Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-08-25
STRICKEN BY STORM
Northern Portion Of St. Louis Visit
cd by Fierce Twister.
ONE NAN KILLED AND 50 INJURED
Several Buildings Unroofed and n
River Ferryboat Tossed About
but Not sunk-severe DAM
age ON Illinois Shore.


st. Louis, Aug. 2o.--A tornado 0
small proportions but Of extreme fury
swept down upon the residence portion
Of North st. Louis late yesterday, re
4 sulting in the death Of one person
(JohL Ellington, injury 70 probably
so and damage to property estimated
at 100000.
A shower passed over St. Louis ear
Tier In the day, but there had been nc
rain In north St Louis. The sky had
cleared and the atmosphere had be-
come very murky and. hot when citi-
zens In north St. Louis noticed dark
cloud approaching from the south
west. Suddenly and without the
slightest premonition, an arm seemed
ito 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 swept three blocks along
Broadway, when II jumped eight blocks
northeast to the foot Of Brennan street
and the river, where considerable prop
erty along the river front was de-
stroyed. The tornado then jumped to
about the middle Of the river and en-
Countered q ferryboat, which was
turned and tossed about, but was not
sunk. Leaving the ferry, the capri
CiDus tornado once more jumped and
struck the Illinois shore near Madison,
where 1t demolished several dwellings,
the Leiderkranz hall and blew down
portion of the Madison cooper works,
killing John Ellington. Severe damage
was done also to buildings In Venice
and Granite City, which adjoin Madi-
son, and number Of persons were in
cured.
So quickly did the tornado sweep
through north st. Louis that the citi-
xens could scarcely comprehend what
had happened, and In the stiffness that
followed the wind cries were heard on
NIL sides as terror-stricken persons ran
about the streets. Not telegraph,
telephone or trolley pole was left
standing along the streets swept by the
Gwister and trees were piled in heaps.
The width of the tornado was about
block and q half and houses were I'M
Eoofed, window panes generally de-
molished, several large manufactures
partially demolished and the streets
filtered high with debris.
A Broadway trolley car containing
n passengers was suddenly buried I'M
der six telegraph poles which crashed
into the top and wecked the car. The
passengers had remarkable escape
from injury and only the motorman
received slight bruises. The roof and
0ne-half Of the top-story Of Somers
Bros Tailoring Manufacturing COM
pany's establishment were blown
away. Probably the heaviest loss suf-
fered by a single concern was the de-
struction accomplished at the Niedring-
haus rolling 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. Part
of the roof and two cupalos were blown |
from the Catholic church Of Our Lady |
OF Good Counsel. The side of the Buck |
Stove & Range company plant was
blown In.
Many remarkable escapes from death
have been related by drivers Of DIFF
Herent delivery wagons. So suddenly
did the tornado sweep down and along
the streets that debris carried along
by 1t crushed wagons like eggshells and
hurled the drivers into the street. In
Ct Louis proper at the time there was
mot the slightest intimation of a
windstorm. The sky had darkened
and a brisk breeze blew for short
slime as If heralding the approach Of
summer shower, and the intelligence
that north st. Louis had been invaded
BY q destructive tornado was received
With great surprise. Not the slightest
damage was done at the worlds fair
grounds. The exposition is situated
over i've miles from the seat Of the
and the wind was not felt
there. @h
Crossed 10 Venice, III.
Venice, ILL.,, Aug. 20.-The tornado
mat swept across the river from
north St Louis killed one person
here tMrs Margaret Beal), injured ten
others and caused considerable DAM
Age to property. The tornado was Of
mort duration but was remarkably de-
structive in force.
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