The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-29

poured into the ruins and ran kneedeep
through the halls. All lights were out.
Nurses and attendants and patients
waded through the wards and fought
the falling debris. Daylight at the hos
pital drew the curtain for the most
awful scene the tornado left in it's wake
The work OF Gazing for the patients
was at once begun. Little could be
done before daylight. as many OF the
embulances could not be spared. The
patients were taken 10 the st. Johns
and Alexian Bros hospitals. At o'clock
two four-horse busses were ordered, and
the work OF removing them was facili-
tated. No effort will be made TO search
for the buried until the survivors are
provided for. The death list Of hospi-
tai cases will be large. Many will die
from exposure.
The South Side racetrack is demol-
ished The wind caught the frame
stables, fences and portions OF the
grandstand and took them heavenward.
Nearly every stableboy, trainer, jockey
and hanger-on has a scratch or bruise
OF some kind. Some 10 men are missing
and II is believed they have been killed.
Schneider's garden is a wreck. Every
building I'm the enclosure was razed. and
the trees broken off close 10 the ground.
The convention auditorium is practi-
cally uninjured. the only damage being
that upon the southeasterly corner Of
the roof. some light covering being
blown off.
The damage can all be repaired in
few days. The fact that the building
comes out of the fearful storm with SO
little damage demonstrates the sub
q. 1nVta f~a
the construction.
The following appeal, issued at mid
night by the East st. Louis relief COM
mittee, shows the situation in that
stricken city:
ION the evening of May 27, about Sis
%. m, the city aS East st. Louis was
visited by one OF the most terrible and
destructive tornadoes in the history OF
the country. and as a result of it's fear
full work, at least 200 lives have been
lost, and the number Of manned and
wounded we are unable TO estimate. but
1t will be in the thousands.
'The amount of damage to property
Is very great, and IL is impossible at this
time To ascertain. but IL Is safe to say
that at least six families are homeless.
while the loss appears TO fall upon
the poorer class of people, almost every
citizen has directly or indirectly been
damaged.
while we regret exceedingly to call
upon the country at large in this ex-
tremity. we feel utterly unable 10 sup
| ply the absolute necessities of the people,
although our own citizens are putting
| forth every effort and are contributing
| literally, and indeed more literally than
their means allow.
I'VE therefore apeal to the generosity
| of our sister cities and other communi-
| ties for help in this our hour of trouble.
1--WE will be pleased to receive sub
| scriptions and assistance in any FORM
1--WE, the executive committee ap-
pointed Paul w. Abt. president of the
First National bank of this city, treas
urer 10 whom all contributions can be
sent"
The work Of rescue, which began i'm
| mediately after the storm, Will not be
| completed for a week or more. Volun-
| tary rescue parties. squads OF police
| and companies OF the fire department
are scattered about the devastated dis
| trict, searching the ruins for bodies.
Every few minutes the sudden shift
ing of the crowds and the signalling for
n conveyance tells OF a gruesome find.
l and the occasional Identification Of the
mangled remains by wal. lg friends
adds horror to the scene. In the east
ern portion of the wrecked locality are
| situated a number of factories, and in
| the ruins of these IL is believed that a
large number of bodies will be found.
| The great plies of brick and broken tim
| bers yield slowly to the attack of the
| searchers. The work of handling the
| unidentified bodies has been reduced to
| q system by Coroner Waite. The dead
| are placed i'm rows behind screen.
| Crowds of people who are searching for
| lost friends throng the morgue. BY this
| means the bodies are identified rapidly,
| and as fast as identified are removed. to
| make place for those constantly arriv-
| ing The scenes among the bodies are
| pitiful
At the storms height, when the ro-
| tunda OF the Laclede hotel was crowded
| with terror-stricken people. who had
| sought refuge from the winds fury. a
| panic was almost precipitated by the
| falling Of chimney down over the ro-
| tunda through the skylight, just west
| OF the clerks desk. BY a miracle no one
| was injured by the bricks. The frenzied
| men made dash for the doors on the
| Chestnut street side, but their efforts to
open them were fruitless. The force of
| the wind was stronger than the COM
| bined strength of a dozen men. This
| threw the already panic-stricken crowd
| into a frenzy of fear, which lasted until
| the sounds Of falling bricks ceased. but
| no one was seriously hurt I'm the crush.
Appended is table showing a careful
| estimate OF the killed and injured, based
f, on late dispatches:
Killed. Injured.
St. LOUIS .........s........ .ZOO 800
| East st. Louis. 300
| Near Centralia, Ills........ AZ 35
| Brekinridge, llls.......... 80.
| Near Mount Vernon, Ills. 6 20
| Near Mexico. Mo......... 13 81
| Near Vandalia, Ills........ 13 rs
Totals ...............525 724
The number Of killed may not be far
| from COO, and OF the injured about 500