The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-05-29

The worst damage was done in patti
ABOUT six blocks wide, extending east
ward from Grand avenue to Tenth street
Irom Lafayette avenue, on the south u
the railroad track on the north.
The river was literally raised from 1T:
bed with hundreds Of boats that were
plying up. and down it or were 7Inoored al
the Wharves. Where the crossing was
mado to East st. Louis the river is al
most mile in width, but the leap wa;
taken with all the fury with which the
cyclone had struck the city proper.
Once over, the immense destruction OF
railroad property began. Cars went roll
ing.one way, depots the other, while
valuable cargoes of freight were scattered
beyond any possibility of future dis
c0very.
AS train No. of the Merchants Ter.
minal pulled out of Granite City, ILL.,, at
6.15 p. M, it was struck by the second
division of the hurricane and was cnrrled
from the track, oyerturning six coaches,
containing $40 passengers.
The tornado vented it's gratest fury
along the river front. OF all the crafts
which lined the river for miles, but one
remains to tell the story OF the disaster.
1t hung steadily to its moorings
throughout When the tornado struck the
river the light Of day vanished in O mo-
ment, and those at work on the levee
could barely discern from of the steam
ers as one after another pitched and
tossed and finally with crash was blown
out into the dark waters and disappeared.
After the tornado had passed it left o
scene of desolation, where ten minutes
before steamers had rocked quietly at
their docks.
The steamer j. j. O'Dell of the Illi-
nois Packet, was blown out from it's
wharf at the foot of Morgan street.
crashed into the pier of the Eads bridge
and sank.
Her boilers blew up before she disap-
peared. She had a crew of 12 men and
| three women passengers, besides her cap
| tain. Three of her crew and man
na med Moore-reached land safely. Moore
was blown overheard zsby the explosion
and was cut about the head, but managed
to swim ashore. Three others of the crew
| clung to the pier, and made their way
up to the bridge proper.
There is no way of estimating the num-
ber OF lives that were lost on the river
craft that happened to be near when the
cyclone came. Hundreds of barges were
moored all along the river bank. In come
Instances rs many as ten and twelve per-
| sons were on board when anchorage gave
| way under the terrible stra n. Men were
blown into the water the barges in the
rivor were turned over aud the destruc-
tion of life will be large. Several boats
we're jerked from their moorings and car
ried far down the river.
| The tug Belle, of Baton Rouge, which
was anchored up the river, was carried
far down the river, rolling over and over.
and finally struck the raft of the Wiggins
Ferry Company at the front Of ChoteaU
avenue, whore it sunk.
| The City of Vioksburg is almost total
wreck. The City of Providence was
blown up on the Illinois bank. Her rud.
der, her captain, her smokestack were
gone. The St. Louis and st. Paul Pack
ct Company's steamer ST. Paul. had
started for Keokuk when the tornado
struck the bay. She has not been heard
of since. She had full cabin list. The
| Belle Of Calhoun and the Libbie Conger,
which were moored at Chotea1 avenue,
were almost totally broke up. The Ellen
away down the river and was wrecked
near Arsenal island. 1t is thought no
lives were lost on this boat. The steam
er Ed. Harvester of the Missouri Valley
Transportation Company, was also torn
from its dock and carried down the
river.
The main Office building, freight depot
and five warehouses OF the Iron Mountain
Railroad company were completely de-
Inolished; the roof of elevator B of the
Standard Elevator company was blown
away and badly damaged; the South
western Lead company, whose house was
completely demolished; Plants milling
elevator wrecked; the property of the
Browns Lumber company was scattered;
the roof OF the American Refining com
pany scattered; the roof of the St. Louis
Refrigerator and Wooden Cutter COM
pany, on Park avenue, was demolished,
and later took fire; Regina flour mill was
badly damaged, the roof being uplifted
and the smokestacks blown down; the
W. ppoh Of uf had
damaged; the Campbell Brothers Paint
company was totally destroyed; Bridge.
Beach & Co. lost $25, 600 in damage to
their buildln G; building Of the St. Louis
Ice Manufacturing company, loss 300, 900
almost completely demolished; st.
Louis Cotton Compress. company, badly
damaged; vacant building, formerly
occupied by the Brown Oil Mill COM
pany, completely wrecked.
Six men, who had sought refuge within
tho Cotton Compress company's building
were buried in the ruins. The wind
caught the armory building on
Eighteenth and Pine streets, picked it
hood for blocks.
There must be great number Of people
imprisoned in the destroyed buildings
who cannot be released for hours, al
though thousands of citizens have offered
their aid to the police department. to help
CQe WOrK OF rescue.
Every hospital in the city is filled with
victims and there is a lack of nurses,
physicians and medicines, but as soun as
the people get their wits about them
again the work of alleyiating the suffer-
ing of the injured will be proceeded with
in systematic manner.
At the morgue, which stands at the
corner Of Twelfth and Popular streets.
bodies are being brought in every minute.
Venice and Namicki villages, just out
side of st. Louis, were totally destroyed
and great loss Of life is reported from
them.
Leggett & Myers Tobacco Works, ten
killed, twenty injured. One corner of
the City Hospital was blown out and the
building otherwise damaged. One patient
died from fright and two others vera
killed by falling debris, with many
seriously injured. Every hospital in the
city is filled with the wounded victims of
| the storm and morgue is taxed to the ut
most to accommodate the large number
| Of dead bodies that are being brought in
from every section Of the devastated dis
triot.
A. W. Breckler of the big firm of J. P.
| Breckler & Co., of East ST. Louis. was