The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-05-30

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dead and wounded up to the presen'
time are the merest conjectures, bu
there is no doubt that the loss Of lift
is greater than anything the country
has known since the disaster at Johns
town.
| 1t is evident that the tornado pursued
a track of many miles in length. as re-
ports from various railroad stations
show that nothing has been received
from any point west of here as far as
Moberly.
Scattered bits of Information show
! that between Moberly and this city va
rious small towns have been wiped out
and many persons killed in them.
It was at first thought that scores had
been killed at the fair grounds In the
western part OF the city, where the ROOT
of the grand stand was blown of while
the last race was being run, but it is
now known that the people at the track
saw the storm coming, and rushing Out
Of the grounds, took refuge In the ada
cent fields. ..-~0 ,.e...--
A. w. Becker, of the big firm of ]. P
Becker & Company, OF East st. Louis
was tll6 lIlSL laO44o W ~ oho' .ItS
Eads bridge after the storm abated. His
family was in St. Louis and in his eager
ness to get to them he climbed over the
debris of the bridge on his hands and
knees, over wrecked cars, dead horses
and a mass Of other debris. He in
formed a reporter that the condition OF
East st. Louis is almost beyond de-
scription. The town is a wreck for
blocks around, and the loss of life III
that region alone is estimated at from
200 to 800.
The Vandalia freight house, near the
east end of the Eads bridge, was COM
pletely demolished, a number of persons
having gone down in the ruins. When
Mr.. Becker left the scene, men were en-"
gagged in digging out the dead and dy-
ing and several bodies had already been
removed. Meintz's grocery store and a
whole row of brick buildings adjoining
were RACED to the ground, but no person
was injured.
Another building was that Of the East
St. Louis Journal. Mr.. Becker says that
his store was badly wrecked, the whole
middle portion Of it being blown out.
About $4,000 worth of clothing was
scattered over portions of East St. Louis.
The city hall, which had just been re-
paired, was completely wrecked. Court
was in session when the storm came but
everybody got out in safety.
Another building demolished was that
of Philip Strickler on the corner of St.
Louis and Collinsville avenues Mr..
Stricken, his wife and several children
persisted in the fallen walls.
Among other structures demolished
were the National Hotel at the stock
yards the kippel restaurant, the old re-
lay depot and the Dublin House, an old
brick building near it. None of these
entailed any loss Of life.
The storm appears to have extended far
to the south and westward. The city of
Bowling Green, Mo, is reported wrecked,
and the Chicago & Alton has no trains
from Kansas City. The Burlington Ia
washed out below Louisiana.
When the storm struck the town and
created such havoc the accompanying
noise was terrific. People were picked up
in the streets and dashed to the ground or
against the buildings as though they had
been the nlerest straw5.
One thing which aided in it's course Of
destruction was the valley which separates
North and South St. Louis, along which
the railroads entering the city from the
east and west have their tracks and yards
and through which they have access to the
Union station at Twenty-first street. This
depression is some 40 or so feet in depth,
regular valley in fact, and had the tornado
confined itself to this channel the loss Of
life and property would not have been SO
great, but on the north side of this depres.
SION many of the streets slope down to it,
thus affording a means of egress for the
great destroyer.
Three fire alarms were sent in tonight
from the poor house, which has 1900 in
mates. The roof of that structure was
blown off, and it is feared that the number
of fatalities there is great. ..-.
AS to the loss Of life on the river, 1t is
reported that the magnificent steamer,
Grand Republic, was sunk with all on
board The steamer D. H. Pike, with 80
passengers on board, bound up the river
for Peoria, was blown bottom side up.
The steamer Conger was blown nearly
across the river, and sank at point oppo-
site Carondelet, 10 miles below.
The steamer Dauphin, a pleasure boat,
containing 20 women passengers and a
crew of six men on board, was blowa
against the middle pier Of the Eads bridge,
and broken in two. In curious manner
the women and crew managed to cling to
the stone work OF the pier, and were after
wards rescued - .,.- -.... ,.,
The steamer L:bbie Conger, Of the Dia-
mond 10 line, with Capt. Zahn and his wife
and crew of six, was sunk in the middle
of the river.
Apart from the number Of lives lost here
and on the east side Of the river, the num-
Der drowned in the Mississippi will aggre-
gate hundreds. Excursion steamers lying
at the levee and those running up and
down the river were sunk almost imme-
diately, all those on board having absQ-.
lutely no opportunity to escape. =. i;
The city bears the appearance of having.
been shelled by an enemy. In some places
structures have been entirely destroyed,
while in others high, Jagged walls stand, a
constant menace to passers by. -
i'm thea au{ the7 tia vsrd :gio
There must be great number of people
imprisoned in the destroyed buildings who
cannot be gotten out for hours, although
thousands Of citizens have offered their
aid to the police departmnt to help the
work Of rescue.
Every hospital in the city is filled with
victims and there is a lack OF nurses, ply
sicians and medicines, but as soon as the
people get their wits about them again,
the work of alternating the suffering of the
injured will be proceeded with in sys-
tematic manner. At the morgue, which