River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-06-04

Sexton was torn to kindling wood. Passing
on outside the city every suburban garden
orchard and field is RACED of its growth
In all this desolation death ran riot. High
above the storm were heard the cries OF
| suffering and the shrieks of people strug-
| Cling helplessly against the storms fury
| The POINTS of greatest disaster. the water
front and the vicinity of the relay depot
have not yet given up all their dead
Scarcely a single person in the storm S
highway escaped some injury
Disasters on the River.
The track of the storm across the river
was practically the same as that OF the
great storm of August 4, 1873. The trend OF
the main volume of wind was from south
west to northeast, leaving the Missouri
shore at the center of the southern half OF
this city and striking the Illinois shore In
q path whose uortheru edge was the Eads
bridge and exteuding south threc-fourths
of a mile. Within this path were moored
Is steamers large and small The storm
fell so suddenly that none of the vessels
were prepared. In all ten large passenger
steamers, five ferryboats. two transfer
boats, two tugboats and half a dozen small
pleasure barges were driven to the opposite
shore or sunk outright
The steamer j. ]. Odfl was ioosened from
its moorings and blown against the second
pier of the Eads bridge. where II sank
Just before the boat struck her boilers
blew up. Nine of her crew of twelve are
reported as missing Those of the crew
who reached land I'm safety are Jack Nor
rissey. Pat Milan and man ramed Moore.
About the same time the Odil struck the
pier the towbostt Dolphin No was blown
from her wharfboat at the foot of Morgan
street. dashiEg her up against the first
pier. She struck the pier with force that
crushed In her starboard side. She drifted
down the river for about three blocks and
then sank, only leaving her brow above
the water.
There were II persons. three of them
women. all of whom had jumped from
either the steamer Pttsburg or the LIbbie
Conger. who managed to catch driftwood.
which carried them down the river to the
Pittsburg dyke. where they were caught
In an eddy and sunk to the bottom.
The Bald Eagle was blown down the river
for considerable distance. when the boat
was capsized and went to the bottom.
About 20 persons were on board, but moth
ing has been seen or heard of them.
A great many lives were lost by the sink
ing of baTges and 81 aller crafts. In most
every case there was at least ten men on
beard each OF them, and In many cases
several of them are still missing.
The Baton Rouge Belle. a tugboat, was
forced from its hawser out into the middle
of the river. When II reached there Il be-
gan to roll over and over down the river
till II reached the foot of Chouteau avenue.
where II was forced against the wharf of
the Virgins Ferry company by the wind,
and sunk In ten feet of water.
The City of Monroe was dashed against
the shore. but did not go down. Capt.
Ziegler exhorted his passengers and crew
to not jump overheard. His last words
were: There is no danger" He was blown
into the river and drowned.
The following boats are reported as dam
aged or missing: Pittsburg. City of Vicks-
burg. City of Providence, Belle of Calhoun,
the Madill. the Elm G.. Smith. the Louis
Houck. Dolphin No. q Bald Eagle and the
J. J. Odil.
The Losses.
Three of the principal real estate dealers
In this city state that they have figured
that the actual real estate loss in st. Louis
will not exceed $4,000, 900. The damage to
household property. bric-a-brac. paint