The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-29
VICTIMS OF TORNADO.
Over Three Hundred Dead Bodies In ST..
Louis and East ST. Louis.


st. Louis. May 29.-When darkness
temporarily interrupted the search for
storm victims last night, 3l5 people were
known TO be dead on both sides of the
river. and although the death list will
never be known. 1t is believed that It
will approximate 45O in the two cities.
The number Injured Is even larger. and
many of the manned cannot survive.
Property loss will reach we'll into the
millions. but Insurance people, firemen
and police alike, refuse even TO hazard
a guess at accurate figures. The un-
certainty regarding the loss of Life and
property is due mainly to the wide ex-
tent of the havoc wrought by the storm.
The miles Of wrecked blocks yet unex-
plored, and the numerous collapsed fac
tories, toward the investigation OF which
little progress has been made, may hide
any number of bodies, as the police have
been nnable TO secure anything like a
definite list OF the missing. In the fac
tory districts, many OF the employees on
duty at the time tho storm broke were
without relatives In the city, and their
disappearance would scarcely be noted,
even though they be buried in the ruins
II Is believed by the police, too, that ow-
Ing TO the suddenness with which the
crash came, many tramps and homeless
ones sought shelter among the build
fngs which were leveled, and nothing
viii be known of their death until per-
haps weeks hence, when their bodies are
found. The list of known dead I'm ST.
Louis is l69, and In East st. Louis 146.
The city was in darkness last night,
repair Of telegraphic wires having been
scarcely begun. All over the stricken
district the debris-choked streets were
crowded with sightseers, and through
the dim gaslight In the morgues con-
slant stream OF people was urged for
ward through the aisles by the police.
Hundreds OF homes are in ruins; doz-
ems OF manufacturing plants and dozens
Of business houses are wrecked Many
steamboats, have gone TO the bottom OF
the river and others are dismantIed,
railroads all have suffered great loss,
and wire and pole-using companies
have weeks Of tUtt and large expendi-
lures OF money TO face before they will
be in shape again.
The most furious work of the storm
was along Rutger street, Lafayette
street and Choteau avenue and con-
tiguous thoroughfares east OF Jefferson
avenue. The houses are In the streets
with the doors underneath. Buried by
brick and mortar are household goods
OF every description, and on top OF all
are uprooted trees and tangled masses
Of wires.
There is not a tree or building stand
ing in Lafayette park. The ruin of the
city hospital is so surrounded by wreck
age that IL cannot be reached except by
a great effort BY far the most remark
able freak of the storm was at this
many-winged house. Two hundred
patients were scattered through the
various wards when the tornado struck
but although the entire upper story was
cut off clean and one wing razed to the
ground, but one inmate was killed. The
victim was located in one OF the upper
stories, and was killed by flying brick.
In the demolished wing, the roof came
straight down upon the foundations
and then, after resting upon sound bed
castings, enabled the patients to be
rescued without serious injury. The en-
tire building was rendered useless. and
the tottering walls will be torn down
and new structure built.
Many or the handsome residences In
Fourteenth street and about LAFAYETTE
park are ruined, but the most damage
was done on Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and
Ninth, and south along Choteau avenue
In the tenement house district Houses
are now seen In all stages Of demolition.
In some OF them the front walls had
fallen out. and the tenants performed
their household duties, cared for their
Injured or mourned for their dead in full
view OF the crowds in the streets. From
the doors OF many Of the partially
wrecked houses hung the black badge OF
mourning, and there was scarcely a
house In all the district that did not have
some injured relative. friend or neigh
bor within its wind-beaten walls
The path of the storm was about n
half mile wide and over four miles long.
sweeping through the thickly populated
southwestern portion OF the East End
and across the river into East st. Louis
Colonel Wetmore. manager of the Lig-
gett & Meyers tobacco plant. which was
wrecked, estimates the entire damage at
s25, 900 000 which will be, he says, almost
total loss, owing 20 the lack of cyclone
insurance. Other estimates range from
H5,000,000 to $4,000 500 but the majority
OF them are close 10 that made by Col
onel Wetmore.
There are 20 missing from the city
hospital, which was wrecked. How
many OF the missing are buried I'm the
ruins Is not known. Or. Starkoff be-
lieves that n score Of patients are dead.
The most remarkable freak Of the storm
was the manner I'm which II allowed the
suffering inmates Of the institution 20
escape Its fury. Daylight revealed de-
bris where the Ramshakle hospital
stood. The eastern portion bore the
semblance Of building only. over the
west part OF the yard was n fiat pile OF
debris. II had been division M" the
acute surgical ward The walls that
are standing are likely to topple over
any minute. and every effort Is being
made 20 remove the patients 10 places
Of safety. So far but three patients arc
known 10 be among the dead.
The tornado struck the building just
before supper time. and To this fact Is
attributable the remarkably small