The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-29
rmE STORY OF THE sronM.
lts Diaboiical Cruelty and Insane
Hatred OF Big buildings.

Hatred OF bix butiolnGs.
st. Louis, May z.-when the sun roso on
ST. Louis and vicinity this morning IL
showed a scene OF terrible ruin and disss-
ter. Wind. rain and nre had combined IN
a mission OF destruction. Two hundred
lives we're lost in this city nnd nearly -
many more in East 81. Louis. while thou-
sands were injured, many 40 severely that
they cannot recover. The exact number
will not be known for many days. perhaps
never. for the debris Of ruined buildings
all over the city covers scores of human
bodies The damage and destruction Of
property VIII aggregate many millions.
The terrible tornado that caused this de-
e,ruction struck the city yesterday after
noon - Sis o'clock. and all paets OF tho
city and East st. Louis felt It's effects.
The greatest damage on this side Of tbs
river WAS inflicted within q three-mIie "trip
along the Mighty stream. Many buildings
totally collapsed. others were unroofed.
while very few in the city escaped injury.
Hours OF sultfiness. puffs OF wind coming
by turns from all points OF the compass.
the iying hither and thithsr OF light. mist.
tiks formations across n duh. derk-colored
mass Of cioud-these were the characferis-
tics OF the afternoon which brought TO 81.
Louis the most disastrous storm In It's his-
tory. For hours the air currents shifted.
the wind blew hot and cold. and the storm
center developed. The fury OF the elements
was born within shs city limits In the
west thunderstorm developed. Early
mutterinss indicated nothing more than
downponr wt.h the ordinary electrical ao-
compartment. cloud came up slowly at
first from tho west. beyond Forest Park.
As Its black rim mounted higher above tho
hnrizoa rs arc embraced more territory
70 the north and south A strong wind
from the east began TO blow right 10 the
face OF the storm. II was a lower current.
Suddenly the wind stopped blowing from
= = a MT fr1y y
west a terrific gale which made the best
built structures trfube. With the hurfi-
cane. for that was the FIRST Form the storm
took whes II broke over the western part
OF the city. came = deIuge. From . few
minutes before 8 until $50 this hurricane
blew from the northwest Then there
came iuli. The currents shifted. Ia the
southwest there camo into existence \
storm cloud with the essential feature OF
a tornado. the funnel shape
THIS second storm burst upon the city
from The southwest II came In on South
Lafayette Park. struck the city hospital.
and from thAre tore its way through the
city to the river by q northerfy cour~.
II wrought havoc that VIII long feays
traces IN that part os the city which fixs
east Of Seventh and north OF cerre street
TO the bridge. Boats we're torn from their
moorings and capslzed or sent sarift. The
storm crossed the river. aspoitss,asi ths
upper work nj the east end ~ the bridge
then wreakei its fury on East 81. I.ot,,r'
Shortly after 9 o'clock there settled unn-
the city clouds 80 dense that the daytlrht
quickly gave place to tire darkassx Of MID
night That was the prrcurro. Of flse tor
nado fran the southwest The hurricane
from the northwest gave fhs western rn,
ton os the city a severe shaking u, Tn.
tornado from the south west. which IA ,s-
spensibls for the iora Of Iife and destr,1e-
ton along the ievee district ard Ea~t 81.
I<o1iss. followed the hurricane BY talf an
hour
Ia the district between s:xth street ana
the river north from fshoteau avenue. tts
tornado tore a path. every building sus-
tssnsHz damage. SHlokesrasks and chiun-
nsSs were topri.e over walls isgef~d.
Thousands Of windows smashed miles cf
telegraph and telephone wires ssff IN a
network On the sroand. Through thgs
district the streets acre ffnpassafls coy-
erred - pisces with DEBRIS ten feet ,T~.e
sach a night OF horror In ST. Louis was
never ksown before. The hurricane rarrs
when ths business center cS the city tsl
begnn 10 Esza the workers 70 Their homes.
II he ssrvfcs Of almost all The street rail-
ways xss s1fdensy saspsnde~i When
night came. zoon after the pfezra.t-s
darfening brought by abe tornado, no esec-
frte lamps btazed NJ, aud many thousands
OF nen ard women soilsf borr@ward
through the 6renebinz rain.
EEriy n the Storm the plant os the
i1aeiefie Gas Company. AZ Fourteenth ami
Poplar streets. was destroyed and a large
portion 81 the central part OF the city
was cut on from its gas ssrspiy This af-
Sected the nesxpaSer Offices severely. Il