New-York tribune., 1896-06-05
SCENES DURING THE TORNADO.
ST. LOUIS BUSINESS MAN GRAPHICALLY pD-
scR1BEs THE RECENT STORM.

A ST. LOUIS BlslNESo 'if,' '''''-
scR1BEs THE RECENT STORM.
Edward VI. Rhoades. a ST Louis business man.
gives an interesting account of the scenes during
and after the tornado there May q he says
.I had been watching the coming OF the storm
over IN the east for fully four hours before
struck the city. and from previous experience .
knew Il going &c be bad one II was aoous
n m when II struck the downtown distrlc' anu
II became 50 dark that for a time you could not see
across the street. and then It began to get hghter
The way things went flying around the streets was
q caution As looked Of our store window
saw a horse and heavy single business wagon
picked I'D by the wind and carried across the street
and turned over. The first storm lasted uht aoou'
$50. and then I started for my home There were
thousands Of others. too who started Tor tner
homes and only one line OF cars-the Olive-st'
cah,e-was running From 81. Charles-st. 10 Olive
Ct which Is Just two blocks. things were In BAD
shape especially the east side OF the street.
Great plategiaes windows had been shattered, ana
great signs and electric light wires were lying
around loose and tangled up but the electric power
had been shut of. there was no danger In an
other place there was large double truck. loaded
with heavy boxes, that had been picked up ana
turned upside down in front OF store
II had not gone far when the second storm oroks'
and " was terrific The rain came down III shee's'
and the wind blew trees, shutters, roofs OF puiio-
,ngs and wires in every direction. The further
,o.as had been tumb,ed over. and the water IN the
streets was from six inches TO foot in depth "nen
I reached my home thankful that my family
were safe and my house standing. Blu, the flood OF
water had damaged the furniture. Words cannot
describe the scenes in East St Louis. The Island
part so-callei had disappeared. and there was only
one house standing where there had been couple
OF scores the previous day. The great smokestacks
OF the warehouses were picked up and carried hun.
dreds OF feet away; windows in large warehouses
had been smashed IN tin roofs were pulled up ana
rolled up like paper roofs of buildings were lifted
I'D and carried off, steamboats, were carried before
the hurricane, some sunk and others nearly de-
stroyed After sweeping across the river, the wind
took southery course and went down along the
levee and took in width OF about three books.
sweeping buildings before IL and knocking down
about a half-mi,e south. and then took westerly
course for about four miles and then took jump
and travelled north Fronts OF houses were blown
out roofs carried off and Others were crushed
TO the ground Lafayette Park itself was stripped
bare and not a tree was left standing. All the way
10 Jefferson-ave.. which Is $500 feet west. was
ruined There three or four churches there.
but IL Is hard matter TO find them now. One
church in particular. the Calvary Episcopal, had its
roof taken OF and set down sQuarey on top Of Q
house next door. -
II saw large block OF granite, weighing 1900
pounds 1hich carried from a fatcar on the
track al }ut seven feet and dropped across the
track otI,os!te A friend OF mine was with
horse and buggy and the whole affair was capsized
by the wind Another friend had been 10 the bank
and drawn 500 in bills. The wind struck his house.
and he grabbed two OF his children. while his wife
took the other and the money and started for .
protect her child. and the money was blown TO the
Four winds"