The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1896-06-02

known, as Many Peopl Are
Thought to Have Been Drowned
in the River and Many Others
Are Burned in the Ruins of
BuiIdings-The Property Loss Is
VariOus1y Estimated at From
Ten to Thirty Million Dollars.
st. Louis, May 30.-It will be several
days before definite information can
be obtained as to the loss of life, and
injury of unfortunate people who hap
pcned to be in the path of the cyclone
which swept over portions of Missouri
and Illinois Wednesday afternoon. In
addition to the killed and injured in st.
Louis and East st. Louis, the cyclone
moved down many people who adj
vanced before it. Dispatches received
to-day by the Associated Press gave
accounts OF serious loss of life and
maimingS in quite number of places.
Death and Destruction
ST. Louis, May 3O.-The awful sweep
of the tornado is marked to-day by Il
devastated district in the southwestern
portion of the city half mile wide and
four miles long, with wrecked build
ings. tottering walls, debris, choked
streets, and reScuing. parties to tell the
story of havoc and death.
The general trend was from south
west to northeast, the center of the
business district of the city lying about
a mile north Of the storms path. The
heavy damage was lin the vicinity of
Tower Grove and Lafayette Park,
where handsome residences were com
pletely wrecked and many injured.
One of the remarkable features was
the destruction of q wing Of the city
hospital, carrying 200 patients and
nurses down in the wreck, and killing
but one person.
Ruin and Disaster
When the sun rose on st. Louis and
vicinity this morning it showed a scene
of terrible ruin and disaster. Wind,
rain and fire had combined in mis-,
sion of destruction The greatest dam
age on this side of the river was in
nicted within a three mile strip along
the mighty stream. Hours of depress-
ing sultriness, puffs of wind coming by
turns from all points of the compass,
piling up in heavy clouds around the
horizon, the flying hither and thither of
light, mist-like formations across the
dull, dark-colored masseS-theSe We're
the chara cterSticS of an afternoon
which brought to st. Louis the most
disastrous storm in the city's history.
For hours the currents shifted the
wind blew hot and cold, and the storm
center developed.
In the, west thunder storm dnvel-
OPP VI. The early mutteringS indicated
ne ing more alarming than a down.
20 with the ordinary electrical ac-
commandments. This rain cloud came
up slowly at first, from the west, be-
yond Forest Park AS the black FIN
mounted higher above the horizon it's
arc embraced more territory to the
north and south. A strong wind from
the east began to blow right in the
face of the storm It was a lower cur
rent. 1t raised the dark cloud and
brought it forward faster and faster.
Suddenly the wind stopped blowing
from the east and there swept from
the northwest
Terrific Gale
which made the best built structures
trembIe With the hurricane-for that
was the first form the storm took when
it broke over the western part of the
city--came a deluge of rain. For half
an hour from few minutes before
northwest. Then there came a lull.
The currents shifted In the south
west there came into existence storm
cloud with the essential features of the
ne-funnel-Shaped. This second
storm burst upon the city from the
southwest. 1t came in on the south
side of Lafayette Park, struck the city
hospital, and from there tore it's 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 Cerre
street to the Eads bridge.
Enough is known to show that more
lives have been lost on the East side
than on the West side. Perhaps the
most impressive evidence of the storm
clouds force is to be seen in the wreck
of the eastern portion of the biz EadS
bridge. There the tornado dealt with
stone and masonry. 1t tore Off and
IumbIed down tons upon tons Of ma
sonry. Beginning with the big eastern
pier and extending to the foot of The
incline, storm cloud cut off the upper
part of the structure as if 1t had been
a f1imsy trestle instead of a structure
of wcrld-famed masonry. What the
tornado did to the Eads bridge will not
be believed unless the eyes see 1t.
Death in the River.
OF all the craft that lined the river
for miles, but one remains to tell the
story of the disaster. 1t hung steadily
to its moorings throughout. When the
tornado struck the light of day van
ished in moment, and those at work
could barely discern the forms of the
steamers as one after another pitched
and tossed and finally, With crash,
....-c l,Io,x.rn out into the dark WATERS