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


existence. A conservative estimate OF
the dead is placed at $50.
Tho Catholic Church st. John OF
Nepomuk, at the corner of Twelfth and
Soulard streets, was RACED to the
ground, except tho frant, which stands
like u tower, all the sides and back
walls boing completely destroyed 1t
wac large and handsome church.
J. A. German, who has the contract
for decorating the convention hall, says:
From my acquaintance with Archi-
tect Isaac Taylor, who Ia in charge of
the building, and tho contractor who
did the building work 4 am positive
that tho auditorium will be repaired
and ready for the convention on the
10th. AS far as the work of decorating
is concerned l will have it ready on
time. l will ship a carload of deccra-
tions from Chicago Tomorrow night
and replace those damaged by the
storm. "
BY midnight reporters of the Asso-
ciated Presg had visited all OF the
stricken portions of the city and sub
urbs Tho list of the dead discovered
fell far bSlow the first estimates, but
il was long enough to be appalling.
Crushed beneath falling walls, hurled
against tic sides of buildings, struck
by fiyingftimbers, cut by the shattered
glass, shocked by the network of down
wires humanity suffered in ways in
numerdhle. The names of all the in
jured viii never be known. Enough
were ecorded at the dispensaries last
night 10 show how widespread were the
tornado's effects. OF the destruction
of prqb qberty there can be no satisfactory
estimate given. The lossin extent and
in character is beyond conception.
Dhbre were 450 sick people in the City
HOSPITAL when tho storm came. Some
gatlbred strength in their fright and
ran bhrieking from the place, finding
she for on the outside. Thirteen were
inbred in one ward.
Convention Hall lost part of the
rotf at the eastern end and was pune
tuted in several places by flying eU,bers
anil sustained some arrangement of the
Interior. Ten days work and the ex-
pfnditure of s., 900 will make the hall
gbod again.
In the district between Sixth street
{nd the river northward from Choteau
Avenue the tornado tore diagonal
bath. The district comprises business
houses, many of them Of the older type.
Every building within the path sus-
tained damage.
Fire added much to the loss account.
A 500, 000 conhagration on the st.
Louis side was supplemented by a
dozen lesser fires. In East st. Louis a
mill was burned. The fires added at
least $500 600 damage.
Such another sight of horror in st.
Louis was never known. When night
came, soon after the premature darken-
ing brought by the tornado, no electric
lamps hlazed up. Many thousands Of
people were miles from their homes.
The rain fell in sheets and the electric
lights stood dark and desolate, whilo
men and women toilod homeward
through the drenching rain.
st. Louis, May 90 --Desolation still
reigns supreme in the tornado-striclSen
districts of East st. Louis and this
city.
To-day opened clear and cool and
everywhere could be seen gangs of men
delving in the ruins for the buried vic
Tins, clearing the streets of dismanted
poles, wires and general debris, repair
ing the damage done to thousands of
buildings and relieving the injured and
homeless.
AS tho time goes on it becomes moro
evident that ,the tornado is the worst
that ever visited this or any other city
ON tho North American continent.
horrors multiply every hour and the
list OF dead is appalling. More than
l30 bodies have been rescued in st.
Louis and over 400 persons are known
To have been Injured Mangled cad
avors are found in innumerable places
along the path of the storm and are
being taken TO the improvised morgue
in the different prisons Of the distressed
districts 1t will be weeks before Il
complete list Of those killed can be
made. but the list of dead is climbing
to the 200th mark. Only mere guesses
can he made as to the property loss on
both sCes OF the river but mercantile
agencies say that it may reach
$50, 900. GOO in this city alone, while in
Eaat st. Louis it will be several mil
lions.
In East st. Louia tho disaster was
complete, the westeiSn section of that
railway town being one vast charnel
house. Onlya single dwelling was loft
standing on what is called the Island
and 600 families are homeless The
citi2tna estimate the dead at fully 200
on tho east side.
In the wake of tho tornado came
grave problems to meet, one of them
the protection of the city in the alb
scnce of the electric lights. The First
Missouri Regiment has gone on duty
for patrol service and the Police Com
miss o1ers will add $50 men to the
force.
BESIDES this all previous caamitics
of tho kind seem trivial in cost. Man
fully the business men of st Louis
have begun the work of relief. An
earnest meeting on change yesterday
was the beginning. There are thou
sands who can pull themselves out of
this trouble. There are other thou
sands who have lost all and must be
helped.
Partial resumption Of tho street car
service has been effected. The east
and west roads north Of Market street
are in operation, as are also the Broad
way and tho Grand avenue roads OF
north and south lines. The southern
division of the Scullin System is the
most badly crippled, owing to the do
strurtion of tho power house, and the
officers ventura no rediction as to
when cars will he running. Partial
restoration of tho electric light service
is promised in lS hours, but il will be
a couple of weeks before all of the cir
cults are in order. The destruction of
the wires along the path of the storm
was complete.
Inquests on tho bodies of 42 of the
slain in sit. Louis have been held by
Coroner Waite and that duty continues.
A verdict of "shock and injuries, ac-
cidental," was rendered in each case.
East ST. Louis has issued touching
appeal for aid. The committee which