The Anaconda standard., 1896-05-29
STORY OF The STORM.
DESTRUCTION AND DEATH CAUSED BY THE TERRIBLE TOR
NADO IN ST. LOUIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT

river at sucn an angle as to strike and
wreck the upper works at the east end
OF the Eads bridge, and to sweep part
of East ST. Louis. Perhaps the most
impressive evidence of the storm clouds
force is seen in the wreck of the east
ern end of the Eads bridge. There the
tornado dealt with stone and masonry
Beginning with the big eastern pier and
extending to the foot of the incline,
the cloud cut off the upper part of the
structure as IL 1t had been a fiimsy
trestle instead of a structure of world
famed masonry.
Fire added much to the loss account
The alarm system was paralyzed. Ap-
proaches were blockaded. Fire added at
least $5O0,000 to the losses by storm
Such night of horror in st. Louis was
never known before The hurricane
came when the business center of the
city had begun to send workers to their
homes. The service of almost all the
street railways was suddenly suspend
ed. When night came, soon after the
premature darkening brought on by the
tornado, no electric lamp blazed up.
Many thousands of men and women
toiled homeward trough the drenching
rain.
In st. Louis the destroyer seemed to
have course that lay chiefly between
the railroad track and Lafayette ave-
nue., though Ii swept the entire city
cutting a wide swath wherever IT. old
any damage. The complete suspension
of telephone communication and street
car traffic multiplied the inconven.-
ences and obstacles that beset the po-
lice department and added 10 the gen.
eral discomfort. There were few
means of summoning ambulances for
the removal Of dead or injured and
these were carried to various places
in wagons or on litters. The city dis
pensary was over crowded. The demo-
lition of the city hospital prevented
the use of that institution AMI num-
dreds of persons hastened there to AID
the unfortunate patients. 1t was at
first intended to utilize the armoly or
exposition building for the injured, hut
the old House Of the Cool Shepherd
was pressed into use.
The wharf was the scene of the worst
devastation this side of the river. Ee-
fore the storm steamboats,, WHARF poats
and barges were moored FIR )al fiddle
street to Choteau avenue. These were
swept from their fastenings almost in
a solid phalanx and cast adrifc. Some
were overturned and SUNK, others blown
across and crushed against the ether
side. The Anchor line wharf boat ard
excursion boats were the only craft
left between the bridge and Spruce
street. Both were shovei upon the
bank, indicating the storm had a ro-
tary motion, as all other crafts wei G
blown in the other dire ction. Some
were seen floating when the bruLt of
the storm had passed, but i'm nearly all
the upper works were torn away.
Passengers on boats rellIeJ many
acts Of heroism performed by the rC US
tabouts. On the Libbie Conger which
was ground to pieces on the illinois
shore, was Captain Seaman, y lie and
child, a boy aged 5. When the srtIm
appeared, a negro took the child in his
arms and plunged over BOARD bsarirg
the captains boy hafsly through the
boiling water to the Illinois shore. Cap
tain Seaman rescued his wife.
This morning John Mcdowell, a
roustabout on the tug Alliance which
is performing great work among the
boats which line the Illinois bank for
miles down the river, returned TO the
city burdened with messages To loving
ones from fathers and brothers, telling
of their safety. He reported the Madall
blown to pieces and the crew swan
ashore. He thought every man es-
capped. He reported the ferries at the
foot of Anna street and at East Caron-
dolet had been blown to pieces and
sunk with crews and passengers. This
could not be verified.
Capt Pat Carmoody's presence of
mind prevented a panic at the fair
grounds. When the crowd appealed
for protection from the tornado Pat
eorralled the frightened people under
the stand and forced them to remain
there. He held a mob of about 100 in
check and 1t was lucky for them he did
so. Everybody was trying to get out
and wanted to make a break for the
south side stand. While Carmoody
was holding them back the roof of the
stand was blown off and the debris fell
just where the people wanted to go.
Carmoodys good judgment saved
many lives Part of the roof landed
on the Natural Bridge road and sew,
eral bodies were buried beneath the
debris.
While the storm was a. its highest a
passenger train on the Chicago & ~
ton railway pulled on the bridge from
the Missouri side on its way east. En-
gineer Scott procae led only a short
distance when he realized the awful
danger. The wind strucH the coach es,
causing them to caresn. Tho train was
about half way across. Overhead poles
were swapping and tumoling into the
river, while large stones were shifting
loose from the foundations and plung-
ing into the water. Realizing that any
moment his train might be blown irto
the water or else the bridge be blown
away. Scott put on a full head of
steam in an effort to make the cast
side shore. The train had scarcely
proceeded 200 feet and was about the
same distance from the shore when the
upper span of the bridge was blown
away. Tons of huge granite blocks
tumbled 10 the tracks where the train
loaded with passengers had been but
a moment before. About the same
instant the wind struck the train. up
setting all the cars like playthings.
Luckily no one was killed. but several
were taken out severely injured. The
wrecked part of the bridge Is just east
OF the big tower. near the Illinois
shore and extends east about 300 feet.
The entire upper portion. traversed by
street cars and carriages. is carried
away. while the tracks beneath are
buried in debris. in some places eight
feet deep.
At the burning St. Louis refrigerator
and gutted warehouse several injured