Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-06-04

mate could be made last night CONCERN
ing the fatalities ut East st. Louis.
In the darkness and rain tho rosGuers
were forced to work blindly.
The tornado vented ita greatest fury
along the river front. Tho lcvec, for
miles up and down. was devastated.
Great steamers were torn from their
mooripgs at the first blast and blown
down the river for miles. Of all tho
craft that lined the river for miles but
one remains to tell the story Of the dis
astor. IT hung steadily to It's moorings
throughout. When the tornado struck
tho river the light Of day vanished and
those at work on the levee could barely
discern the forms of the steamers as
ono after another they pitched and
tossed and finally, with a crash. were
blown out into the dark waters and
disappeared. The scene WAS one of
wild uncertainty and chaos. No one
knew whittier to seek safety from the
fury Of the storm
The tornado left scene Of desolation
where, 10 minutes before, steamers
had rocked quietly at their docks,
some Just arrived and discharging their
passengers, Others preparing for depar-
turo. Trunks aud baggage had been
tossed hither and thithor, most Of it
into tho river; plows and agricultural
implements had been distributed up
and down the levee as far al could be
seen, aud the whole appearance WAS
that of waste and wreck. The steamer
j. j. Odel was blown from its wharf
at tho foot of Morgan street. crashed
into the SECOND pier of the Eads Bridge
and sank Her boilers blow IN bef iro
she disappeared. She had a crew of 12
aboard, also three women passengers
and her captain. Three of her crew
reached land safely Three others of
the crew clung to the pier and made
their way up to tho bridge proper.
There is no way Of estimating the
number of lives that wore lost on the
river craft. Men were blown into the
water, the bargeH in the river turned
and the destruction of life is terrible.
There are ruinurs that the steamer
Grand Republic went to the bottom
with 800 eXcursionists. but an officer of
the company denies this story to-day.
Capt Pat. Carmody's presence only
prevented panic at the fair grounds.
When the crowd appealed for protection
from the tornado he corralled the
frightened people under stand and
forced them to remain there. He held
a mob of about 800 n check and it was
lucky for them that he did So Every
body was trying to get out and wanted
to make break for the south side of
the stand. While he was holding them
back the roof of the stand was blown
off and the debris fell Just where the
people wanted to go. Tho roof of the
stand was blown in all directions.
Part Of it landed on the Natural Bridge
road and several bodies were buried
beneath tho debris.
While the storm was at it's height
a passenger train on tho Chicago & Al
ton railway pulled out on tine bridge
FRI N the Missouri side. Engineer Scott
had Only proceeded short distance
whom he realized tho awful danger
which threatened the train. Tho wind
struck tho coachoa al first causing
them to careon. At that time he was
about half way across. Ovurhead tho
poles were snapping and tumbling into
tho river, while large stones we're shift
ing loose from their foundations and
plunging into tho water. Realiz-
Ing that his train might be
blown into the water or clsa the
bridge be blown away. Scott, with
rare presence of mind, put on full
head of steam in an effort to make the
east side shore Tho train had scarcely
proceeded 200 feet when an upper span
of the bridge was blown away. Tons
of huge granite blocks tumbleu to tho
tracks, where the train, loaded with
passengers, had been but moment be-
fore. About tho same instant tho wind
struck the train, upsetting all tho cars
like piaythings. Luckily no ono was
killed. The wrecked part of the bridge
is just east of the big towor, near the
illinois shore, and extends east for
about 300 feet. Tho entire upper por-
tion, tral orscd liy electric cars and car
riages, was carried away, while tho
tracks beneath are buried in tho debris,
in some places eight feet deep.
!. The poorhousc, which is situated at
the eXtrome southeast limit of tho city,
suffered severely from tho storm. The
entire roof of building was torn oil
and flung many yards away. The tower
was blown down and crashed through
the building, down into the basement.
There were eight columns supporting
tho roof and the falling of these carried
the tioors of tho building beneath it.
The dead house was completely de-
molishod by the furious wind. In
credible as it sounds, with l,030 pa
tients in tho building, 730 of whom aro
innanc, not life was lost.
The top floor of the four-story build
ing at Second and Chestnut streets was
blown OF. Tho Central Home of Rest
was destroyed and one man was killed,
A vacant building, formerly occupied
by tho Brown Oil Mill CO., was com
pletely wrecked. Six mun who had
sought refuge within it were buried in
tho ruins. Tho wind caught tho Arm
ory Building, at Eighteenth and Pine
atreots, picked it up and scattered it
around tho nei9hborhood for blocks.
A large quantity of wreckage was
seen from Jefferson barracks, floating
down tho Mississippi. 4 procession of
wrecks seemed to be borne along, some
times singly, sometimes in tangled
mass. One large steamer. with only
hpr bow ana pilot house above tho
water, was seen going down stream.
At about G. 20 barge bearing 10 or 20
people, who were wildly waving lanterns
for assistance, tioated swiftly down.
The storm did not vent all its fury
in st. Louis. After working iIs chaos
of destruction in South st. Louis it
moved westward, ont in the country,
leaving trail Of ruin in its wake.
At Clayton, tho county seat, u new
Presbyterian Church was leveled to
the ground and another church was
wrecked. Part of the Court House at
Clayton was also torn away. Houses
were unroofcd or totally destroyed in
the path Of the storm. One person was
| killed and many were injured.
In comparison to its size the fatali-
| ties and losses suffered in East st.
Louis greatly exceed those on this side
of the river. The larger part of tho