The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-08-20
GIANT SMOKESTACK
LEvELED TO THE GROUND,

| GIANT SMOKESTACK
LEvELED TO THE GROUND.
Then the way was practically clear tc
smokestack OF the National Ammonia
| Company and a small fleet OF houseboat.
and launches marred the way to the Mis-
| sissippi.
The lumber was a cloud OF its own, but
| composed Of flying boards: the smoke
stack became a mere pIaything as 1t cir
| culated in the air far above its founda-
tions. and the houseboats and other river
craft that failed to overturn at the COM
Ing Of the breeze were promptly torn from
their moorings and hurried briskIy down
the stream.
With q farewell and almost caressing
touch to the whitecaps that reared up to
meet the advancing gusts. the clouds re-
volved around themselves again and swept
UP into the higher regions OF the air. dis
appearing In the lowering clouds which
overhung the Illinois shore.
STORM CAUSED TWO
DEATHS ON EAST SIDE.
The storm which passed over the East
Side caused two deaths and the injuries
OF at least a hundred persons. The prop
erty damage was conservat lively estimated
last evening to be In the neighborhood of
Sl0o.oo5.
Hundreds of houses were slightly dam
aged by having their chimneys blown
down and glass broken and roofs dam
aged. Several were completely demoI-
ished. mile Of Bell Iong-distance tele-
phone lines and poles were blown down
on the Edwardsville road. near Madison.
The storms formation was witnessed by
eeveral persons in Madison and Venice.
A big black cloud from the northeast
passed over the Tr-Cities and was
watched as II rolled toward ST. Louis.
High in the air 1t met a big white cloud
travelling from the southwest.
The collision between the clouds was
followed by the formation Of the funnel
shaped cloud, which whirled from st.
Louis across the Mississippi River and
Venice and Madison. carrying
with it tons OF debris. which were depos-
tied for miles along the line OF the storm
Hundreds of persons viewed the storm
as 1t swept across the river. The bottom
did not touch the water. but the entire
cloud seemed to bound like q rubber ball
In its course.
The FIRST building struck in Venice was
the homo Of A. A. Stalecker. a Chicago
and Alton engineer. whose two-story brick
home 10 on Main street. The entire roof |
was lifted OF the house and carried away. |
Mr. Stalecker was asleep on the second |
floor when he was awakened by the noise |
Of the roof being carried of. The walls |
were damaged and g. barn was destroyed. |
Next door a building owned by Henry |
and occupied by the Solomon |
Dry Goods Company was damaged
The Lederkranz Park was Invested Of |
Is trees and the band stand and shelters |
we're demolished.
The storm then leaped two blocks TO the |
ZONES OF Marshal G. E. Bennett and Mrs. /
". Jones. on Third street. Both houses
we're lifted from their foundations and al
most completely wrecked. Mrs. Bennett
md her seven children sought refuge in
he coal shed. When they recovered after
he storm had passed. they found them
elves in field. 20 yards away from their
Iome. The shed lay in splinters about
hem and all were stunned. and bleeding.
drs. Jones was not hurt, other than q few
The next jump tho storm made was to ]
i. Marks Catholic Church at Venice and
he parochial residence occupied by the
reverend Father Kinder. Chimneys on the
arochiai residence were blown down and
fashed through the roof Of the house. A
abel Of the church was blown down.
Ieiepnone. telegraph and electric wires
we're next in line with the storm, which
'assed UP to Madison, doing only m,nol
amage on the way. The home of Frans
'omb on Second street, together with two
ouses adjoining. owned by Warren Cham.
ion. were damaged and their roofs COM
letely torn Of.
Ian IS KILLED
~ FLYING DEBRIS.
Then tho storm struck the Madison
tave and Barrel Works. where the nrst
atality occurred. Employees were in a po-
ftion to view the approaching storm and
ought safety by trying to reach the base
lent Several made a dash for the open.
mons them John Ellington. who was
illed. and George Ridale.
Riddle was slightly in advance OF EilinK-
IN, who was caught and buried beneath a
lass OF brick torn from the second story
{ the building. The entire second floor
the barrel factory was laid open on the
est side and partly on the north side.
Then Ellington was dug out Of the mass
debris he was dead. He was taken to a
zeal undertaken. whore an inquest was
eld, after which he was removed to hts ,
ome in St. Louis. William Spann, q fore
ian. was injured by a brick
A two-story barn, the property Of Mry.j :
VILLAIN Dillon. and in which were two
living horses. was scattered over several /!
locks. The horses were uninJured. Il I
Samuel Warmack's two-story house on
,cond street was lifted OF its founda-