Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-05-28

the city TO the river By uorthuaettTly
oourst. IL wrought q havoc that Will
leave traces In that part Of the city
which lies tbst Of Seventh street
and north Of Corre street 10 FADE
bridge. Boats were torn from their
mnotings and capsl1ed or went adriii.
Shortly after elk O'Clock with the
tuu more than an hour above tho west.
cru horizon there settled upUn the
city clouds 40 dense that the daylight
quickly gave place 10 the darkness OF
midnight. That was precursor OF
the tornado from the tOuthweft Tho
hurricane from the northwest gave
the western portion u the city stvcte
shaking ~. Tho tornado from the
southwest, which l. responsible for the
lOfs Of lite and destruction along tho
ltvoU district anu East ~. Louis, FOL.
lowed the hurricane ny about hall an
hour. Health Commissioner Stfuklon,
about two hOurs after the tornado had
passed, sent word that the deaths
would reach 200 anu that no fewer
than 1000 peuuns had sustained seri-
Gus iuluIiUs.
by midnight the reporters had Wis.
iiud all tho stricken portions Of the
city aud the suburbs. The hst Of dead
discovered foil Tar below the fltst osti-
mates, but II was long enough 10 DO
appalling. Crushed beneath falling
whlls, hurled against sides vi buildings,
struck by dying timUos, cut by shat
tered glass, shocked by network Of
wires, humanity suffered Ia ways iu-
Vulnerable ana the namos Of NJ In
uted will never be known.
LOSS o. PROPERLY.
OF the destruction Of property there
can he no satisfactory estimate. The
loss in extent aud ~ character IL be.
yond conception. Ia the flashing
lightning iaft night ,uo city hospital
looked Ike ruin. The now surgical
ward was partially demolished. Por.
tionA Of three other buildings were I'M
rooted aud tue walls were cracked. In
the darkness the physicians began tue
removal of the patigntn TO tue ten.
pOfary quarters. There were ii sick
people In the hospital. when tho
storm came some gathered strength In
their fright anu ran hhfit king rom the
place, finding shelter on tue outside.
Thirteen were Injured In one ward.
The convention hall ana four courts
were In tho path Of tho cloud a. II
passed from tilly hospital toward the
| river. The convention hail Loot part Of
the roof. Ton dayb' work anu an On.
penditute Of 5000 will make the hAll
| good again.
In tue di.ttic, between Sixth street
anu the river north from Choteau
avenue tho tornado tore path, every
building sustaining damagr. Smoke
\ stocks anu chimneys toppled over, walls
81
| smashed anu miles OF telegraph AMI
telephone wires loft net work on tho
| ground. Through this district the
streets are impastablc. They are GOV
cred 10 places with debris ten feet
deep. Along the lsvco front the
hawsors snapped aud tue boats wots
sent adtiit, come 10 20 down, others u
20 ashoro ON tho EASTERN bank. Tut
Tors OF lilo which might have takei
place al this point was ayOfttd by thl
hour At which the tornado came. A
little later excursion steamers wori,
have been going out.
Tho death dealing cloud crossed th'
river NJ such angle as 10 strike ant
wreck the upper works ut tho east on,
OF the Eads bridge and TO sweep par
OF East ~. Louis. Perhaps the mos
impressive evidence OF the storm
clouds force IL seen In the wrench OF
the eastern Gnu Of tho Eads bridge
There the Tornado dealt will
stone and masonry, 10 tore VI
and tumbled down tons upon tons o
masonry. Beginning with the BIZ
eastern pier ana extending TO foot 0
incline the cloud cut on the upper par
Ut the structure a. N II had been
iiiinty tfcstlo instead OF structure o
worlu-ihmod mAiOnTy. Fire hdde,
much 10 the loss account. The ALARM
system was paralyEud and the Gp
pT0AchSa were biOckhdrd,
Tho fire added a. least $500, 900 {
the losses 81 tue storm.
Such a night Of horror In ~. Loui
was never known before. The huTri
cane came when the business men q
the city had begun 10 send tho worker
to their homes. The service on Almos
oil the street railways was suddsnl
suspended. When night came 500
after tho premature dArksniDg bTough
by tho tornado, no electric lamp
blazed up, Many thousands OF me
anu women tOilod hOmewards throug
the dtunohing rain.
! In 81 Louis the destroyer seemed I
have n course that lay chiefly bttwee
, tue railroad track ami LaiayeIt
I avenue, though IL swept the entiT
, city, cutting Wide svath wherever
| | did any damage. The complete sui
pension Of telephone communicable
! and street car traffic multiplied ia
inconvenience anu obstacles that b,
, sOt the police department ana added
, tho general discomfort, There were
. few means OF summOning tho ambt
| lGncGs for the removal OF tho duaI @
I tho injured, and these were carried !
various places In wagons or In litter
Tue city dispunsafy Vas oyefcroN dee
The demolition Uf tue city huHplti
I prevented the utilization u that Inst
, luIiOn and hundreds Of peEsOns ha
: tened there 10 aid the uuioTtunal
, patients. IL was fret intended
, | utilize the ATmlTy or tho o.
, | position bulldog for tho iniute,
| but the old House Of tho Good She
hetdwas pressed into use.
1 The wharf was the scene Of tn
. worst devastation this side OF the rive
l Before the storm, steamboats,, " ha
/, bpats anu baTgea were mOofed iroI
. Biddlo street TO ChOleau avenue M
I those were swept from their fastening
/ almost IN a solid phalanK and O.
B. adTlil. Some were overturned and suu
e Olhets were blown across aud crush,
I Rgainst the other side. Tho Aneht
. Line wharf boat and excursion bo
= were the Only craft left between u