New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-29
(From a palntin

IHE EaDS
From a painting
Of ruins All along in the most thicky settled por-
lions OF the city Just south OF the railroad tracks
In the MIL Creek Valley parties last night searched
for bodies Dozens OF men. women and children
were undoubtedly under the ruins but nothing could
be done in the way OF rescue until daylight came
and the terrible excitement the catastrophe caused
had somewhat subsidized
WORKING IN RAIN AND DARKNESS.
Skies as black as ink and steady rain interfered
greatly with the work OF rescue last night The city
was In total darkness and the streets were Hitter
OF broken twisted wires All electrical currents
were ordered turDd of. and still there was danger
from the mass OF wires. In the ruined districts
calcium was made do Illuminating duty on the
streets but the abors OF those carrying on the eIlor
TO get out the victims were necessarily retarded
The storm came at time OF the day wnen IL was
easy 10 parayze the machinery OF the Health and
Police Departments In addition, the wreck
ing OF the City Hospital and the condition the city
was left in account Of the shutting or OF 'he
lights Men walked the streets OF ~. Louis last
night at the risk OF their lives Thieves ana mugs
were abroad working IN the cover OF the darkness
The streets almost impossible In places De-
cause OF the piles Of rubbish littering them. Tho
darkness OF the night hid from view the full force
OF the damage wrought by the storm
Every surgeon In 81. Louis was busy attending 10
cases in his Office The old House OF the Good shep-
herd was turned into temporary hospital Inc III
.ured patients at the City Hospital were sent TO ne
,lexi,n Brothers' Hospital. The mcrgue VAS over
crowded with bodies md mob besieged II seeking
10 Identify missing friends relatives In the heaps
OF dead.
HUMAN LIVES SAVED BY HEROES.
After lightning struck the building No. 2li South
Broadway the top north wing fell with crash on
No 22 The heavy weight crashed through the
floors down TO the once floor OF Epstein & Bern
GO Va and
huddled in the from; Office. not knowing the danger
they were IN The crash came suddenly that all
were buried in the ruins The front or the store was
torn out, NAT" Sebastian was opposite AZ NO - he
called for and the following persons joiner
in the work OF rescue: ASH r. Flowers. billy Flow
.s Frank Reed Tom" Devlln. Peter J. Dorr.
Harry GuynA Gus" Heckler and Edward Herdon.
a coiored man They rushed over 10 the demoisheh
bui,ding although the bricks ana other "recNasr
were flying IN all directions. and nobly went 10 the
rescue OF the inmates. Devlin was struck IN the
face by heavy piece OF timber but this did not
deter him from engaging in the rescue OF human
uves The first man they came across after pulling
over the wreckage was OF the clerks He escaped
with few bruises. He was taken away In faintlns
condition and placed IN Sebastlan's saloon Inc
next victim was the colored porter whose groahs
were pitiful TO hear. After digging and saving
sway he was released and carried out 10 safety
Cries Of distress were heard from two different
ouarters The first reached after twenty
minutes hard work and found 10 be Mr.. Epstein
Internally injured. He carried 10 sebastian's
saloon and doctors quickly responded although the
s,orm was at It's height and fury He begged OF
tho men to go 10 the rescue OF his bookkeeper
Ju;ius who was still in the wreck Of the Inflated
building They rushed back and worked with a Will.
cutting and saving away timbers until sl6 O'Clock.
when they across the lifeless body OF the Ill
fated Julius His body was carried out tendery ana
An ambulance sent for Upon It's arrival the doctor
refused 10 take the body. saying their calls were
IN, urgent for the wounded After TIE rescuers had
ceased IN their labors, NAT" Sebastian discovered
that his 800 diamond stud was lost. but he ex-
messed himself thus: Never mind the diamond!
Thank God. saved some lives
Ciroans emanatlng from Leland Milers drug
store at about O'Clock last night attracted the at
tention of passers-by who soon learned OF the ter
rh,s sufrerlngs OF G. c. Poppltz. another tornado
victim He was walking aimlessly up Locust-st.
from Broadway at about O'Clock. and when ne
reached the corner of Sixth, In front OF the drug
store he dropped TO the sidewalk unconscious one
~ tho clerks Of the store assisted him inside and
restora,ives promptly administered Inc sui-
,er,pp man regained consciousness at times, but
talked incoherently. He said he had walked from
East St Louis. but did not remember now ne had
crossed the river Later in the evening he SAID ne
u,a struck in the side while riding In car but ne
could not recall what had hit him An examna-
ton NJ the injured man showed that he was fatally
,,,ured his entire right side and ribs being crushed
in and his lungs appeared compressed. Ihe at
tending musician pronounced his case hopeless.
NETWORK OF BROKEN WIRES
After the storm had passed the electric wire sys-
tenn OF the city, including the wires OF the west
ern Union and Postal Telegraph companies the
Poll Telepbone Company the Telegraph Fire Alarm
Comnany and the Electric Light Company, was al
most total wreck Hundreds OF the poles support
ing The wires were broken short on close 10 the
Ground the flying bricks and timbers breaking the
wires and a number OF the streets were soon COW
cred with a network of steel and copper which Out
n few minutes before transmitted the happenings
IN G, Louis 10 the entire world. The manager OF
tho postal said that after the storm had passed ne
was unable to secure a connection with a single
CITY Later he heard from Chicago. put IN IL"
r,,nu,es the connection was lost The western
Union managed to arouse Moberly Mo, long enough
% discover that there had been disastrous storm
I'm that section OF the State. and then connection
was lost. After that the western mon was nu'
even able TO arouse the Planters Hotel next ooo'
for many hours -. ~ ,ha a,ectrlc
The brealing poles and wires shut on the eiectriSG
eht in A few minutes after the storm stdrteu' an
dsred useless The nre-alarm service was eripp.ea
~ Tho same manner. Nine out or the thirty, I'M S
rnoav,ng circits were completely demolisheu an
NC ~ he ak transmitting wires. In all nearly l."
6re-alarm boxes were rendered useless
IN THE HOUSE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
IN account OF the damage to the City Hospital
p.aith Commissioner Starkloen was forced 10 maNo
| arrangements for a temporary hospi'ai IN ~"'e