Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-06-04
ST. LOUIS STRICKEN.
Fearful Destruction OF Life and
Property by q Tornado.
ct Least Four Hundred Killed and Many
L0udreds Injursd-yesseIs Wrecked
and Millions of Dollars Worth
of Property Destroyed.


morning it showed scene of terrible
ruin and disaster, wind. rain and fire
having combined in a mission of de-
struction. At least 200 lives were lost
IN this city and as many more in East
st. Louis, while thousands were in
lured, many so severely that they
cannot recover. The exact numb Der OF
dead andsinjured will. however, not be
known for many days for the debris
Of ruined buildings undou btedly covers
scores of people The damage and de-
struction of property will aggregate
many millions of dollars. but the ex-
oct amount cannot be estimated with
any degree of certainty.
The tornado. which caused this de-
struction, struck the city yesterday
afternoon at Sis o'clock and soon
swept to East st. Louis. The greatest
damage on this side of the river was
Snfi;cted within three mile strip
along the Mississippi Many buildings
were totally wrecked by the force OF
the wind and others were unroofed,
while very few escaped some injury.
Signs and cornices we're torn off, shade
trees and everything else suffered.
Health Commissioner Starkloff, two
taours after the tornado had passed,
feared that the dead would reach 200
and that not fewer than 1000 persons
had sustained serious injuries. By
midnight reporters of the Associated
press had visited all of the stricken
portions of the city and suburbs
fully confirmed. The dead were
found in all parts of the
devastated section, while crushed be-
meath falling walls, hurled against the
sides of buildings, struck by flying
tim bers, cut by the shattered glass,
shocked by the network of down wires,
humanity suffered in ways innumer-
able and the names OF all the in jured
will never be known. Enough were
recorded at the dispensaries last night
TO show how Widespread were the tor
nados effects.
In the flashes of lightning last night
the city hospital looked like a ruin.
The new surgical ward was partially
demolished. Portions of the other
buildings were unroofed. Walls were
cracked. Even in the darkness the
physicians began the removal of pa
tiente to temporary quarters, fearful
that the strained structure would go
down in a general collapse.
The city hall and the Four Courts
were in the path of the cloud as it
passed from the city hospital toward
the river, and both were damaged.
Part of the jail wall was demolished.
Convention hall lost part of the roof
GA the eastern end and the east end
was punctured in several places by fy-
ing missiles, and sustained some de-
range ment of the interior. Ten days
'avgrg and the expenditure of SIS, 600
"<vill make the hall good again.
du the district between Sixth street
sand the river northward from Chouteau
avenue, the tornado tore diagonal
path. The district comprises business
'ss0alses, many of them of the older
type. Every building within the
path sustained damage. Smokestacks
and chisnneys were toppled over,
walls were leveled and roofs were
Hi&ted Thousands of windows were
eyrFoken and miles of telegraph and
telephone wires were left in II network
on the ground. Through this district
1he streets are impossible.
No words can do justice to the hor-
rors of the scene at Seventh and Rut-
ger streets. In one wreck alone it is
known that more than 90 bodies are
still buried. Five mangled forms were
uncovered and removed just before
midnight.
OF all the crafts that lined the river
Sor miles, but one remains to tell the
story of the disaster. After the tor
saado had passed it left scene of des-
citation where ten minutes before
steamers had rocked quietly at the
docks, some just arriving and discharg-
lug their passengers; others preparing
xor departure. Trucks and baggage
had been tossed hither and thither,
siost of it into the river; plows and ag.
-teultural implements had. been dis
Sributed up and down the levee as far
=s could be seen, and the whole ap-
pearance was that of waste and wreck.
The death dealing cloud crossed the
river at such an angle as to strike and
wreck the upper works at the east end
OF the Eads bridge and to sweep part
OF East St. Louis. In comparison to
its size the fatalities and losses in Eas,
St Louis greatly exceed those on this
side of the river. The larger part OF
shc central portion of the citv is RACED
60 the ground. while on the flats along
She river back TO the north Of the Fad.
bridge not house is left standing.
Fire added much to the loss account
Down wires, wild currents of electric
Sty, crushed buildings. all contributed
to this element of destruction. TIL.