Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-05-29

IGrand avenue, south by the city limits
and east by the river, Is virtually
| mass of ruins. Not an electric hgh
has burned, nor car run in that sec
ton, comprising 20 city blocks, since
$50 p. NJ. yesterday.
Within this territory scarcelya build
ing escaped injury and thousands OF
| them are in ruins. on surveying tbs
| desolate scene one maryels that the
humber of deaths was not much greater.
Heginning at the western boundary
Of the scene is the handsome and OK
elusive resident section, known as
Compton HILL the home of the fourth
| Generation of early French settlers Of
| ST Louis This aristocratic home
place Is stewn with debris. Just east
| lies Lafayette park. There the trees.
lshrubbery. fountains and statuary that
have been the pride Of the city were
caught in the wind and the place is
shaver as bar as with a giants scythe.
| Farther east and south to the city linn
It's were the homes of thrifty German
| Americans who have given a distinct
| character to the district. Tonight
| thousands of them are homeless: many
| Of them lying like nomads amid the
| ruins. or sharing the roofs Of their
hospitable and more fortunate neigh
| bors
| Interspersed in this latter section and
east 10 the river are mills. breweries
and numbs rless manufacturing con
cerns. These were fair targets for the
storm and they suffered. II was this
class of losses that added most to the
wiping out OF what Is conservatively
! stated to be si.o00.G00 invested capital
| There are lG breweries within these
boundaries worth 81 900 900. while none
are destroyed. all are damaged The
losses fall heaviest on those least able
to bear them.
Alter the storm had laid its heavy
hand upon the southern half of the
city. fire came to complete the work of
destruction. Five columns of flames
| shot UP. but thanks t. the deluge Of
rain the blaze was mainly confined to
the starting point. In three instances
engines were unable to get nearer than
block from the fires.
TIL storm was most destructive
when it crossed Seventh street from
the asst The eddying currents of
Winds again and again returned to
make that street a wilderness. AT least
H. !, ople were killed along this thor
ougltare and the streets Immediately
adjacent House after house was to-
tally demolished. ana wonder grows
with extended investigation that the
number Of deaths is not far in excess
Of " hat it now appears to be.
Naily's saloon on South Seventh
sire was 4 total wreck When il fell
il Was full of men who had taken
refuge there. and from l. to 20 were
killed Many of them We're of the class
who nave few friends and would not
tr missed ore man has been taken
out dead ana 10 others seriously in
Jur"d. 1t is thought that others are
in the brick choled basement. and a
gang of men is digging into the debris
The force of the wind was so frightful
al0r% here that the iron trolley sup
porting poles OF theSouthwestern Elec-
tric Line are bent over to the ground.
They did not break. but bent like cop
rcr wire.
All the telegraph poles are down. and
many snapped in twain. At the Yer
mont Marble Works. 1925 South Sew
cnth street, the wreck was complete.
Here Harry Hess. n driver. was buried
beneath tons of the great blocks oil
stone which were hurled about by the
wind
The saddest place of this desolated
thoroughfare. today. was the southeast
corner of Rutger street Here had
stood the three-story brick saloon and
boarding house of Fren Mockenheimer
IL was occupied by 20 families, the full
number of souls reaching at least So
When the storm struck it. ii went UP
like dry pun ball, burying the in
mates. No one knows how many dead
It's ruined brick and mortar conceal.
Eleven persons have been taken out
dead and more than dozen more or
less injured.
company of tiremen was assigned
10 the work of rescue and they kept
at il manfully. They We're assisted by
relatives of those supposed to be be-
meath the debris. The crowd about
the corner was enormous and it
pushed in over the broken bricks and
shattered timbers. hemming in the
rescue corps. Even the policemens
clubs could not keep it back
Across the street on the southwest
corner. the wreck was as bad but the
number of people in the building was
not so large. Several dead bodies and
a half dozen sorely wounded have been
removed and others are thought to be
there. The block below this. the house
OF SattiSs. was crushed and August
Sattig and wife We're badly hurt Up
Barry street, a half black away, Mrs.
RuX. her daughter Teenie and her bro
Their. John Looming. were crushed to
death in their home.
Mrs. Clara Fuescke and two daugh-
ters, Stella and Edna. at 1885 South
Seventh street, We're mashed out of
shape by the fall of their home. Fred
Staltman. Mrs. Schmidt. Mile Killan
and her mother We're dangerously hurt,
and James Killian. the father killed at
1901 South Seventh street. Soulard
Market was blown to pieces killing
George Hubert and another man
whose name is unknown. SO it ran
along this ill-starred street
Unsolicited the work of relief began
here at once by the whole people A
meeting of citizens was held at noon.
today. at the Merchants Exchange. A
brief address by Rev. Dr. Bayd and
Mayor Walbridge. and contributions
were asked for. Within 40 minutes
$1,000 was in the secretary's hands.
The contributing continued after ad-
iOurpment II is not prOnoSad RI ero