The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-05-28
KILLED BY THE STORM
Death Dealing Cyclones Sweep Over tho
West With Disastrous Results.
A HEART-RENOIAG SCENE IN ST. LOUIS
Unprecedented In the History of the
Country Whole Towns Are Swept
Out Of Existence By the Fury or
the Wind Railroad Bridge'. Ferry
Boats aud steamers Blown Over.

ST Louis, May 27.-St. Louis was
struck by cyclone OF frightful fury at
q late hour this afternoon. Hundreds
of people We're killed and the property
loss is beyond estimate
AT $40 p. m. the clouds that had COW
cred the city since noon broke Into a
furious sto.m. Within ten minutes the
wind reached a velocity of eighty miles
an hour. sweeping with 1t dense waves
OF rain. The high speed of the wind
the electric wires, the crash of debris
that swept 1t in every direction. the cleo
trio flashes from tangled wires and
crashing thunder made a scene inde-
scribable.
ATT D. m. the loves. estimate of fatall-
ties in East st. Louis and this city is
placed at 300.
EasbSt. Louis suffered probably the
greatest. Messengers came at p. m.
from there asking for physicians and
nurses.
The steamer D. H. Pike, with thirty
passengers on board. bound for Peoria
was blown bottomslde up In the middle
OF the river and a number of persons
killed.
The steamer Delaphln, with crew of
six and twenty lady passengers on
board, was blown against a pier and
broken In two The ladies and two of
the crew were rescued.
The steamer Libbie Conger. with only
the crew aboard. went adrift. The
wreck of a boat opposite Carondelet is
supposed TO be the steamer Conger
Offenders furniture store at Broad
way and Solard street was demolished
and six men are reported Killed. A sa-
loon at No. 664 South Seventh street fell
with nine men in the ruins.
The electric railway line is burned
out, as we'll as the electric light plant.
Fourteen fire alarms were sounded with
In an hour. and three alarms were sent
In from the Poor House. which building
has 1,200 inmates. The roof of the Poor
House was blown off, and the fatalities
are great.
During the last race at the fair
grounds the roof was blown off the
grand stand. The crowd had gone to
the open field for safety, and but four
men were killed.
The Armory at 18th and Pine streets
is being used as q temporary hospital.
At 7:30 p. m. the rain. which had ceas-
ed for time, began afresh and fell in
torrents. Az S o'clock the eastern sky
was aHame with the light of fires in
East st. Louis. The metal roof of the
Merchants Exchange was rolled up like
a scroll. and fell into the street. The l.,
d N. east-bound passenger train has
Just reached ST. Louis when the storm
struck that city. The train was over
turned, but miraculously only few
passengers were injured. They were
taken from the cars by yard men.
The Chicago and Alton East-bound
SOCIAL passenger train. which left ST.
Louis at oclock, was on the east span
or the bridge when the wind picked
the cars up and turned them over on
their sides. The span and uIhe trusses
held the cars from topping irho the
river 100 feet below.
I'he passengers were thrown into q
confused mass The net work of wires
made rescue difficult and dangerous but
1t Is thought all will be gotten out un-
injured. The east span of the Eads
bridge is so badly wrecked that 1t will
take three days TO allow trains to pass
>, me list OF fatalities in East st. Louis
Is houliy increasing and at 8 o'clock /.
is estimated shat the loss of life will
exceed l50. 1t is impossible to cross the
river 10 get particulars
Lightning struck the Standard Oh
works and fiames were soon pouring
from dozen buildings. The Fire De-
partment was utterly powerless to cope
with the conflagra,ion and 1t is feared
nearly the entire business and a great
port!on of the residence sed:ion Will be
aestroyed by fiames. If not already so by
the wind. Among the principal build
inGs already in ruins are the National
Hotel. the Standard Oil Works. East 81.
Louis Wire NaM Works the Crescent
Elevator. Hesse Elevator. all friegh. de-
nouS ana stores and residences on st.
Clair avenue
The damage to property In St Louis
is estimated a. 81 900. 900 and the loss In
East st. Louis is nearly $4,000, 900 and
the fire Is still raging.
St. Louis. May 27.--Loss of life from
the storm here and in East St Louis es-
timated at three hundred East ST.
Louis burning up. Loss already $4,000
900.
There were really two cyclones One
came from tae Northwest and the other
from the direct East. Both met on the
Illinois shore OF the Mississippi river
and joined in whrl!ng cloud of death
and destruction. The list of dead in st.
Louis Is beyond present computation.
n startling report has just reached
police headquarters that two hundred
girls are in the ruins Of Light & Mey-
ers cigarette factory at Tower Grove
Park. alarming reports Of great loss OF
life In the southernportion of ST. Louis
from the railroad tracks to Ca:ondulet.
The wind swept away the roof of
the exposition building. and that struc-
lure is badly damaged by the food OF
water. The greatest anxiety Is felt for
the safety OF passengers on the different
excursion boats which were on the river
when the storm broke. The steamer
City of Florence, with an excursion
party is reported lost below Carondelet
The steamer ST. Paul. with 80 passen-
GERS. left for Alton az o'clock, and Is
believed to be wrecked.