Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-05-29
An Age Of Appalling Disasters.

lHe weekly record oil loss oil lie ana
property by cyclone and flood con-
tinues with fearful regularity, and adds
to the widespread misery that has at
tended business depression.
AT midnight Saturday, the terrors OF
Johnstown came near being duplicated
in the lowlands between Marshalltown
and State Center, Iowa, by a succession
OF cloud bursts which deluged the
country. Many of the slumbering in
habitants were informed of their peril,
before the waters had reached their
habitations by passengers on a train
which barely escaped destruction in
the first rush OF the flood. Whether
any lives were lost, or not, was UNI
known when the report was made up,
but the faithful work OF the travellers
doubtless saved many family from
death.
The storm Monday afternoon origi-
mated near the town of Ankeny, So
miles north of Des Moines, Iowa, by
the union of two storm-clouds which
speedily developed into a cyclone and
moved to the northwest, devastating
portions of Iowa, Illinois, Michigan
and Kansas. The towns of Valera,
Santiago, Bondurant and Mingo, north
east from Des Moines, and Ankney,
Polk City and Slatur, north from that
city, and the villages OF lakewood and
Thomas, in Michigan, were badly dam
aged or destroyed.
The loss OF life is reported at 10 in
Jasper county, 8 in Polk county, u at
McGregor and and 5 at Durango, Iowa
4 at Rockford and l at Elgin, Ill; 2 at
Fort Scott, Kan., and IL at Thomas,
Mich. Thousands of head of cattle
we're killed and scattered. The loss OF
human life will be greatly augmented
when the estimate includes the many
casualties in the pathway of the fear
full destroyer. . 1t plowed it's way
through dense forests, twisting huge
trees up by the roots. sent houses and
fences into a whirl of flying debris,
tore up railroad track and deposited
it tangled snarl OF twisted iron, and
tore the masonry of massive bridges
from its foundation and scattered it
over the prairies.
At Durango, the tornado was attend
ed by rainfall which soon raised the
surface OF the creek into plunging
torrent, and several families were
drowned.
Thousands OF acres OF corn and
other crops were destroyed.
The loss in Galena, ILL.,, is reported
a. 100000, damages from flood, and
in Chicago many Easements were
filled from an unprecedented down.
pour. 1t is estimated that an inch of
water fell there in the space of ten
minutes.
Wednesday afternoon, about 5
O'Clock, the most disastrous storm that
had ever visited the west, struck st.
Louis, Mo-, passing over and literally
through, that city. Buildings OF every
description were torn down by the
force OF the wind. The afternoon had
been oppressively hot and towards
evening rain began to fall, which in.
creased in severity until it had devel-
oped into a fierce thunder storm. A
little later the wind attained a veloc-
ity of 80 miles an hour, driving the
rain before it. Many buildings were
demolished and others set on fire by
lightning and electricity from crossed
wires. Pandemonium reigned. The
fire department responded to 81 calls,
the streets were full Of panic-stricken
people, men were picked up by the
wind and hurled against brick walls,
horses and carriages were sent flying
through the air. and falling wires
charged with deadly fluid added to the
horrors of the scene. The Republican
Convention hall was unroofed, a por.
ton of the city Jail blown down. and
several oil tanks blew up, spreading
destruction on every hand. The city
after the passage of the cyclone was in
total darkness the remainder of the
night, with the rain falling in torrents.
Many large steamers were sunk and
others turned bottom up. The loss OF
life on the river will aggregate over
one thousand. The loss of life in East
St. Louis is known to be $50, and
these figures will be largely exceeded
when the reports are all in. Railroad
officials claim that the death-list will
exceed 1000, when the figures are COM
plete.
United press reports state that
Wednesdays storm began its work OF
devastation near Moberly, in Randolph
county, Mo. Itjumped the Mississippi
river into Illinois, and left long
track of desolation before it began it's
fearful work at st. Louis. 1t then
passed over to Evansville, Ind, and
tore pathway through the heart OF
that State.
JINGoIsM.-Prof. William s. Sum-
mer, head OF tho Department of Social
Science and Political Economy at
Yale, is not much of an admirer of
the jingoism OF the Administration.
He says that men of responsibility