Semi=weekly graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1895-1902, 1896-05-30
MANY PORTIONS OF THE CITY
COMPLETELY WRECKED.
The Property Loss Cannot Be Es-
timated, But It Is Thought to
Be About $25, 900, 900.
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF
THE TERRIBLE TORNADO.

ST. LOUIS, Mo, May 28-N hen
darkness temporarily interrupted the
search for storm victims tonight 315
people were known to be dead on
both sides of the river, and although
the complete death list viii never be
known, it is believed that it will
approximate 400 in the two cities.
The number of the injured is even
larger and many of the manned
cannot survive.
The property loss will reach well
into the millions, but insurance
people, firemen and police alike refuse
to hazard even a guess at accurate
figures.
The uncertainty regarding loss of
life and property is due mainly to
the wide extent of the havoc
wrought by the storm. The miles
of wrecked buildings az yet uneX-
plored and the numerous collapsed
factories, towards the investigation
OF which little progress has been
made, may hide almost any number
of bodies, as the police have been
unable to secure anything like an
accurate list of the missing.
In the factory districts May OF
the employees ON duty at the time
the storm broke, were without re-
latives in the city, and their disap-
pearance would certainly be noted
even though they be buried in the
ruins.
1t is believed by the police, too,
that owing to the suddenness with
which the crash came, many tramps
or homeless ones sought shelter
among the buildings which were
leveled, and that nothing will be
known of their death until perhaps
weeks hence their bodies will be
found. The list at 6 o'clock of known
dead in ST. Louis is 1863 and in East
st. Louis 146.
The most furious work of the
storm was along Rutger street,
Lafayette and Choteau avenues and
contiguous thoroughfares east OF
Jefferson avenue. The houses are
in the streets with their roofs under
meath, buried by brick and mortar.
Under the brick and mortar are
household goods of every descrip-
ton and on top of all are uprooted
trees and tangled masses of wires.
There is not tree or building
standing in Lafayette park.
The wreck of the city hospital is
so surrounded by wreckage that it
is barely possible to reach it. BY
far the most remarkable freak OF the
storm was at this many-winged
house.
About 200 patients were scattered
through the wards when the tornado
struck, and although the entire up
per story was cut off clean and one
wing raised, but one inmate was
killed. The victim was located in
one of the upper stories and was
killed by flying brick in the de-
, molished wing. The walls fell
out, and the roofcamestraight down
upon the foundations, and there
resting upon sound bed castings
enabled the patients to be rescused
without serious injury. The entire
building was rendered useless and
the tottering walls will be torn
down.
Many of the handsome residences
on Fourteenth street and about
Lafayette Park are ruined, but, the
most damage was done on Sixth
Seventh, Eighth and Ninth. south
along Choteau, along the tenemeni
! district. Houses are to beseen in al
} stages OF demolition from loss o
roof to complete destruction
In some of them the front walls
had fallen out and the ten
ants performed their household
duties, cared for the injured
. and mourned their dead in full view
/ of the crowds in the streets. From
! the doors of many of the partially
wrecked houses fiuttered the blacl
: badge of mourning and scarcely
J house in all the district that did no
have some injured relative, friend o.
neighbor within its wind-batteret
walls.
The path of the storm is abou
half O mile wide and over four miles
long, sweeping through the thickl1
populated southwestern portion Q
Eastland and across the river int