Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-06-04
Saint Maru's Beacon
AWFUL CALAMITY !
City of st. Louis Partly Wrecked
BY . Tornado.


recent years overwhelmed the city Of
st. Louis Wednesday, May, 27th.
ultimo, in the shape Of cyclone,
which began shortly after 5 o'clock
and for thirty minutes tore it's awful
way through the city with o velocity
Of over eighty miles On hour.
Although reports from the strick-
en- city are very meagre. owing TO
the almost total destruction Of the
telegraph wires, il seems certain
that the number Of dead will amount
to fully one thousand, and the dam
age done to property to millions Of
dollars.
The City Hospital, which FORTH
nateIy survived the storm, is filed
to overlooking with mangled men,
women and children, and the
morgue, within two hours after the
end Of the storm, sas 80 fill 81
-s4e tAs vnscasssry e no
vide other quastersfor the reception
Of the dead.
Ia addition to those sho were
killed in their houses and in the
street, hundreds Of dead are beneath
the waters Of the Mississippi river.
OF all the steamers on the levee
when the storm broke out but one
is now aAoat. All the others have
gone down. In many instances,
every soul on board was lost, and
in Others not over two or three were
able to reach place Of safety.
Among the boats destroyed is the
excursion steamer Great Republic,
one Of the largest steamers on the
lower river. Not q man escaped
from her, and IL 10 said she was
crowded with excuysionists when
the BtOrm caue.
The centre Of the city is wreck.
Many buildings have been demol-
ished and others partially wrecked.
The streets are utterly impossible
to street cars and in many places
progress on foot 10 matter Of great
difficulty. To add to the horrors of
the night, thu electric light plants
we're rendered incapable Of service
and the gas lamps are also shut oil,
leaving the city in total darkness.
Fire also broke out in several
portions of the city, and the fire
department were unable 10 make
an effective fight because Of the
choked-up condition Of the streets
and the large number of firemen
who were engaged in the imperative
work of rescuing the dead and
wounded.
The reports regarding the dura-
ton Of the storm are conflicting.
About 8 o'clock the operator on the
Wabash Road at small station not
far from East st. Louis managed
to get the operator ut Decatur, Ell.,
long enough to send him word that
the roundhouse Of the Wabash Road
was blown down and that the
freight-house. Of the Vandalia was
wrecked and thirty-five men were
killed in the ruins. After he had
told this much the wire failed him.
Shortly after 5 o'clock the Wa
bash operator at Decatur reported
to main dispatcher's Office ut For
rest, Ills, that tornado had just
passed through the country to the
south Of Decatur and it was report
ed to have done great damage. In
q few minutes he sent word that Q
second storm had passed through
the country almost exactly in the
track of the first and that he was
unable to get any more information
regarding it, but that 1t was thought
to have done great damage in the
country lying east Of East st.
Louis.
The operator on the Alton Road
was unable to get any information
from their men in the neighberhooi
Of Sc Louis. but reported that just
before oil their connections with
that city were broken of they had
received word that there had been
o severe cyclone ut Rush Hill, Me-,
which is q small town on the Alton
Road not far from Mexico, Mis-.
souri,.
The dispatcher's Office of the Ills,
Central was unable all night to get
any information from any point
on their line south of Centralia.
It was reported to them, however,
that tornado had swept through
oil the country south of that point.