Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-28

and flung yards away. Large posts were
twisted away from the walls. The damage
was done at the big Institution. however,
and was caused by the destruction Of the
tower which stood on the top Of the CEN
trail building. The tower was blown down
and crashed entirely through The building
down into the basement. There We're eight
columns supporting the roof, and the fall
ing of these carried the floors of the build
ing beneath 1t. There were eight inmates
of the poor house who received numerous
wounds from flying glass and bricks, but 1t
was not thought that their injuries in
any way dangerous Several of the at
PENDANTS were cut slightly by splinters of
glass.
The dead house was completely demolish-
ed by the furious wind. The building.
which was a weak one, was entirely OBJ
liberated, and two dead bodies swept away
with the wind. Incredible as it sounds.
with 1000 patients i'll the building, 100
of whom are insane. not life was lost at
the poor house during the storm. The in
sane patients in their ward gave the at
tendants great deal of trouble during the
spell of the fierce wind. They could not
be controlled, and filled the building with
their shriekS and cries.
were induced to quiet down. The new
building for the male insane patients.
which is the most westerly of the build
inCs out there, was not damaged in the
least by the storm. The engine room in
the other buildings was wrecked. and suf-
fered the loss of it's smokestacks, which
were blown away. The east room was
somewhat damaged. The damage to the
buildings is estimated at $15oGOD.
The female hospital escaped with but
little damage the roof of the west wing
being torn, with numerous small holes
in the building. There was not a single
accident reported.
4 large quantity of wreckage was seen
from Jefferson barracks floating down the
Mississippi. y procession OF wrecks seemed
to be borne along. sometimes singly, some
times in tangled mass.
one large steamer with black smoke
stacks, with only her bow and pilot house
above the water, was seen going down
stream at about G2O. There was no sign
of life upon her.
There We're rumors that the excursion
steamer Grand Republic. belonging to the
Columbian Excursion Company. had gone
to the bottom with five hundred excursion
lists An officer Of the company denied this
today. She left ST. Louis at noon to go to
Alton, where she engaged for an eX-
cursion at o'clock last night. The storm
might nave DlC"n the boat away, Dut IN
that case only the crew would have been
imperlled, and these men could have SWAN
to safety.
The wires in the city are dangling from
the poles, but every electric light circuit Is
shut OFF.
The Postal Telegraph Company were the
first to secure communication with the
outer world, and now have seven wires
working to Chicago.
Grand Republic Safe.
Many inquiries were made last night
about the steamer Grand Republic, as
nothing could be found of it about the
river. The GraEd Republic. 1t is now
known, Is safe, having gone to Alton yes
terday morning to run an excursion out of
there last night. 1t was not in much of
the storm last night. 1t was not generally
known that she had gone to Alton.
Every street car in st. Louis tied up
by the hurricane. At midnight several Of
the western lines were running, and two
of the cross-toWn roads were operating
part of their lines.
Fire added much to the loss account.
Down wires, wild currents of electricity,
crushed buildings, all contributed to this
element of destruction. The alarm syS-
tenn was paralyzed. Approaches were
blocked and $500 900 conflagration on the
St. Louis side was supplemented by dozen
smaller fires. In East ST. Louis a mill was
burned. and two others sustained consid-
cradle loss. To the enormous total fires
added at least $500. 900.