Evening star., 1927-10-02
TORNADO REFUGEES
DRIVEN FROM RUINS
Rain Forces $500 Families
to Seek Shelter Elsewhere.
Death Toll Is SO.

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 1.--Drenched by
rain which fell internationally. nun
hreGs of survivors of Thursdays tor
nado here who remained in their
ruined homes were forced today to
beck shelter elsewhere. The Red
Gross estimate $500 families. com,
rrising $500 persons. were affected
In the devastated area of approXi-
mately 2l0 city blocks.
Both in it's immediate physical as
poet and its aftermath the tornado
was war-like. Members of the Ameri-
rem Legion, among the 5000 volunteer
workers, recalled the battle ruined
towns of France and declared they
presented no more desolate appear
nnce than the tornado torn section
of St. Louis.
They pointed to the similarity OF
tentiment which drew both the French
wartime sufferers and the local sui
ferers from the storm, to cllng as
long as conditions permitted about
the only places on earth to call nome.
Even in todays rain women and men
fingered about heaps of ruined ma.
konrv and splintered wood. Here ana
there were women sitting diSc"n'
cocnizabie only to them.
Sad Exodus Started.
They packed what goods they could
retrieve on some of the % moving
kans nrnvided through the Red Cross
md started a sad exodus, following
The vans on foot. carrying some par
ticularly precious possession.
MANY of them were headed out into
e.. ~ find DGn1JS
sr temporary stopping places
4 relief fund of half . million dol
lars is needed Immediately, 1t was
announced by Alfred Fairbank. vice
chairman of the Citizens disaster re-
lief committee. Contributions late to-
fav totaled S165.G00 Fairbank said
no appeal would he made for contribu-
lions from outside the city but all
contributions would he welcome from
whatever source.
Nineteen cities have telegraphed
Mayor Victor j. Miller, offering help.
Enlisted under the st. Louis chapter
D. the Red Cross. 1000 relief workers
Eere today graphing effectively with
The relief problem. They had cOmpre-
tenSive surveys of the tornado area
Tor guidance, from which they drew
the conclusion that a large percentage
IF $500 sufferers would need no help
trom the Red Cross. The relief prob
Inn was comparatively simple.
Four hundred aDts were provided at
Tho E,iks Club last night, but not a
tinsle storm refugee showed up.
Death Toll Stands at 83.
Today the number Of deaths from
The storm stood at So OF that num-
ber, 75 were in st. Louis and eight in
three Illinois suburbs across the river.
A survey tonight showed 229 injured
persons were still receiving treatment
ln "a hospitals and approximately 800
pihers had received treatment and
zone home.
F. f. Christopher. building commits
tioner, held to his earlier estimate that
The total loss would reach and possibly
exceed $4,000 900. His survey in
ficated that boarding and rooming
houses suffered most. Large old
residences, three miles west of the
downtown business district. converted
Into rooming houses. We're hit hardest.
A negro residence district was visited
with the next greatest violence, and
the tornado then swooped down on
North st. Louis. which is mostly de-
voted to individual homes and two
family fats.
Public utility compa MES tot3led
their loss at 81 100000. Greater
eamage 10 telephone service was done
than at first believed. Damaged
phones were numbered at Il. 800 which,
with other loss, will cost half mil
Ion. Street cars were still unable
to operate on three lines today. Their
damage was estimated at 100000.