Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-29
COUNTING THEC0S
Damage at St. LoHis May Reach
Fifty Millions.
ESTIMATES BY BUSINESS AGENCIES
Outside Aid is Not Needed by the
Citizens.
REPORTS FROM THE SMALLER TOWNS
Distressing Scenes at the Hos
pitfalls.
REPORTS FROM THE SMALLER TOWNS
YMPATHY IN LONDO n

ST. LOUIS, May 2o.-Desola.ion still
reigns supreme in the tornado-strickcn d-s-
tricts of East st. Louis and this city.
The day opened up clear and cool, and
everywhere could be seen gangs of men
deving in the ruins for the buried victims,
clearing the streets of dsmanted poles,
wires and general debris, repairing the
damage done to thousands Of buildings, and
relieving the Injured and homeless. AS
time goes on Il becomes more and more
evident that the tornado is the worst that
ever visited this or any other city on the
North American continent.
Horrors multiply every hour, and the list
of dead is appalling. More than 130 dead
bodies have been rescued in St. Louis, and
over 400 persons are known 20 have been
injured.
Mangled corpses are found in innumer-
able places along the path Of the storm,
ana are being taken to the improvised
morgues in the different paris of the de-
vastatei district. 1t will be weeks before
a complete list of those killed can be made,
but the list of dead is climbing to the 200
mark.
Only guesses can be made as 20 the prop
erty loss on both sides of the river but
mercantile agencies say that II may reach
s50,oOo,Oo0 in this city alone, while in East
st. Louis is will be several millions.
In East st. Louis the disaster was COM
pete, the western section of that railway
town being one vast charnel house. Only a
single dwelling was left standing on what
is called the island" and six hundred fam
lies are homeless. The citizens estimated
the dead at fully 200 the east side.
In the wake of the tornado came grave
to nna pf bay iS ha
lection of the city in the absence of the
electric lights. The first Missouri regi-
ment has gone on duty for patrol service,
and the police commissioners Will add l5o
men to the force.
Beside this one, all previous calamitles of
the kind seem trivial.
Manfully the business men of St Louis
have taken up the work of relief. An ear
nest meeting on change yesterday was the
beginning. There are thousands who can
pull themselves out of this trouble. There
are other thousands who lost all, and who
must be helped.
A partial resumption of the street car
service has been effected The east and
west roads north of Market street are in
operation, and also the Broadwly and the
Grand avenue Of the north and south lines
The southern division of the Scull!n system
is the most badly crippled, owing 10 the
destruction of the power house, and the Of
ficers venture no prediction as to when cars
will he running.
A partial restoration of the electric Light
service Is promised in forty-eight hours
but it will be a couple Of weeks before the
circuits are in order. The destruction of
poles and wires along the path of the storm
was complete.
Inquests on the bodies of forty-two of the
slain in ST. Louis have been held by Coro-
ner Waite, and that duty continues. YER
dict Of "shock and injuries, accidental"
was rendered in each case
200 Estimated Killed at East st. Louis
East st. Louis has issued touching ap-
peal for aid, and the committee which pre-
pared the manifesto estimates that 200 per-
sons were killed, and that the number of
injured will foot up in the thousands
1t is known that number Of persons are
still buried in the debris on the southwest
ern end of the island, and in the ruins of
Hallesey Hotel, the Martell House and Re
lay Retreat and the Durant Hotel.
However, some conservative persons
sert that the list will not reach the esti-
mated total of 300 though enough persons
now missing to create fear that the
fatalities will approach that number. Many
of those who have not been seen by their
be stopping with friends or detained from
returning to their homes by injuries that
may not prove fatal Street car traffic
telephone service and electric lighting facili-
ties are entirely suspended. Men stand
mute and aghast at the havoc that was
wrought All business is virtually suspend
ed. Every one agrees that months will fail
to reveal the extent of the tornado's devas-
tation in the Illinois town.
From the surrounding country thousands
of men, women and children fiocked into
the city to view the scenes of ruin and
DEATH
Damage to School Buildings.
The officials of the board of education
busily figuring out the enormous loss
which the schools suffered. All the South
End schools between Choteau avenue and
Arsenal street were badly damaged. Some
had roofs blown away and walls caved in,
and others got off with ruined windows and
chimneys. The schools which suffered most
are the Clinton, Clinton branch, Peabody,
Charles Hodgen, Pestalozzi, Grant, New
Shepherd. L'Overture, Lafayette, Long
fellow, Froebel and Madison. The Comp
ton. Marquette, Choteau and Garfield also
suffered. The school board cannot repair
the damage for less than $4,000, and per-
haps a larger sum will be needed
Several of the schools will not be opened
again until September.
ST. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, 9th
and Biddle streets was damaged even more
than was first reported. The spire was en-
tirely destroyed. and a two-story brick
building on the corner of 9th and Bddle.
The organ loft of the church is a wreck
and the organ covered with bricks and de-
bris.
Despite this gloomy state of affairs serv-
ices will be held as usual Sunday morning
At the Hospitals.
The Emergency Hospital at the old Good
Shepherd Convent on 18th and Pine streets
Is running along in good shape, considering
that 1t was only Instituted in the present
capacity Thursday morning. Some of the
doctors took their first rest after midnight
but they were all up and busy by O'Clock
this morning. There are nearly 300 sick in
the Emergency Hospital transferred from
the City Hospital after 1t was demolished.