Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-10-01
SO Killed, LISP Hurt, Loss
of Nearly $100,000,O00
Shown by ReCheCk.
MORE BODIES SOUGHT
IN COLLAPSED HOMES
$500 Residences, Apartments and
Small Buildings Wrecked by
Storm-Relief Under Way.

BY the Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, October Hos
pital lists of tornado victims, re-
checked early today, indicated the
number of injured would almost dou
BILE yesterdays highest figure and
reach 1152. The dead numbered SO,
with the certainty that this number,
too, would mount higher. drawing It's
increase from the injured list and
possibly from the debris which still
provided hunting ground for search
ers.
House.to house canvasses gave
$500 as the approximate number of
buildings destroyed or damaged. 1t
was this large number that gave
pause to the counters, who last night
computed the injured between $50 and
900. Collapse Of that many buildings,
il was pointed out, might reasonably
be expected to catch a greater num-
Der Of victims.
That more than q million dollars
worth Of automobiles were destroyed
was another reason for checking the
earlier hospital lists.
Apartments and Houses Hit.
Survey Of the entire storm area
showed that the bulk Of serious storm
damage was done residence houses,
apartment buildings, small stores,
small factories and churches. II. M.
Bixby, president of the st. Louis
Chamber Of Commerce, expressed the
opinion that the total loss would be
close to 800, 100000. Other estimates
were between $25,000,000 and that
figure.
Calling upon all members Of his
organizat ton to respond to the Red
Cross appeal, President Bixby said st.
Louis would meet the emergency with
out outside help. He wired President
w. r. Dawes of the Chicago Associa-
ton of Commerce, thanking Chicago
for the offer Of help, but adding that
from present Indications we feel con-
fident we will be able to take care OF
the situation"
Ten gangs Of wreckers under the
building commissioner started to work
this morning tearing down and clear
ing away dangerous parts or DAM
aged buildings Overhanging walls
were the principal menace. Six hum
dred more men and 80 additional
trucks were added to the army OF
men sent by the department OF streets
and sewers to restore streets for traf-
fic. Authorities warned sightseers
away.
Storm Zone Patrolled.
All last night members Of a 9Th
Infantry, United States Army detach.
ment, a contingent of the Missouri
National Guard and the American
Legion, suppiementing the st. Louis
police force, patrolled the storm zone
in. darkness. The storm had splin-
tered poles, snapped standards and
shattered 100000 worth of street
lights. They were prepared to shoot
at marauders but evidently none was
seen.
Substantial buildings in the path of
the tornado Withstood its force, In
most cases with little or no damage.
Frame houses were splintered as
kindling wood, but the better stone
and brick structures suffered only the
loss Of roofs or collapse of inner walls.
This fact gave rise to an expression
from the Weather Bureau that had the
tornado hit open country 1t would
have been insignificant. 1t swept
down upon the metropolis, covering
ne-fourth Of it's area, and while doing
stupendous damage, did only minor
fraction of what a full-sized tornado
might have done.
TOrnadis Vacuum Damaging.
A study Of the ruins, where hun
dreds of houses were found with one
wall blown clearly out, demonstrated
the action Of tornado vacuum, com.
mon to all twisters. 1t was pointed
out that the air was suddenly removed
I. nd h.
pressure, seeking relief, forced out the
walls or lifted roofs. In many cases
clothing hanging on the inner walls
was unmoved.
Churches Of all denominations sur
fered. Twelve of them were enumer-
ated by DIR. A. II. Armstrong, secre-
tary of the st. Louis Church Fedora
ton, in estimating their total loss at
one million dollars.
Between a million and half and
two million dollars damage was done
nine schools. Greatest damage was
occasioned by the topping of the or
namental tower of the Central High
School, where five girls were crushed
to death. The prosecuting attorney
indicated he might ask q grand jury
investigation to place responsibility for
such defective architecture or con-
struction.
Red Cross Directs Relief.
Relief was in charge Of the Red
Cross. Both the st. Louis Globe-Dem-
ocrat and the Post-Dispatch headed
the relief funds with contributions OF
S. 900 each.
DR.. George Ahrens, the German
consul, was one Of the first to ex-
press sympathy for tornado sufferers
10 Mayor Victor J. Miller. He said
he bore an expression of sympathy