The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-06-01


ST. LOUIS, No, Nay sl.-Eyery ran
road entering this storm-stTicicep CITY
ran excursion traiRs to-day They
brought scores OF thousands Of peopleI
10 Wow the devagtation and ruin
wrought by tho AWFUL storm Of Wed
nesday. The streeta OF the ruined as
trict were thTonged with visitors all
day. They came from almost every
town and city within q radius Of tgl
miles and nearly ali day a cold driZlAl
rain fell. Lowering, threatening CLOUDS
covered the sky and a more dismal
scene than the ruined portion OF tais
city presented could scarcely be iia4r
lned. And through the crowded streets
an day long came funeral pfoces ions
Nearly one hundred burial permits Wefe
Issued by the health department yes
terdav and every hearse In the city vas
keot IA constant use. At early nHM y
people began to crowd into the CITY
morgue. Many came In search o.
friends, but for the most part people
who visited them were drawn ny
morbid desire 10 see the mangiea
cdrpses OF the unfortunate victims q
the tornado. All day long the ot1cera
on duty were busy keeping the people
moving IN line and out OF the vieWlng
room OF the morgue. Every few minutes
some one would think they had dAscoN-
cred some one whom they knew among
the bodies exposed to View.
Superintendent Mack, bf the morBuei
had trying time In answering ques-
tons In regard 10 the bodies and taking
names and descriptions OF persons who
have not been seen by their friends
since the storm. There we're People
there from points IN all directions tar
and near. Chicago, Cincinnati Louis
vile, indianapolis, Kansas City and
scores OF smaller places were repre-
sented. From such towns came auA-
ious people inquiring for lost friends.
Although four days has come ana
gone since the tornado here. the labor Of
the city officials in clearing away the
debris Is scarcely perceptlble The city
at night goes without street lamps,
either gas or electric. The only light
AFFORDED Is that furnished by private
electric plants and the principal streets
are in darkness. The street railway
companies have had hundreds OF men
at work repairing the damage 70 their
power houses and trolley wires, ana to-
day nearly all the principal lines were In
operation. But the work that has been
done Is SO meagTe when compared with
that which remains that there Is scarce-
ly perceptlble Improvement The tsier
phone. service Is practically paralyzed.
although the telephone company has
had hundreds OF men at work repairing
the damage TO It's wires. Hundreds Of
demolished buildings have not been
touched. No one cRn tell if the ruins
conceal the bodies Of victims Of the
storm. In many localities foul stneoh
arises from the ruins. Whether this g
due 10 the fact that the ruins conceal
human bodies or dead animals, time
alone can tell. The work of searching
in the ruins Of the old city hospital for
victims of the storm began to-day with
q. force of laborers. The superintendent
Of the workhouse, Mr.. Carr, with gang
Of fifty negro prisoners, handled the
search.
Besides tho force OF workhouse labor
ers, thirty laborerH from the sewer de-
partment were also placed at work In
the ruins Guards armed with double
barreled guns kept watch over the
workhouse prisoners. The whole OF the
acute surgical ward, the consumptiye
ward and other wards were gone over
without disclosing a trace Of q human
body. The authorities at Jefterson
barracks have notified the central relief
committee that a force OF troopers viii
bring up to the wrecked districts Q
large number OF tents tomorrow and
establish a comnllssary for the purpose
OF furnishing cioked food for the needy.
The calvary cooks, stewards and camp
men will do the work.
The number OF persons and families
who are sull without homes. and With
out the means OF getting them iS great
Many wagons were In use to-day dis
tributlng food 10 the hungry Over q
hundred teams were kept busy moving
furniture from wrecked buildings for
those who did not have the means 70
pay for a van. There are hundreds of
people who need clothing and need It
badly, and the supply on hand Is mea-