The San Francisco call., 1896-05-29

settlers of st. Louis. This arIstocratic
home-piace is strewn with debris. Just east
lies Lafayette Park. There the trees, shrub
berry. fountains and statuary that have
been the pride of the city were caught by
the wind and the place is shaven bare as
with giant scythe.
Farther east and south to the city limits
were the homes of the thrifty German
Americans, who have given distinct
character to the district. Tonight thou
sands of men are homeless, many of them
tramping IKE nomads among the ruins or
sharing the roofs of their hospitable and
more fortunate neighbors. Interspersed
IN this latter section and on east to the
river are mills, breweries and numberless
manufacturing concerns. These were fair
targets for the storm, and they suffered.
1t was this class Of losses that added
most to the wiping out of what is con-
seryatively stated to be $4,000, 900 in
vested capital. There are sixteen brewer
les within these bounds worth four mil
lions, and while none are destroyed, all are
damaged. The losses fall heaviest on those
least able to bear them-business men of
small capital and owners of humble homes.
After the storm had laid its heavy hand
upon the southern half of the city, fire
came to complete the work of destruction.
Five columns of flame snot up, but, thanks
to the deluge of ram, the blaze was con-
fined to the starting points. In three in
stances the engines were unable to get
nearer than a block of the fires.
Unsolicited and without prompting, the
work of relief began here at once by the
whole people. A meeting of citizens was
held at noon at the Merchants Exchange.
After brief addresses by Rev. Dr.. ". w.
Boyd and Mayor Walbridge, contributions
were asked for. Within forty minutes, or
as fast as the sums given could be ac-
Khowledged, SD 900 was in the secre tary's
hands. Contributions continued after ad-
journment.
1t is not proposed to go outside the city
for aid, though no offering will be refused.
President G. II. Spencer of the Merchants
Exchange was made chairman of the COM
mittee of distribution, and set to work at
once to place the relief money.
The storm was most destructive in force
when it crossed Seventh street going east.
The eddying currents of wind returned
again and again to make that street a
wilderness. At least forty people we're
streets Immediately adjacent. House after
house was totally demolished, and the
wonder grows with extended investigation
that the mum Der of deaths is not far in ex-
cess of what it now appears to he.
Daly's saloon at 6O4 South Seventh
street was a total wreck. When it fell it
was full of men VINO had taken refuge
there, and from fifteen to twenty were
killed. Many of them are of character
who have few friends and would not be
missed. One poor fellow has been taken
out dead, and ten others seriously in
jured.
1t is thought that others are still in the
brick-choked basement, and a gang of men
are busy digging into the debris.
The force of the wind was so frightful
along here that the iron trolley-supportin
poles of the Southwestern electric line are
bent over the ground. They did not
break, but bent like copper wire.
OF course all the telegraph poles are
down, and many of them snapped in twain
with the topheavy heads hanging over
the street, held aloft by the wires which
still cling to them.
> At the Vermont Marble Works, at 1125
South Seventh street, the wreck was COM
plete. 1t was here that Harry Hess,
driver for the concern. was killed. He
was buried beneath tons of the great blocks
OF stone which were hurled about by the
wind.
The saddest place of this frightfully des-
olated street was on the southeast corner
of Rutger street. Here had stood the
three-story brick saloon and boarding
house of Fred MocSenheimer. 1t was oc-
cupied by twenty families, the full num-
Der of souls reaching at least calculation
eighty.
When the storm struck it it went up like
dry puff ball, burying dozens. No one
knows how many dead its ruined brick
and mortar conceal. Eleven persons have