Rock Island Argus., 1896-05-28
ST. LOUIS HEARD FROM AT LAST.
How the Storm Came Down on a City De
voted to Destruction.

HOW the storm Oame 1OWn on q C1ty De-
voted to Destruction.
ST LOUIS, May 2S-Death and destruc.
ton reign supreme in St. Louis ard
vicinity last night as result of the most
terrible storm that ever visited this Sec
ton of the country. So widespread is the
destruction in both St. Louis and East
ST. Louis that it is impossible to even esti-
of life. Buildings of every description are
in ruins, and as result hundreds of peo-
pie are reported dead and injured TIE
city is nearly in darkness, as the electric
lights and trolley wires are down With
one or two exceptions all the street car
lines in the city are at a standstill, and
thousands Of people are compelled to re-
main down town or walk home.
The storm broke about 5 D. m after a
most opprossively hot day and the rain be-
gan to fall. 1t soon developed into a fierce
thunder storm, with the wind from the
east A little later the wind had gained
a velocity of eighty miles an hour, driving
the rain before it and tearing loose signs,
cornices, chimncvs and everything in its
way. Many buildings of every descrip.
ton We're demolished, and Others set on
fire by lightning and crossed wires. The
fire department responded to fourteen
alarms. The streets were full of people
going home from work, and a panic en-
sued as soon as the storm broke.
Men were picked up and hurled against
the buildings, horses and carriages were
sent flying here and there, and falling
wires full of deadly fluid added to the
horror of the scene. Suddenly the wind
vecred around to the west and completed
the destruction. 1t is asserted by some OF
those who have traversed the downtown
part of the city that there are but few
buildings in st. Louis that have not suf.
fcred in some way from the storm. Las:
night the streets We're in complete dark
ness and travel in any direction was dan
gerous because of fallen live wires and
debris lying everywhere. ssS
The wagon way OF the Eads bridge or
the East st. Louis side is a crumblins
| mass of mortar and stone, and parts OF
| the tower and pier No. / were also tori
away A trolley car loaded with passcn.
gers bound for the west side is said t.
have fallen through to the railroad tracl
below. but with what result is not known
The roof of the Republican conventioi
| hall was blown off. The tanks of til,
| WatersPierce Oil company, on Cratic
street, blew up. spreading destruction o,
| every hand. and, it is said, killing fou
| men and possibly more. Three stories o
| the Coe Manufacturing company's build
| ing, Ninth and Grrtiot, and nearly half o
the Wainwright brewery Were blow
! down.
The engineer OF the .Etna iron works
| Twcnty-first and Pappin streets, was a!
most instantly killed. The walls blew il
and he was scaldc1 to death by steam
| The Consolidated wire works, Twenty
first and Pappin streets, was almost total
ly wrecked. Seven people are known t
have been injured seriously by this wrecl
and many more are said to have been hur
by falling walls.
| The two story building of the c. II. Saw
| yer Manufacturing company. 1919 Chou
| teau avenue, was demolished. John Saw
| yer, a member of the firm, and Emm
Chanay end Isabella Hamden, typewrit-
ers were crushed to death under the walls
II. ii. Sawyer, a member OF the firm, was
injured fatally. The st. Louis Refrigera
tor and Wooden Ware compny's factory
Second ard Park avenue. was completely
destroyed by FIRE caused by lightning. The
loss is estimated at so l,oOo