The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-06-03


residence section known as Compton
hill. This aristocratic home place is
strewn with debris.
Farther east and south to the city
limits were the homes of the Ger
man Americans, who have given dis
tinct character to the district. Thou.
sands of them are homeless, many Of
them tenting like nomads amid the,
ruins or sharing the roofs OF their
more fortunate neighbors. Inter-
spersed in this latter section and on,
the east to the river are mills, brew
cries and numberless manufacturing
concerns. These were fair targets for
the storm and they suffered 1t was
this class of losses that added most to
the wiping out of the 100000 in-'
vested capital There are 16 breweries
within these bounds, and while none
ard destroyed all are damaged.
The track of the storm across the
river was practically the same as that
of the storm of August 4, 1878. The
trend of tho main volume of wind was
from southwest to northeast, leaving
the Missouri shore at the southern half
of this city and striking the Illinois
shore in a path whose northern edge
was the Eads bridge and extending.
south three-quarters of mile. Within,
this path were moored 25 steamers,
large and small. None of the vessels
were prepared. In all ten large passen-
ger steamers, five ferryboats, two
transfer boats, two tug boats and half
dozen small pleasure barges were
driven to the opposite shore or sunk
outright. The steamer j. j. Odell was
loosened from it's moorings and blown
against the second pier of the Eads
bridge, where it sank. Just before the
boat struck her boilers blew up. Nine
of her crew of IL, besides three women
passengers and her captain, are miss
ing.
The steamer Bald Eagle was blown
down the river for q considerable dis
tance, when she capsized and went to
the bottom. About 20 persons were on
board, but nothing has been seen or
heard of them. A great many lives
were lost by the sinking of barges and
smaller crafts.
The small police force were power
less .to prevent pillaging and Mayor
Bader called upon Gov. Altgeld for aid.
He responded by sending two COM
panies of militia to the scene The
governor himself arrived late last
night and directed the detailing of the
troops. Prior to his arrival meeting
of citizens was held and it was decided
to issue an appeal to the people of the
: United States for aid.
A hastily convened meeting OF few
leading citizens was held Thursday in
the Merchants Exchange ald fund
of SIS, 900 was raised for the relief ot
the storm sufferers. This was in
creased yesterday to $4,000. Tha'
was before the full extent of The
calamity was known. When the
awful panorama of death and de
struction was fully unrolled the relie
fund was doubled within two hours
and is constantly growing. A relic
committee, with Rev. w. w. Boyd
chairman, has assumed the task of re
ceiving and distributing contribution
to the fund. Notwithstanding no ap
peal for outside assistance has beer
made, the relief committee is deluge,
with substantial gifts of money iron
every quarter, all of them accompanie,
with expressions Of sympathy an
words of good cheer. These are beini
rejected with words of appreciation
and the statement that st. Louis j
amply competent to take care of al
her destitute. ..
Offers from individuals and corpora
tions are pouring in. Such sums a
may be received from abroad will b
properly applied, but st. Louis desire
it well understood that until all he
own resources are exhausted no appea
to the outside world will be made
Many hundreds of the homeless are re
ceiving assistance from the committee
The greatest demand is for food an
clothing, as those who have roofs owe
their heads are sharing their home
. with their less fortunate neighbors.
The Business Mems league has issue
statement to the country to the e
feet that the disaster will in no way il
tcrfere with the arrangements alread
made for the republican convention c
, the housing and entertainment of tn
, delegates. The damage to the struc
ure in which the convention is to b
, held is much less than at first antic
pated and will not exceed $1,000, an
repairs can be completed by the end {
next week.
q Across the river at East St. Louis I'll
! scenes of death and destruction al
4 beyond the power of language to d
scribe.
n Mayor Bader, of East st. Louis, sa.
. that the appeal for help sent OF
g Thursday night has already begun
\ bear generous fruit. The need is vel
c great--more so than in st. LOUIS
I the calamity fell nearly entirely {
the poor. The militia are still on dut
:, in the wrecked city, but will probab
be withdrawn to-day. The depred
! tions committed before the placing
. these guards upon the streets we
r great, but mostly upon the cargoes
a wrecked freight cars and transf
- wagons. The volunteer corps
: nurses, composed of ladies of this cit
= Belleville and Edwardsville, are doiI
noble work. All the physicians ha
= been busy night and day since t
i storm. Comparative quiet has be-
restored and business is resum
,, wherever possible.
> Leaving st. Louis and following t
~ track of the storm as it swept throui
- Missouri and Illinois, the figures
come more indefinite. The telegra,