Evening journal., 1896-05-28

mouse, 30 uoau.
National hotel at stock yards
fremont House.
Martelle House at Relay crossing.
De Wolfe cafe directly across from the
Relay depot.
Hazel Milling company's mill.
The Horns Cooperage works.
Baltimore and Ohio roundhouse.
Standard OIL works, East St. Louis
branch
Fast St. Louis elevator.
Crescent elevator.
Ohio and Mississippi freghthouse.
Louisville and Nashville freighthouse.
Chicago and Alton freighthouse.
East end OF Eads bridge.
Relay depot
Disaster at the Fair Grounds.
It was at first thought that scores had
been killed at the fair grounds. in the
western part of the city, where the roof of
the grand stand was blown off while the
last race was being run, but it is now
known that the people at the track saw
the storm coming and took refuge in the
adjacent fields.
At the time the storm struck the town
and created such havoc the accompanying
noise was terrifying. People were picked
up in the streets and dashed TO the ground
and against the buildings as though they
had been the merest straws.
One thing which aided the storm In
its course of destruction was the valley
which separates north and south St. Louis,
along which the railroads entering the
city from the east and west have their
tracks and yards and through which thoy
have access to the Union station at Twen-
ty-frst street. This depression is some 40
In oil In
fact, and had the tornado confined itself
to this channel the loss of life would not
have been so great But at this point the
streets slope down, thus affording means
Of egress for the great destroyer
Three fire alarms we're sent IN from the
poorhouse, which has l. 200 inmates The
roof of that structure was blown off. and
the number Of fatalities there is great.
Steamers sunk and Passengers Drowned.
The loss Of life on the river is very great.
The magnificent steamer Grand Republic
was sunk, and it is stated that all on
board were lost.
The steamer d. H. Pike, with 80 pas
sengers on board, bound up the river for
Peoria, was blown bottom side up
The steamer Conger was blown nearly
across the river and sank at point oppo-
site Carondelet ten miles below. The
steamer Dauphin, a pleasure boat, con-
tanning 20 women passengers and a Grew
of men, was blown against the middle
pier OF the Eads bridge and broken in two.
In some miraculous manner the women
and two of the crew managed TO cling to
the stonework of the pier and afterward
were rescued.
The steamer Libbie Conger of the Dia-
mond 10 line, with Captain Seaman, his
wife and the crew Of men, was sunk in
the middle of tho river Apart from the
number of lives lost here and on the east
side Of the river the number drowned in
the Mississippi will aggregate hundreds.
Excursion steamers lying at the levee and
those running up. and down the river were
sunk almost Immediately, those on board
having absolutely no opportunity to escape.
The city bears the appearance of having
been shelled by an enemy. In some places
structures have been entirely destroyed,
while in others high, jagged walls stand,
a constant menace to passersby.
Many people are still imprisoned in the
destroyed buildings who cannot be ro-
leased, although thousands Of citizens
have offered their aid to the police depart
ment TO help the work OF rescue Every
hospital in the city is filed with victims,
and there IS a lack Of nurses, physicians
and medicines.
At the morgue, which stands at the cor
ner Of Twelfth and Poplar streets, bodies
are being brought in every minute
A. w. Becker of the big firm Of j. p.
Becker & Co. of East st. Louis was
among the first persons to cross the Eads
bridge after the storm. His family was
in st. Louis, and in his eagerness to get
to them he climbed over the debris of tho
bridge on bis hands and knees, over
wrecked cars, dead horses and a mass OF
other debris. He informed a reporter that
the condition of East St Louis is almost
beyond description. The town Is a wreck
for blocks around. and the loss Of life in
that region alone is estimated at from 200
to $50.
vandaiia Freighthouse Demolished.
The Vandalia freigbthouse near the
east end of the Eads bridge was complete
ly demolished number of persons hav.
ing gone down in the ruins. When Mr..
Becker left the scene, men were engaged
digging out the dead and dying and sew
eral bodies had already been removed.
Members grocery store and a whole row
Of brick buildings adjoining il were razed
to the ground. but no person was injured
Another building was that of tho East
St Louis Journal Mr. Becker says that
his store was badly wrecked, the whole
middle portion Of it being blown out
About $40, 600 worth OF clothing was scat.
tered ever portions Of East St Louis.
The city hall, which had just been repair
ed. was completely wrecked. Court was
in session when the storm came, but
everybody got out in safety.
The storm was circular. The day had
been very hot with clouds in the west and
no wind About 4 clock the mnssing Of
the elo1ds one upon the other Oh the west