The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-05-29
I'HEST LOUIS TORNADO
The Loss OF Life and Prop
erty Is Enormous.
FIVE HUNDRED KILLED.
The Injured VIII Probably Reach
Close 10 Two Thousand.
FIVE HUNDRED KILLED.
MILLIONS OF PROPERTY RUINED.

nuilding AMER nulldlng Wrecked and
Piled Into the streets, In some
Places Ten Feet Deep-Part of the
City Hospital Demolished aud In
mates Killed AMI Injured Wall Of the
Pour Courts Jail Wrecked aud some
Prisoners Hurt Telegraph, Telephone
aud Electric wires Pulled From Their
Poles Many Miraculous Escapes.
ST. LoCIs. May 2S.-Whon the sun
rose ON So. Louis and vicinity this morn.
ing 10 showed a scene Of terrible ruin
and disaster. Wind rain and fire had
combined in a mission Of destruction.
Two hundred lives were lost In this city
and a. many more were killed in East
~ Louis while thousands were injured,
many Of them 10 severely that they can
not recover The exact number viii
not be- known Tor many days aud per.
haps never. for the debris Of ruined
buildings all over the city covers hun.
drcds Of human beings.
The damage and destruction Of prop
erty will aggregate many millions Of
dollars, but the exact amount cannot
even now be estimated with any degree
Of certainty.
The terrible tornado that caused this
destruction struck the city yesterday
afternoon at 5;lj O'Clock and all parts
Of this city and East 81. Louis felt IL
effects. The greatest damage ON this
side Of the nver was inflicted within d
Smile strip along the mighty stream
Many buildings totally collapsed from
the force of the wind. Others were un
rooted, while very few in the city cs
capped some injury. Signs and cornioe
were torn or. shadetrcos and every
thing else suffered from the strength o.
the wind.
Hours Of depressing sultriness, puff
Of wind coming by turns from all point
Of the compass, the piling up Of hoavy
clouds around the horizon, the flying
hiihor and thither Of light mistlikl
formations across the dull, darkcolorc,
clouds-thcse were characteristics Of al
afternoon which brought 20 81. Louii
the most disastrous storm In the city
history For hourS the currents shifteS
and the wind blew. The fury Of thl
elements was born within the city
limits. In the west thunder developed
The early mutterings indicated no,hinl
more alarming than downpour Of rain
with the ordinary electrical accom-
panimcnts. This raincloud came NJ
slowly at first; from the west, boyon,
Forest park. As the black rim mounte,
higher above the horizon H. arc en-
bncod moro territory to the north an,
south.
A strong wind from the east began b
blow right in the face Of the storm.
was a lower current. Il raised the rain
cloud and brought Il forward faster an
faster. suddenly the wind stoppc
blowing from the east and there swep
from the northwos, a terrific gale tina
made the best built structures trombl,
With the hurricane-for that was th
flrst form the storm took when Il brok
over the western part Of the oity-cam
a dclugo Of rain.
For half an hour. from few minut,
before . O'Clock until near 5 30 this hun
ricanc blew from the northwest. The
there came alull. The currents shifte,
In the southwest there came into exis
onco stormcloud with the ossenti.
features Of the tornado-tho funne
shape This second storm burst upo
the city from the southwest side Of l..
i fayette park, struck the city hospita
, and from there tore It's way through u
city to the river by a northcasterl
counse. Il wrought such havoc as wi
long leave traces in that part Of the eli
which lies east Of Seventh street an
north Of Ccrc strcetto the Eads bridg
The boats at the wharf were torn fro
their moorings and capsized or SCI
adrift
h Tho cloud crussod the river and a
h molished the upper work at the ca
end Of the bridge and then Il wreakl
its fury ON East St. Louis. shortly a
Ter 6 o'clock. with the sun more thl
an hour above the western horizon the
settled upon the ciy clouds ~ den
that daylight quickly gave place 20 q
darkness Of midnight, That was q
precursor OF the tornado from the sout
west. Tho hurricane from the mort
west gave the western pNt Of the ci
it's severe shaking W Tho torna