Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-06-09
ST. LOUIS TORNADO
HALF A THOUSAND KILLED
AND MANY INJURED.
The Pecnniary Loss Will Reach Almosr
S5,OOO,OOO-A Half Mile Strip
Badly Damaged.

| So,OOO,OOO-A Hair Mile Strip
BADLY Damaged.
CHICAGO, May 27.-One of the great
est disasters of recent years visited st.
Louis last night in the shape of a cy-
clone which began at o'clock and
lasted thirty minutes. The loss of life
is appalling, reaching nearlya thousand,
while countless hundreds are injured.
ST. Louis, May 2s.-The day had
been very hot, with clouds in the west
and north wind. About 4 o'clock
the massing of clouds, one upon
another, gave some warning of what
was coming, but no one has been
found who apprehended at that time
anything worse than hard thunder
storm.
Suddenly out of the cloud bank
came whirling funnel, which dropped
to the earth.
The storm was then east of Clayton,
small town short distance from st.
Louis.
In the incredible time of five minutes
1T had traversed the distance from the
western limits of this city to it's heart,
and there it ragged.
High buildings served to confine it
and until they were destroyed there
was no chance for its escape
The river was literally raised from
its bed with hundreds of boats that
were plying up and down or were
moored at wharves
Where the crossing was made at
East st. Louis the river is almost
mile in width, but the leap was taken
with all the fury with which the cy-
clone had struck the city proper.
Judging from reports of the greatest
damage done the path of the storm
was on an average of ten or twelve
blocks in width
No boats on the river escaped. Many
of them went down with all on board.
The river is believed to contain hun
dreds of bodies. The morgues and
hospitals are full. No effort is made
to estimate the property loss. 1t is
beyond all conjecture. Time alone
can tell how great is the loss of life and
property.
ST. LOUIS, June 1.-The total mum.
Der of dead, missing and fatally in.
Jured in the two cities numbers 424.
This estimate is made as follows: st.
Louis-Known dead, 1885, unknown
dead, II; fatally injured, 10; missing
East st. Louis-Known dead, 1873; un
known dead, 3; fatally injured, 2; total,
4@4 This viii undoubtedly be added
to when the ruins shall have been I'M
covered
The Post-Dispatch prints state
ment which very materially modifies
all previous estimates of the aggregate
loss by the hurricane. The article
says: mo estimate Of the financial
loss sustained by this city from the
storm approaching the correct figure |
nearer than several millions can be |
prepared for at least week, but it is |
already evident that representations of |
loss equalling and sometimes exceed |
ing $4,000, 900 are unfounded upon
facts. In fact, conservative and well |
informed business men regard $1,000
600 as being nearer the proper amount.
In arriving at this conclusion all the |
heaviest losses have been considered, |
and the figures have been obtained |
from persons in possession in almost |
every place OF personal knowledge"
The path OF the storm is about half |
mile wide, and over four miles long.
sweeping through the thiclxly popu-
southwest portion of Eastland, across
the river and into east st. LOUIS.
Col. Wetmore, manager of the Lip-
gett plant which was wrecked, esti-
mates the property damage at Se5, Ooo.-
600, which, he says, will be almost n
total loss, owing to the lack of cyclone
insurance. Other estimates range from
SIS, ZOO, 900 to $4,000, COO, but the ma.
Jority OF them are close to that of Col.
Wetmore
The governor of Illinois is at the
scene at East st. Louis and two COM
panies of the National Guard are on
duty to prevent pillage and keep order
among the lawlessly inclined. A call
for help has gone forth from the
stricken Illinois city.
In East st. Louis, from the river
bank to the National stock yards. a
distance of over mile, scarcely a
building is LEFT standing.
The greatest slaughter was done on
The island" so-called.
Here was located the Vandalia freight
house and general offices, and the
lumble abodes of working men. Moth
pg was left standing, the houses and
reight depot being literally swept
way by the fury OF the storm.
In addition to the killed and injured
n st. Louis and East st. Louis. the
yclone moved down many people in
he country adjacent. Dispatches re-
eived by the Associated Press give
4ccounts of serious loss of life and
naimings in quite number of places.
Appended is a table showing care
al estimate of killed and Injured.
:ased on the dispatches:
Place Killed Jni,ro,
year centraiia ............ 42 35
Sreckinridge, Ill. .... 2
,ear Mt Varnnp m % (