The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-28
IN A TORNADO'S TOLLS.
Angry Winds Let Loose to Make Their Dis
astrous Sweep of Life and Property
in the Great City of ST. Louis

| body among the so were hurt. A troll
( ley loaded with passengers bound for
the west side is said to have fallen
| through to the railroad track below,
but with what result is not known.
The roof of the republican convention
nan was blown off and a 24-foot Sec
tion of the western wall of the city
jail was blown clear down, exposing
the interior. 1t was during exercise
and 200 prisoners were exercising in
the building. They were panic strick-
en- and too frightened to try to es-
cape. Jailer Wagner was on the scene
In moment, and with the aid of a
number OF detectives and policemen,
the prisoners were placed in their cells
The tank of the Waters Pierce Oil
company on Gratiot street blew up
spreading destruction on every hand
Three stories of the Coe Manufactur-
Ing company's building on Ninth and
Gratiot and nearly half of the VAIN
wright brewery were blown down.
The Summer High school, Eleventh
and Spruce; McDermott's saloon, Elev-
enth and Chestnut; Central Emigrant,
ON the opposite corner; Jere Shehan's
livery stable, Eleventh and Walnut
were unroofed. The engineer of the
Aetna Iron Works, Twenty and
Papan streets, was almost instantly
killed The walls blew in and he was
SOtiOtQ W uthln Dy steam. Inc Con-
solidated Wire Works, Twenty first
and Papan streets. was almost totally
wrecked. Seven people are known to
have been injured seriously by the
wreck and many more are said to have
been hurt by falling walls.
The two-story building of the c. II.
Sawyer Manufacturing company, 1919
Choteau avenue, was demolished.
John Sawyer, a member of the firm
a M ENrraKr NIx,,a
Hamden, typewriters, were crushed to
death under the walls. H. II. Sawyer,
a member of the firm, was fatally in
jured.
The st. Louis Refrigerator & Wood
enware companys factory was COM
pletely destroyed by fire. caused by
lightning. The loss is estimated at
100000. rumor was widely circulat-
ed that the gas tank, near the consoli-
dated wire works, at the south end of
the Twenty-first street viaduct, had
been blown over and fallen in on the
wire works building, killing four men
and possibly more.
A. w. Becker. Of the firm OF ]. p.
Becker & company, of East ST. Louis,
was among the first persons to cross
the Eads bridge after the storm abated
His family were in st. Louis and in his
eagerness 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 Informed a reporter mat the condi-
ton of East st. Louis is almost beyond
description. The town ds a wreck for
blocks around and the loss of life i'm
that region alone is estimated at from
200 to 250.
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 digging out the dead and dying |
and several bodies had already been re- |
moved. Another building was that of |
the East st. Louis Journal, the whole |
middle portion of IL being blown out. |
The city hall was completely wrecked |
Another building demolished was that |
OF Phillip Strickler, on the corner of ST |
Louis and Collinsville avenue. Mr.. |
Strickler, his wife and several children |
perished in the falling walls.
Among other structures demolished |
were the National hotel at the stock /
yards, the Klippel restaurant, the old |
relay depot and the Dublin house. an |
Did brick building near II. 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.
Slow Work of Rescue.
One thing that hinders the work of
taking out the dead and rescuing the
injured is the fact that every electric
light wire and telephone wire is down.
Work Of rescue is going on with agoniz-
ng slowness. II is impossible to get
'eports from the police stations, where
many of the dead and injured have
been taken, and consequently all state
nents in regard TO the dead and
up to the present time are the
nerest conjectures, but there is no
ioubt that the loss Of life Is greater
han anything the country has known
'ince the disaster at Johnstown. IL Is
evident that the tornado pursued a
rack many miles in length, as reports
rom various railroad stations show
hat nothing has been received from
my point west of here as far as Mo-
'erly. Scattered bits OF informa-
ion show that between Moberly and
his city various small towns have been
wiped out and many persons killed. IL |
vas at first thought that scores had
,een killed at the fair grounds in the |
western part OF the city where the roof
f the grand stand was blown of.
While the last race was being run. but
Is now known that the people at the
rack saw the storm coming and. rush
ng out of the grounds. took refuge in
he adjacent fields.
At the time the storm struck the
own and created such havoc. the ac-
noise was terrific. Peo-
lie were picked up in the streets and
ashed to the ground OF against the
as though they had been the
nerest straw. Three fire alarms were
ent in tonight from a poor house
which has 1.200 inmates. The roof OF |
hat structure was blown of and II il
cared that the number Of fatalities
here is great
As 10 loss OF life on the river IL Is |
eported that the magnificent steamer
irand Republic was sunk with all on |
oard. The steamer ID. II. Pike with |
0 passengers on board. bound up the |
liver for Peoria was blown bottom |
ide up. The steamer Conger was
down nearly across the river and sank |
Z a point opposite Carondelet, 10 !