within the path sus-
tanned damage. SmokCStaCks and Chin
neys were topplcd over. Walls were
lCycled Roofs were lifted. Thousands
of windows We're smashed. miles OF teIc-
graph and telephone wires were left in
network on the ground, In this district
the streets are impassahlc They are
covered in places with debris ten feet
deep.
Along the levee front the hawsers
snapped and boats went adrift some
were sent ashore on the east bank, None
of the excursion steamers had left their
wharf Other river passenger boats had
gone an hour before and although not
heard from had probably passed beyond
the path of the storm. The death-daai-
ing cloud crossed the river at such an
angle as 10 strike and wreck the upper
works at the east end of the Eads bridge
and to sweep a part Of East st. LOUIS.
The list of dead and injured on the
east side of the river Will not be COM
plete until the hours of daylight permit
effective search of the ruins Enough Is
known however. to show that more lives
have been lost on the east side than on
the west side. The list OF killed may
exceed fifty The injured number hun
dredS.
Damage to the Eads Bridge.
PerbapS the most impressive evidence
of the storm clouds force is the wreck
of the eastern end of the Eads bridge:
There the tornado dealt With stone anu
masonry, which it tore oil beginning
with the big eastern pier and extending
to the foot of the incline, a cloud cut
off the upper part of the structure a>-lt
If had been Il fiimsy treStlc instead OF a
structure of woTd-famed masonry
What this tornado did To the EadS
bridge will not be believed unless the
eyes see IT.
Fire added much to the loss account
Down wires. currents ot electricltE'
crushed buildings all contributed 10 thlS
element of destruction. The alarm sN>-
tenn was paralyzed. Approaches were
blocked A 100000 contaGratlol on
fhe St Louis side was supPiCnented by =
dozen lesser fires. In East -. Louis
a mill was burned and considerable other
InsSes were sustained. The fires added
at least 100000 TO the total.
steamers Swept from Fasteninss-
The wharf was the scene Of the worst
devastation on this side OF the river.
Before the storm along the river steam
heats and wharf boats and hargcS were
moored from RiddIc street u thoteau
avenue These were swept from their
fasteuincs almost in solid phalanN and
cast adrift. Some were overturned and
supk and others blown across and
crushed against the other side
Coroner's Estimate is 400.
Coroner Waite at l. o'clock said that
tho death list in St. LOUIS proper Would
easily reach 200 and that IN East -.
Io,lis il would hc perhaps aS iar2H. -
police headquarters the dead ~ =.
I Iouis were estimated at 200 and IN Last
ST Louis at 200. H.,
Fxtra editions of the local papers place
the total amount of loss of life AT 2uu OK
more. The storm left its path htteItu
with dead and dying, and patrol wagons, ss,
ambulauces and uudertahers cars were