The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-05-31

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vice of prominent citizens, with both knowi-
edge and experience in such matters, have been
sought and obtained with the result that the
enormous total heretofore set up has been
scaled down to . more. probable aggregate.
Very careful consideration of facts and figures
justiies the assertion that the hitherto gen
orally accepted figure, 5000 ,0O0 must be
divided by five to give the maximum loss sus-
tanned. In fact, conservative and well-in-
formed business men regard $4,000 being
nearer the proper amount. In arriving at this
conclusion, all the heaviest losses have been
considered, and the figures have been obtained
by persons in possession, in almost every case,
of personal knowledge"
The storm has attracted to st. Louis an
enormous crowd. The streets are thronged
with strangers night and day. The hotels
are taxed almost to their utmost capacity to
care for their guests. Some of the big down
town hotels have had to put cots in the
rooms to meet the extraordinary demand for
accommodations. For the past three days all
the railroad trains into St. Louis from every
direction have been loaded to the guards with
passengers The union station is jammed
constantly with a moving, eager. restless
mass of humanity. In the rush of visitors
there are about as many women as men. APP
parently all the towns within radius Of
100 miles of st. Louis have emptied their pop
far beyond that limit. Most of the strangers
were drawn here by morbid curiosity but a
great many of them came to look after rela-
tiyes and friends. The devastated district in
South st. Louis has a peculiar fascination
for the visitors. Thousands of them throng
the Lafayette park region, and really i'm
pede the work of rescue and repair by crowd
ing around the wrecked buildings and climb
ing over tottering walls and heaps of debris
that the rescuing corps really fear to ap-
preach too near.
The scene throughout the wrecked district
last night was peculiarly weird and dread
full one. Up to 10 o'clock it was in broken
darkness, near and here and there a dim
lamp sent CLEANS outward, indicating the few
houses which had not suffered to such an ex-
tent as to be uninhabitable. These seemed
but to accentuate the gloom of the constantly
passing to and fro of shadowy forms. The
entire First regiment, to the number of 450
men, were patroling the district embraced
by Choteau and Geyer avenues, from Grand
avenue to the river. They had received ex-
plicit orders to halt every one they met to
demand explanations of their presence on the
streets, and If these not entirely salts
factory and above suspicion, they were
arrested suspects. In the event of resist
ance, they were then to use their rife arfd
bayonets, and IL that would not suffice then
the cartridge. The demeanor and evident
resolution of these miitiamen was impressive
and encouraging. 1t was apparent that they
felt the responsibility which had developed
upon them and they were determined to prove
worthy of their trust. Every nook which
might prove the hiding place of those ON evil
mission bent, was minutely examined, and it
would have gone hard with any one caught
committing a crime.
A large number of hard looking characters
with appearances against them were halted
an6i given explicit orders to move on. But
little marked disturbance was encountered
but at Seventh and Park avenue. where
gang of hoodlums. headed by Thomas McDer-
mott a notorious character, attempted to
hold high carnival of bacchanalian roistering.
They entered the home Of William Dolphin,
picked up his lamp from the table and took
# across the street. where they proposed to
have a reyel Dolphin reported to First Lieu
tenant F. s. Chariot, of Company A. who was
in charge at that point. He took a squad and
proceeded at once to the rendezvous of the
gang. where he rounded up fifteen. By this
time a very large crowd had gathered at
Eighth and Park avenue, intent upon res
cuing the prisoners. Lieut.. Chariot was in
formed Of their design, and leaving two OF
his four men On guard took the other two
and proceeded to clear the street. The crowd
was inclined to dispute this, but Chariot
gave his men orders to shoot straight and
fast if necessary, while he displayed his re-
ytlyer at full cock. 1t was a question for
moment whe her or not there was to be blood
shed with chaos greatly in favor Of it, But
only for a moment. There was surging
back ard forth, and finally the mob broke
and dispersed.