The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-05-30
AN AWFUL CYCLONE
Sweeps Through ST.
Louis.
Thousands of People Are Killed
and Millions of Dollars in
Property is Destroyed.
i ecial to the DEMOCRAT via Springfield.

Property is Destroyed.
81 erial to the DEMOCRAT via Springfield.
ST. LOUIS. Mo, May 27.-An aw-
full storm overwhelmed the city last
night in the shape of a cyclone
which began shortly after five O'Clock
and for thirty minutes tore an awful
way through the city with velocity
of over eighty miles per hour,
although reports from there are very
meager owing to the almost total
destruction of telegraph wires.
1t seems that the number of dead
and wounded will amount TO fully
one thousand and the damage done
will be millions of dollars. The City
Hospital, which fortunately survived
the storm is filled to overllowing with
mangled men, women and children
and the Morgue within two hours after
the end of the storm was so full of
corpses that it was necessary to pro-
vide other quarters for the reception
of the dead.
In addition TO those who were
XII led in the houses and in the street
hundreds of dead are beneath the
water of the Mississippi river. OF all
the steamers on the levee when the
storm broke but one is now ahoat. all
the others have gone down and in
many instances every soul on board
was lost. and from the other boats
not over two or three being able to
reach places of safety.
Among the boats destroyed is the
Grand Republic, one of the largest
steamers on the lower river Not
man escaped from her. and it is said
she was crowded with excursionists
when the storm came.
The center of the city is Il wreck.
Many buildings have been de-
molished and others partly wrecked.
The streets are utterly impossible
to street cars and in many places
progress on foot is a matter of great
difficulty.
To add to the horror of the night
the electric light plants are rendered |
incapable of service and gas lamps are
shut off. leaving Getty in total dark
ness. Fire also broke ont in several !
portions of the city and the fire de-
partmentS were unable to make an cf- |
fective fight because of the condition
of the streets. and large number of
tiremen are engaged in the work of
rcscuing the dead and wounded.
The only authentic Conformation from
the stricken city tonight was sent out |
by the agent of the Associated Press, |
who managed to reach an outly-
ing telegraph Office and sent a brief
dispatch as follows:
y tornado blowing 50 miles an hour
struck st. Louis at5:15 this evening
and ragged fo., half an hou.with great |
fury.
As result hundreds of lives were |
lost on both sides of the river. Many |
buildings We're blown down and sew
eral river steamers sunk with all on |
board. At present 1t is impossible to |
estimate the number of lives lost. The /
hospitals are full of injured and the
morgue contains many dead. while
numbers OF the slain are everywhere
among the ruins Of the demolished .
buildings. y portion OF the east end .
OF the Eads bridge was destroyed.
The Grand Stand at the Fair grounds
and the women's portion Of the jail !;
we're blown down. The Watcrs-Pierce .
Oil Works are burning and buildings /
in various sections OF the city are on J
fire. Naay Touring mills are &C.
stroyed.
The -. Louis Iron ana Steel works .
are demolished and the immense Cup /.
pie Block Is partially destroyed
Tho dead and injured are being taken
from the ruins.
Ill Ea-, - Louis sha destruction
seems L. haze been -.e greatest.
g.. e. i'--- -, We-tarn Cn.aa
Manage as tae relay aapo. or the
east slide. climbed across The demo.-
i-a.t bridge and .-uort" that the
National boa-. t.e Tr-aont House.
n. Mart.lI House. tine De Wolf Cafe.
Ia. HeHsei Milling co.. IiIlboru'
cooper Shop. and a great many dwell
li41- ea-- Of there as far a. 5th -tr.=t
ar- zone ana maay people aGr killed.
Tue Baltimore & Ohio round
houses. the Standard Oil Works. the
East 81. Louis and Crescent Elevators
and twelve freight houses on ta-i
L-rce are demolished. The steamer
Grand Republic and several more ex-
aursiou steamers, with all On board
are reported sunk in the river, and all
steamers on the Leveehave gone down. /
y rough estimate would place the /
number killed at I.Oo0. both West /