Evening journal., 1896-05-29
After the Blast st. Louis Is a
Scene OF DesOlatiOn.
FRIGHTFUL LOSS OF LIFE.
Death, Ruin and Wreck on Both Sides
Of the River.

h'WN AfNNAN7 lux AA@hA ffhfNN-
sEe by the score--A Whole District Of
Seven Hundred and Twenty Blocks Beat
On with the Fian OF tho storm--water
Front Heaped with Rims Whore the
Great Hallway and River Warehouses
once stood-Pubilc Parks and botanical
Gardons Destroyed Severe storms In
zonnsyIvanla.
ST. LouTs, May 90. 1t will be several
days before definite information can be
obtained as TO the Loss of life and Injury
90 tho unfortunate people who happered
TO be I'm tho path OF the cyclone which
swept over portions OF Missouri and I'LL
nols In addition 10 the killed and in
1urod In ST. Louis and East st. Louis, tho
cyclone moved down many people ns IL
advanced. Tho following is consorva-
tive estimate of tho killed and injured,
based on latest dispatches:
ST. Jlouis-Killed. 200; injured, 800.
E0st ST. Louis-Killed, 250, injured,
300.
Nonr Centralia, Ills. Killed 4s; in
jurod 30.
Breckinridge Ills.-Killod. 2.
Noar Mount Vernon, Ills.-l<illed, 8;
injured. 20.
Near Moxico, Mo.-Kinod, 49, injur-
ed, a.
Near vandaiia nls-Kilied, 49, iniur-
cd, s5
The financial loss by tho storm of
Wednesday night Is variously estimated
at all the way from &C. 600, 900 TO $50, OOO,-
O00. That the former figure Is too small
Is certain, and the latter Is not much too
bigh.
The telegraph companies also come In
for their share Of the loss. Not a wire was
left standing In St. Louis. Tho streets In
the district most affected are q mass Of
broken poles and tangled wires. The loss
20 the telegraph companies Is estimated at
500. 600.
Tower Grove park represents an annual
expenditure OF $50, 600 for nearly 90 years,
and contained many gifts OF valuable
bronzes and marbles. Shaws garden con
tained nearly 81. 600, 600 worth Of botanic
al specimens. The extont of the loss In
those parks Is not definitely known, but It
Is said to bo enormous.
wind Took a Tornado Form.
Tho wind seemed to take tho form Of
tornado rather than that OF cyclone, tho
wrecked buildings showing mono OF tho
twisted irons and girders which usually
mark the track Of rotary windstorn.
The general trond was from southwest TO
ncafheast
Tho first heavy damage was In tho vicin.
ity Of Lower Grove and Lafayette parks,
whore handsome residences wero wrecked
and many injured Tho tornado swept
from the northeast as for as the river
when a sudden turn to tho nerth cleared
the Mississippi and toro its way iatO the
heart OF Fast St. Louis
Tho steamers pltfshurg OF tho Diamond
Joe limo, City Of NickshurR and City Of
Providence OF tho Columbian excursion
company, the City OF Monroe OF tho An
ohor limo and dl sorts OF small oTnft we're
pitched and tossed nhout until final
blast ront thom hrom thoir moOrings.
They were swept across tho river and
struck tho Illinois bank within few blocks
of oach othor The loss OF life on these boats
was comparatively slight, as everybody
was cautioned Hot to jump md they would
he brought safely TO land Ths City of
Vicksburg Is almost total wrsok. The
City OF Providence was blown upon the
Illinois side. Her ruddor Is goRe. and
cabin and smokestarks woro blown away
boioro sho pRrtod1rom har wharf.
The Holo OF Calhoun. the Nicdll and
tho buhe Congor, which wero moorod
near Choteau avenue, wero almost total.
~ hrokon up. Their cabins and smoke.
stacks woru blown away. Tho Ellen G..
Smith, tho harbor boat was blown down
the river and was wrecked near Arsenal
Island. II Is thought no liyos wero lost on
this boat The steamer Harvester Of tho
Mississippi Valley TRANSPORTATION cam
pnny was also tnrz ftom It's dock and oai-
ried down the rivor The loss So properly
can only DO estimated A riyc-man said
that 81 00O, 0O0ewoUld rot repair and re-
place tho honts alone that 1gured IN the
disastrous stozn.
Tho Louis Kogg broke from its hawsors
during the tornado. -Four Of the rev
plunged overheard and were seen TO drown.
The others were rescued
Had Terrible Experience.
The osow and passengers OF tho for-y-
hnat Christy had a terrible experience.
When he storm broke. the beat was torn
from Its monriags at tho foot OF Spruce
street and blown down stream with fearful
velocity. Tho passengers yyoro cragnd with
fear and rs two horse teams sfampcdod
on the lower deck. Tho water rushed over
the boat. filling the hull, bat ny o miracle
II foeted and was driven before tho stern
down stream. The river was like "a raging
sen. and the crew was unable TO launch
any boats. The passengers crouched in
the cabin expecting every minute TO go
down The boat drifted as far as Jeifor-
son barrarfs where she sank IN shallow
water. Tho teams on the lower decks
were drowned, but the i5 passengers wers
rescued IN boats many OF them, however
being seriously iniuscd.
The storm was the most unique OF its
kind. The territory OF its visitation east,
west, north and south will not ho known
for several days. In ST. Louis tho wind
blew from the south. and men hurrylng
through the streets b-aced Themselves
against - IN an instant tho current
came from the north. and the people wero
taken OIL their feet before they were aware
OF the change.
Then the darkness OF an klvrtiaa tomb
onyeopld the city. The artificial lights
of the streets and stores wero snuiiod as
by somo snperhuman power. There was
roar more irlghttul than that of a tlcu.
sand cataracts. Crash followed crash.
Great buildings croaked and strained and
there could be felt flying through tho air
hurlina objects that could not be seen.
Mingled with the crushing OF bodies OF
masonry was the cracking Of glass, like
the snap OF musketry amid n homhard-