The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-09-30
Solid Brick Apartment Buildings Flung
Down Like Frail Structures of Match
wood Before Fury of Blasts.
HEAVY TRUCKS SWIRL ABOUT IN WIND
Thousands Call Frantieally Over Phones
for Relatives, Rush Madly Through
Streets Toward Shattered Homes.

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 30.-The
terrific storm which killed
more than seventy persons
here Thursday, lasted only five
minutes in st. Louis before
jumping across the river to con-
tinue its destruction in a clus-
ter of Illinois towns, Granite
City, Madison and Venice.
But during that brief time,
the howling eighty-mile gale
swept through the residential
district in a crazy path around
the downtown area, tearing
sections from solidly construct
ed brick buildings and levellng
less substantial structures.
Automobiles, heavy trucks, motor
buses and horse-drawn vehicles In
the path of the tornado were top
uled over and thrown about by the
wind. causing death and injury.
Schools were hit and children at
tending classes we're injured.
For hours, many sections OF the
city were in total darkness. Imme-
diately after the storm, live wires
were torn from poles, lay sputtering
In the street, menace to the thou
sands of homeless who had escaped
with their lives.
Radio Carries News
Telephone communication was al
most entirely stopped, and news OF
the storm was broadcast by radio to,
sections Of the city which had es-
capped.
Little damage was done in the
downtown district, but news of the
disaster soon spread. The telephone
svitchboards at downtown ex-
changes soon were alight with thou
sands of calls from Office workers
who wished to learn whether their
homes had been hit.
It was a considerable time before
the connections could be made with
phones which still were in order.
When the inquirers found their calls
could not be answered, they antici-
pated the worst, and Immediately a
rush toward the residential district
started, frantic husbands and ia
theirs employing every means of
conveyance in an effort to reach
their families.
=. ALI Traffic Halted
Street cars were stopped by
trees and debris blown across the
tracks. Automobile traffic was i'm
possible in the affected sections for
several hours. Police lines were
formed near demolished buildings to
keep the way clear for amblances
and private automobiles taking the
victims to hospitals.
An idea of the extent Of the
section most severely affected by the
storms may be obtained by the Of
fetal statement that an area of
four square miles was in total dark
ness last night, due to wrecked
power lines.
Most pitiful scenes were found in
the Negro section, where the fimsy
berry boxes by the gale. The toll
of killed and injured in this area
was especially high.
The survivors. many Of them ex-
hausted, literally had to be dragged
to shelter when they fought to stay
in the mass of torn boards and
plaster which had been their homes.
Promise of food and shelter failed
to move them.
Apartment Buildings Razed
But the wind was impartial be-
tween rich and poor. Entire Sec
tions Of brick apartment buildings
in the better residential districts
were pulled down and the struc-
lures unroofed.
Factories and business houses >in
the southwest section of the city
were wrecked, and it was here that
the greatest financial loss was suf-
tered.
Two policemen were killed when
an outlying station house collapsed.
Other public buildings beside schools
were struck. n
One residential street, noted for
its stately elns, had the appearance
today Of carelessly numbered for
est. The majestic trees had been
snapped OF and torn apart by the
wind.
Crippled Children Hurt
SEA u sick and crippled children
were jured when wing of the
Shrineis' hospital was torn away.
Everywhere were wrecked auto
mobiles, the tops torn of, glass
broken. They had been blown over
or forced into trees or poles. Shop
windows were shattered, covering
every principal street intersection
with broken glass.
A double -decked bus was car-
sized anc the upper structure
wrecked.
Members Of high school foot
pan team helped firemen dig
pnel through debris to free Frank