Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-05-29
NEARLY 500 DEAD.
Continued from page ~

uoWn stream at ABOUT 6.30 There was
no sign Of life upon her. A barge with
Il deckhouse upon 1t and bearing Is OF
20 people. who We're wildly waving lam
terms for assistance, fioated swiftly
along. Shortly afterward a tug boat
came in pursuit and it is thought the
| runaway barge was captured.
The wreckage that floated by the
barracks seemed composed of every
kind of debris. wreckage of boats and
wharves, houses, furniture. logs and
lumber
Steam launches, which were secured
at o'clock, this morning. bring the
information that at least 200 persons
were killed at East st. Louis. The list
or the dead discovered 50 far falls be-
low the first estimates, but is long
enough TO be appalling. Crushed be-
neath falling walls. hurled against the
sides of buildings. struck by flying tim
hcra, cut by shattered glass. shocked
by the network of electric wires. hl-
manity suffered in ways innumerable
The names of all the injured will
never be known. Enough We're re-
corded at the dispensaries last night,
to show how widespread was the tor
nados effect. or the destruction Of
property there can be no satisfactory
estimate given. The loss in extent and
character is beyond conception.
In the flashes of lightning. last night
at the city hospital. it looked like a
ruin. The new surgical ward was par
TALLY demolished. Portions of the
other buildings We're unroofed Walls
were cracked There were $50 sick
IL. ;,, t.l h,
came SOME gathered strength IN
their fright and ran shrieking from the
place, finding shelter on the outside
Thirteen We're injured In one ward.
a section OF the brick wall of the Jail
went down and the prisoners were
panic stricken.
The loss of life which might have
taken place at the levee front was
averted by the hour at which the tor
nado came. one upriver passenger
boat had gone an hour before and al
though not heard from. probably had
passed beyond the path of the storm.
The death dealing cloud crossed the
river at such an angle as to strike and
wreck the upper works at the east end
of Eads bridge and To sweep a part of
East ST. Louis Enough is already
known to show that more lives have
been lost on the east than on the west
side
In this district between Sixth street
and the river, and northward from
choteau avenue. the tornado tore
diagonal path. The district comprises
business houses. many Of them of the
older type. Every building within the
path sustained damage. Smokestacks
and chimneys were TOPPED over: walls
were levelled: roofs were lifted: thpus-
ands of windows were smashed, and
miles of telegraph and telephone wires
were left in a network on the ground
Through the district the streets are
impossible. They are covered in places
with debris 10 feet deep.
Perhaps the most Impressive evidence
of the storm clouds force is To be seen
in the wreck of the eastern end of the
Eads bridge. There the tornado dealt
with stone masonry. 1t tore off and
tumhled down tons upon tons OF this
masonry, beginning with the big east
ern pier and extending, to the foot of
the incline. The cloud cut OFF the up
per part of the structure as If it had
been illnsy trestle instead of a struc-
ture OF worldwide fame for massive
ness.
Fire In East St Louis added at least
SIoo.edo To the property loss The hurri-
cane from the northwest came before
the business center of the city had
begun to send its workers to their
homes. Service on most of the street
car lines was suddenly suspended. A
thousand electric cars stood dark and
deserted on the tracks. while men and
women looked homeward through the
ram. In that portion of the city of
81. Louis south of the iron mountain
tracks and east of Sixth street, to the
river, the scene was frightful. but it
was nothing compared with the scenes
along the levee. Broadway and the
side streets. Every house had rela-
uNes and friends among the dead and
injured. Husbands. fathers and
brothers worked at night in the freight
houses. on the boats and on the cars
and as they could not be found. the
anguish of mothers, sisters and other
relatives was heartrending. They
were running from one Temporary
morgue to another, and in some in
stances pushed aside dead bodies In
order to attempt TO identify their rela-
tiNes, and when found the cries would
melt a heart of stone. A mother would
behold the distorted features of an
only son. while at another place some
other member would find a missing
father. brother or daughter.
To add to the distress there was no
light of any kind. Several men guarded
number of bodies in Broadway and
y streets. and often the sole survivor
OF one family watched over the re-
mains of the mutilated dead of some
helghboring family in darkness and all
alone. Mothers, sisters. fathers and
prothers. some crying, others suppress
ing all emotion. dug for hours throueh
the debris at the Vandalia freight de-
pot and other places in vain attempt
TO eStricate some loved one buried
there. Hundreds of people worked
about the yards south of the bridge
ana many waded through water and
ssush in the ruins of the ManteU and
fremont hotels. At nearly every step
they encountered dead bodies. but In
their anxiety they passed them in their
search for the wounded
At o'clock this morning it was esti-
mated that 200 are dead and 400 are in
jured in East st. Louis. and SIS people
are dead in the city of ST. Louis.
There are 100 identified dead NJ tho