Richmond planet., 1896-05-30
FURY OF A CYCLONE.
MUCH DAMAGE TO LIFE
AND PROPERTY.
800 or rlOre Killed in ST.
Louis Alone.
A Train Blown Over.
ILLINOIS, INDIANA, AND IOWA SUI
FER GREATLY FROM THE
STORMS RAVAGES.
Boats Turned Over ard Passen-
gers and Crew Go To
a Watery Grave.

ST. LOUIS, May 27.-St. Louis was
struck by cyclone of frightful fury
late this afternoon. Hundreds Of peo-
pie were killed and the property loss
is beyond estimate.
At 30 the clouds that had covered
the city since noon, broke into furi-
Gus storm. Within ten minutes the
wind reached a velocity OF eighty
miles an hour sweeping with it dense
waves of rain. The highest speed of
wind previously recorded here was
seventy-two miles an hour in August,
1871. The screeching OF the wind
through electric wires, the crash of
debris that swept it in every direction,
the flashes from tangled wires and
crashing made a scene indescribable.
At 8 p. m, the lowest estimate OF
killed in East st. Louis and vicinity is
placed at three hundred. East st Louis
suffered probably the greatest. Mes
sengers came at p. M, from there
asking for physicians and nurses.
ON TIE RIVER.
The steamer Libbie Conger, with
only passengers on board, bound for
Peoria, was blown bottomside up I'm
of persons were killed.
The steamer Delaphin, with a crew
OF six and twenty lady passengers on
board was blown against a pier and
broken in two. The ladies and two of
the crew clung to the bridge stone
work and were rescued.
The steamer Libbie Conger, with on
ly Captain Seaman, his wife and three
of a crew, aboard, went adrift The
wreck of boat opposite Carondelet is
supposed Co be the steamer Conger.
Ottened's furniture store at Broad
way and Solard, was demolished and
six men are reported killed. A saloon
at 6O64 south Seventh street, fell with
nine men in the ruins st. Patrick 5
church at Sixth and Middle streets fell
and the debris fills the streets. The
| electric railway line is burned out as
well as the electric plant. Fourteen
| fire alarms were sounded within an
| hour, and three alarms were sent in
| from the poor house which building
has 200 inmates. The door of the
poor house was blown off and the IA
| talitIes are great
| During the last race at the fair
| ground, the roof was blown Off the
grand-stand. The crowd had gone to
the open field for safety and but four
men we're killed.
The armory at Seventeenth and
| Pine streets is being used as tempo
rary hospital.
At 80 P. M e. the storm which had
ceased for time, began afresh, and
rain fell in torrents.
At s z. NJ, the eastern sky was
afiame with the light of fires in East
st. Louis. The metal roof of the Mer
chants Exchange was rolled up like
| scroll and fell into the street The
Louisville and Nashville east-bound 10
cal passenger train had just reached
East st. Louis when the storm strucl
that city. The train was overturned
but, miraculously, only a few passen
gers were injured. They were takel
from the cars by railroad yardmen.
AwHoLE TRAIN BLOWN OVER.
The Chicago and Alton east-boun,
local passenger train which left ST
Louis at 5 O'Clock was on the span O
the bridge when the wind picked tn
cars up and turned them over on thei
sides. The iron spans and truss he'll
the cars from toppling in the river on
hundred feet below. The passenger
were thrown into confused mass TIL
, network of wires made rescue diff
cult and dangerous, but it is though
! all will be gotten out uninjured.
The east span of the Eads bridge
} so badly wrecked it will take thre
days to allow trains to pass.
; The report of fatalities in East S
Louis is hourly increasing. At min
O'Clock it is estimated that the loss {
life will exceed $50. 1t is impossible I
cross the bridge or river TO get partiC
ulars.
STANDARD OIL WORKS IN RUINS.
Lightning struck the Standard O
| Works and flames were soon pourin
= from a dozen buildings. The fire d.
+, partment was utterly pOwerlesst to cor
| with the confiagratiOn, and it is feare
l nearly the entire business and a gres
g, lportion of the residence section will t
/ destroyed by flames, if not already
by the wind.
Among the principal building a
D ready in ruins are the National hote
the Standard Oil Works, East St. Lon
is Wire-Nail Works, the Crescent Elev,
tor, Hazel Elevator, all freights depot
and stores and residences on st. Cla
@ lavenue.
A ?. NJ, no wire can be had to SUI
= rounding territory in the western ar
l northern portion of Missouri, but it
3 feared that the loss of life in these SET
a tions will be very large.
. The damage to property in st. Lou
: is estimated at 100000. and the 10.
o in East st. Louis is nearly 1000, ,OO
Y and the fire is still raging
There was really two cyclones. Or
. came from the Northwest and the OIL
= er from the direct East. Both met G
. the Illinois shore of the Mississip
u river and joined in whirling cloud
Q death and destruction. The list
h dead in st. Louis is beyond presel
/ computation.
200 GIRLS KILLED.
A startling report has reached poll
headquarters that two hundred Oil
are in the ruins of Liggett and Meye
s. cigarette factory at Tower Grove Par
y. Alarming reports OF great loss of Il
N In the SOutharn DOrtiOn of gf -,