San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-05-28
Martin Flnan, five years old, was
cut in the head an face.

cut in the head an face.
HOW IT LOOKED AT DAYLIGHT.
When the sun rose on st. Louis
and vicinity this morning it'll
showed q scene of terrible ruin and
disaster. Wind, rain and fire had
combined in q mission OF destruc-
ton. Two hundred lives were lost
In this city and as many more were
killed In East st. Louis, while
thousands were injured, many OF
them so seriously that they will not
recover. The exact number Will
not be known for several days and
perhaps never, for the debris OF
ruined buildings all over the city
covers hundreds Of human beings
and will long leave traces In that
part Of the city which lies east OF
10th aud Iorth OF Carr streets to
the Esds bridge.
The boats OF the wharf were torn
from their moorings and capsized
or set adrift.
The cloud crossed the river and
demolished the upper work at the
east end of the bridge aud then
wreaked its fury on East st. Louis.
Shortly after 6 o'clock, with the
sun more than an hour above the
western horizon, there settled upon
the city clouds so dense that day.
light quickly gave place to the
darkness OF midnight. That was
the precise order Of the tornado
from the southwest. The hurrt-
cane from the northwest gave the
western part of the city it's severe
shaking up. The tornado from
the southwest was responsible for
the loss Of life.
What must be charged up to
this double visitation only day
light can tell 1t all. Health Com.
missioner Starkloff, two hours
after the tornado had passed,
feared the dead would reach 200
and not fewer than 1000 had sus
tanned serious injuries. BY mid
night reporters Of the Associated
Press had visited all Of the stricken
portions of the city and suburbs
The list Of the dead fall far below
the first estimate, but 1t was largt
enough to be appalling.
Crushed beneath falling walls,
hurled against the sides OF build
ings, struck by flying timbers, cut
by the shattered glass, shocked.by
the network of down wires
humanity suffered in ways in
Vulnerable. The names OF all the
injured will never be known
Enough were recorded at the dis
pensaries last night to show how
Widespread were the tornado's OF
fects.
/ or the destruction OF property
there can be no satisfactory esti
mate given. The loss in extent IL
characterized beyond conception
In the flashes OF lightning las
night the city hospital looked like
a ruin. The nursing department
was demolished. Portions of Other
buildings were unroofed. WALL
were cracked. Even in the dark
: ness the ply sicisns began the re
moval of the patients to temper
, ary quarters, fearful that tn
, strained structures would go dowl
, in a general collapse. There wer'
, $50 sick people In the hospita
. when the storm came; SOM
gathered strength in their fright
and ran shrieking from the plac'
; to find shelter on the outside
! Fifteen were injured In one ward
Convention hall and the fou
courts were in the path OF the clout
; as 1t rushed from the city hospita
toward the river. Convention hal
! lost part OF the roof at the eastern
end, was punctured in severa
places by flying timbers and sus
tanned some arrangement OF tn
, interior. Ten days work and tn
expenditure of 900 will make tn
hall good again. A section OF tn
brick wall OF the Jail went dowl
and the prisoners were panl
. stricken.
In the district between Sixth
street and the river, and north
ward from Choteau avenue tn
tornado tore a diagonal path. Tn
i district comprises business houses
many OF them Of the older type
Every building within the patti
, sustained damage. Smoke stack
and chimneys were toppled over
walls were leveled, roofs were lift
ed, thousands of windows wer'
smashed, miles Of telegraph and
telephone wires were left in a net
J work on the ground. Through thi'
, district the streets are impossible
They are covered in places with
debris ten feet deep.
Along the levee front the haw
sers snapped and boats were SEN
, adrift snme Tn 90 down. others t(