The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-08-20
North ST. Louis Caught In
the Grasp of cn Aerial
TWister.
Two Lives Were Lost and Probably
Fifty Persons We're Injured In
Tornado's Course
After Playing Havoc on the Missouri
Side the Cyclone Leaped Across
the River.

81. LOUIS, Aug. -U.-A tornado OF
small proportions but of extreme fury
swept down upon the residence portion
of North St Louis, resulting in the
death of one person, injury to prob
timated at 100000.
John Ellington was the only person
killed. though among those injured
there ere several whose hurts may
terminate fatally.
A shower passed over st. Louis ear.
lier in the day, but there had been no
rain in North st. Louis. The sky had
cleared and the atmosphere had be-
come very murky and hot when citi-
zens noticed a dark cloud approaching
from the southwest. Suddenly, and
without the slightest premonition, an
arm seemed to shoot to the ground
like a gigantic cable, twisting and
turning. The end touched the ground
at Nineteenth and Angelrodt streets,
and with incredible swiftness and
force, swept east along Angelrodt for
ten blocks, then turned north and
y. IL
eight blocks northeast to the foot of
Brennan street and the river. where
considerable property along the river
front was destroyed. The tornado
then jumped to about the middle of
the river and encountered ferryboat,
which was turned and tossed about,
but was not sunk. Leaving the ferry,
the capricious torando once more
jumped and struck the Illinois shore
near Madison, where it demolished
several dwellings, the LeiderkranZ hall
and blew down portion of the Madi-
son cooper works, killing John Filing
ton. Severe damage was done also to
buildings in Venice and Granite City,
which adjoin, Madison, and number
of persons were injured.
a So quickly did the tornado sweep
through North St. Louis that the citi-
zens could scarcely comprehend what
had happened, and in the stiffness that
followed the wind, cries were heard
on all sides as terror-stricken persons
ran. about the streets. Not tele-
graph, telephone or trolley pole was
left standing along the streets swept
by the twister, and trees were piled
in heaps. The width of the tornado
was about blocA and half, and
houses were unroofed, window panes
were generally demolished. several
large manufactures partially demol-
ished, and the streets Uttered high
with debris.
A Broadway trolley car containing
eleven passengers was suddenly bur.
led under six telegraph poles which
crashed into the top and wrecked the
car. The passengers had a remarkable
escape from injury and only the motor
man received slight bruises. Probably
the heaviest loss suffered by a single
concern which the destruction accom-
plished was at the Neidringhaus roll
ing mill. The plant covers two
squares in extent. The big smoke
stack was blown down and half the
plant was demolished, entailing esti-
mated damage of $4,000 Six en-
ployes were injured in this plant
calm settled over the city imme-
diately following the storm and no rain
fell Ambulances were rushed to the
scene and fire departments responded
from all directions. The storm was
seen from St. Louis proper and ambu-
lances and fremen were speeding on
their way long before messages asking
assistance were delivered by messen-
gers. In st. Louis proper at the time
there was not the slightest intimation
of a windstorm. The sky had dark
ened and a brisk breeze blew for a
short time as ii heralding the approach
of summer shower, and the intelli-
gence that North st. Louis had been
invaded by destructive tornado was
received with great surprise. Not the
slightest damage was done at the
Worlds Fair grounds. The exposition
is situated over five miles from the
seat of tie tornado and the wind was
not felt there.