The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-06-03
Describing the st. Louis Cyclone.

Through the kindness of our good
friend, Rev. OF. Porcher, of Pendleton,
we are permitted to publish the following
two interesting letters, written to bis Sis
ter the two succeeding days after the terri
BILE storm, by his brother, who lives in st.
Louis. and was eye witness to The awful
cslamity. We know they will be read
with interest by tbe readers OF the INTEL
yLIGENCER:
ST LOUIS, Mo-. May 2S. 1896.
Dear Sister: No doubt you will have
seen accounts in the papers before you re
ceive this of the terrible cyclone that
swept over st. Louis last evening, and l
tell you it was an e. experience truly terri
fyirg, end a sight awful to behold.
The destruction of life and property was
terrible Tnis building ia o very massive
one, (the Offices of the G. B. sc r. R J
and fortunately escaped uniDjured, except
for toe blowing in of windows, tearing of
of tin roof, etc., but our elegant Freight
house, also the freight houses of the NJ,
Il. d T., adjoining this. were completely
wrecked. Four large brick buildings right
across the street from here were piled up
in the street. I saw one building give
way and fall into the street, then every.
thing got dark and you could not see an
inch aheadtof you. It was ellover IN II few
minutes and atremendous fall Of rsiu be
gan. or course, all of the electric cars
were stopped, so I had to walk home, 8
distance of about three miles, through q
pouring rain without an umbrella, picking
my way over fallen trees, live electric
wires, roofs of houses, etc. Out on Pine
street, where We live, the storm was not
much felt. It WAS couiued 20 this and to
the southern portion off b city. Tue loss
of life and property is something awful.
Nine clerks in the Vsndaiia Railroad OF.
fee were buried in the wreck OF their
freight building.
AS I look out on the street, up and
down, the only sight lueets my eye is a
and bricks piled up on each other.
About 5o'ciock J esterday evening l no.
ticed the peculiar appearance Of the atmos.
phere, and remarked that q cyclone or
something terrible was goicg TO happen.
Just before the storm broke loose upon Us,
the western horizon, which had been q
black mass of clouds, suddenly turned q
bright crimson hue, then a j pale sickly yel.
low. Then, after q few moments of calnl
with BID awful roar it rushed by. I tell
you it was something d: eadful.
Well, I am thankful hat nope of Us
were hurt The dead, so far found in the
city, number about four or Ave hundred.
With much love for ali, I am, as ever,
yours, d PoEcHER.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-. May 90, 1895
/ will supplement my letter of yesterday
by q short one to-day. ] walKed last eve
! Mug over the track OF the Cyclone OF the
evening of the 9Th. audit is truly G,ctuj
to see the terrible havoc aud dissolution ev
ersRhere. Whole blocks ard blocks o
houses, churches, e:c completely destroy
ed and piled up in confused masses on the
streets. Lafayette Park, q Of the largest
and most besutitul in the city, is q truly
| pitiable sight--not q tree left stsnding-a
few bare stumps ort'uuks stripped of theil
bark. In walking, or rather in climbing
through this place, one comes across bu.
reaus, chairs, statuary, hat. racks, beds,
etc, blown there ont Of the houses on the
sides ofthe park. Tnree hundred and IF
ty dead bodies have been found aud no
half has been told. One has to see in order
TO realize what has happened. According
TO o conservative estimate. it is stated thai
the loss of property will amount 10 the
enormous sum ofS50,0 900 coo, and when you
SCO LILO OSSbl uSIiOu v SOCh1N eIaI ONSi
amount would not be sufficient to cover
it. Down here, where l was, We got of
comparatively lightly, though IS I look
from the window, ] can count nine brick
buildings RACED to the ground, and SET
telegraph poles, roof, etc q heterogeneous
mass 10 the streets The feeling was truly
terrible as this awful power of wind and
electricity swept over US. The roar was
appalling in its intensity. The greenish,
yellow cloud, funnei-shaped, looked like
some terrible monster of the internal re
gions. I counted four churches, one o.
them Calvary Episcopal Cnurche, thai
were completely leveled to the ground
The immense power house of the Union
Depot r. r. Co., covering o block. has moi
one brick left upon another. In fact, it is
the exception where one house is found
not unroofed in the storm-swept section
The massive Esds Bridge, across the Mis-
sissippi. had one entire iron and stone arch
torn away and thrown into the river
East st Louis. ILL.,, across the river, g city
of about 80. 600 inhabitants is q complete
wreck, and the loss of life there il terri
bic. lam. as ever, yours,
S D PoRcHEs.