San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-05-28
Most Terrible in the History Of the Country Johns
town Horror EQualled- Scenes by Day
light Appalling.
The Dead and Injured Will Amount Hundreds While Destruction Property
Will Go to the Mions-Bg Bridge Partly Blown Away East st.
Louis Suffers, Also Many Towns and Cities in Mis-
souri, and Illinois to Hear From.

Iull UOen. ne CuITtulS ouilttus III
the southwest there came into ex-
istence a storm cloud with the es.
sential features of the tornado-the
funnel shape. This second. storm
burst upon the city from the south.
east. 1t came in on the south side
OF Lafayette park, struck the city
hospital and from there tore its
way through the city to the river
by northeasterly course. 1t
wrought such havoc as will long
leave traces in that part Of the city
which lies east OF Seventh street
and north Of Carr street, to the
Eads bridge.
The destruction at East st. Louis
seems to be greatest. The city
Jail wall is down exposing the
interior. 1t was during exercise
hour and 200 prisoners exercising
in the building were panic stricken.
They were too frightened to es-
cape. Jailer Wagner was on the
scene in a moment and with the
aid of a number OF detectives and
policemen the prisoners were
placed in their cells. The tanks OF
the Water Pierce Oil company on
Gratiot street, blew, up, causing
destruction on every hand. Three
stories OF the Coe Manufacturing
company's building, Ninth and
Gratiot streets, and nearly half Of
the Wainwright company building
was blown down.
The Sum mer High school, Elev-
enth and Spruce streets, McDer-
motifs saloon, Eleventh and Chest
nut streets, the Central Elephant
on the opposite corner, J. A. Shee-
hans livery stable, Eleventh and
Walnut streets, were unroofed.
The engineer Of the Aetna Iron
works, Twenty-first and Pappin
streets, was almost instantly kill
ed. The walls fell in and he was
scalded to death by steam. The
Consolidated Wire works, Twenty
first and Pappin streets, were al
most totally wrecked. Seven peo-
pie are known to have been injur-
ed seriously by this wreck, and
many more are said to have been
hurt by falling walls.
The two-story building Of the c.
H. Sawyer Manufacturing COM
pany, 1919 Choteau avenue, was
destroyed. John Sawyer, q mem.
Der Of the firm, and William
Cheney and Isabel Halden, type
writers, were crushed to death un-
der the walls. The senior men,
Der OF the firm was injured. The
Refrigerator and Woodenware
company's factory, Second and
Park avenue, was completely de-
stroyed by fire, by lightning. The
loss is estimated at $500, 900 on this
plant alone.
A rumor was widely circulated
that the gas tank near the CONSOLE
dated wire works at the south END
of Twenty-first street had been
blown over and crushing in the
wireworks building, killed four
men, to certainty, and possibly
more. The cyclone came into the
city proper first and then crossed
the Mississippi into East st. Louis
and thereafter raging for half an
hour disappeared in the direction
of Alton. There was little warn
ing for the helpless people in the
streets, the thousands on their way
home from work, or the inmates Of
the great mercantile establish
ments of the city, who had not yet
left their work. Thousands of peo-
pie are lying injured in the hos
pitfalls. Temporary hospitals abound
in all parts of the city. The armory
at Seventeenth and Pine streets
has been opened for the care OF the