The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-06-06


their own loved ones.
The co-ps of reporters which crossed
the bridge at daylight gazed upon me
most appalling spectacle.
Crawling through the shapeless mass
of masonry andiron thatimpeded their
progress On the briage, they cams
shortly into the thick OF this carnival
OF the elements carnage.
On every side lay the bodies OF dead
horses, overturned freigh: cars. dis
mantlei homes with blelr-evei. dazcJ
with s%orrowfui human beings cropping
about, sobbing aud moaning in the
utter paralysis of thought.
They knew not what 20 do. and
wandered aimlessly about. charmed
by the very horror of the scene.
On either side OF the roadway tbs
railroad yards were torn into 4 horri-
bic burlesque on chaos. Great. heavy
freight ears had been lifted from the
tracks III their entirety and. hurled
yards away. %plungin% down embank-
nents and landing bottom side up in
the mo-asses and marshes Of the is
land.
Somestimes the trucks mad remained
oil the track, the bodies being literally
tori from them and hurled in indis-
criminate confusion hitheraad thither.
Mixed with this great mass of rail-
road debris we're the former homes of
people who had lived down around this
part OF town.
Parts of different houses were thrown
together, seeming more like the ruin
of Il home rather than an aggrega-
ton of different ircsiaes.
The long low line of frame houses
that stood to the right OF the bridge
where the bridge trolley met the local
street cars IS gone. Not even the
wreckage is in sight. The ground is
almost swept clean.
Farther on a brick house stands by
the roadway. Part of the roof * gone.
The front wall of the second story
has been blown out and there can be
seen the whole contents of the room.
BY one Of those freaks of the storm
the cOnten IS Of the bed room have
been untouched. With the roof anG
front wall gone the pictures even are
still hanging on the walls. 4 lamp
stands c the little center table and
the bed. but fc< the black stains of
mud and water, stands still untouched,
in perfect order.
Across the street from this house
was 4 white morse, with Il great bloody
stain or his side. His team mate is
twenty yards beyond. both dead.
The wagon they We're hauling, Il great
heavy Diary, WAS hurled upside down,
with its wheels twisted off and splin-
tered against an iron pier of the big
bridge.
Looking far off TO the right. the
ruins of the East s.. Louis Cold Stor-
age Co. loom up. and nearer to the wa
ter the shattered remnants of the KEN.
Tor mills.
By the waters edge are the battered
steamboats,, thrown high and dry upon
the shore. deserted now. all save the
City of Quincy. \ bedraggled horse
could be seen standing weakly on the
slanting deck, with head down and
tail blown away by the wind-a mis-
cradle picture.
\ little closer TO the bridge d ire.
mendous barge, loaded with iron, is
lying half N its side, the end nearest
the water half torn away.
At the left The relay depot still looms
up intact, hut the devastation about
it is unspeakaolc.
The Eandalia and Chicago, Burling.
ton Il Quincy and other freight dcpots
are wiped from the face OF the earth.
\ smoldcring mass Of charrcd ruins
shows where the Hetze! mills nee
stood.
The fremont and the Mantel houses
are totally demolished, the latter nav.
ing been blown into Cah"kia creek.
Mrs. Hayes. the wife Of the pro-
prictor OF the fremont house. WAS
killed and her son desperately injured.
The proprietor csca pei. Three others
are supposed t. be now in the ruins,
and men can De seen working to Re.
cover the bodies.
No N is supposed to have been
killed in the ManteiI house.
Martell WIS reported dead, out later
Turned up alive.
Death in the Eandalia freight depot
was rampant. Cashier Frank Meteor
mick, Iaramaster Joe Franks and
Albert EaiiInau are known to be dead.
Frank Bland and Dan Kelly were re-
ported 10 lee dead. hut later it was
found that they We're only injured.
Cashier Eout. &c The Illinois Central,
was killed il the crash which carried
away the freight depot OF that com.
pany.