Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-06-08
SITUATION IN ST. LOUIS.
Relief Work Proceeding So Slowly
as to Awaken Indignation
Among Citizens.

st. Louis, Mo-, June A movement
has been inaugurated to raise fund of
S250,000 or more to aid those who lost
their homes in last weeks tornado in
their efforts to rebuild. Building Com
missioner Randall predicts that within
the next two or three months the only
outward sign Of Wednesdays tornado
in the devastated districts will be fine
substantial new buildings standing III
fine contrast to the old and dingy ones
that were RACED.
Although it is week since the disas-
ter, it was not noticed until yesterday
that all the houseboats had disappeared.
Between the chain of rocks and Choteau
avenue last Wednesday morning there
were sixty-four of these boats. Not one
was left by the storm. But few of
them were safe. even in calm weather,
and three-fourths of them were totally
destroyed. An old river man said: mot
one of these households is left. | have
been patroling the river now five days
since the tornado and | am sure that
over 800 of these people, including Wom-
en- and children, are lost
The total death list is still incomplete,
but the victims in st. Louis proper and
Fast st. Louis will number over $50.
Topping walls in many portions of the
storm district still threaten lives of all
who come within their shadows, but as
vet no attempt has been made to guard
against fatalities and no ropes have been
strung around the death traps, and thus
far no city laborers have been discov-
cred searching for the bodies OF those
who persisted in many of the ruins. 1t
is thought that there are corpses be-
meath the Seventh and Rutger pile of
wreckage, under the Refrigerator and
Wooden Gutter company's establish
ment. 1900 South Second and the city
hosoital ruin, Fifteenth and Lafayette
streets
A fieldglass would fail to discover any
trace of city relief crews. The police
saw the fire department should do the
work. Chief Swinfley Of the fire de-
partment says it is plainly the street
departments duty. The street depart
ment officials say all their men are work
ing cleaning up the streets. Meanwhile
life is in danger, the dead are under the
ruins, the poor are crying for relief and
the city officials are supine.
Cuspidors and chairs were overturned,
threats and bad language filled the as
sembly room of the House Of Delegates
at the meeting i'll the city hall yesterday
afternoon. The row was precipitated by
an improvisation of 100000 of the pub
lie funds for the tornado sufferers. The
minority wanted action deferred until
an accurate estimate of the loss could
be made by the skilled experts now at
work in the ruined district. The MAJ
iority was determined, however, to ''rail-
road the measure through the House,
and its opponents made a break for the
doors. Speaker Kelley ordered the ser
geant-at-arms to lock the doors and not
to let anyone out until a vote was had.
The crowd on the outside tried to break
down the doors. and all sorts of disorder
prevailed. After quiet was restored a
vote was taken, and the bill passed by a
decided majority.
Work on the Republican convention
hall is proceeding rapidly and it will be
all in readiness for the convention on
June 16.