Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-09-30
700 INJURED
AS TWISTER
HITSST.LOUIS
Damage Estimated At
Near S75,0O0,OGO;
Thousands Are Left
Homeless

ST. LOUIS. Sept. 30.-tFl-Tha
mounting death list In yesterdays
devastating tornado here reached S3
today. when additional bodies were
found and injured died. The body
Of a third girl was found in the ruins
Of the Central high school and II
was feared two others were buried
there.
All but four Of the dead were
identified.
With eighteen persons reported
missing. many injured in a critical
condition and portions of the
devastated area unsearched for
bodies, the Post-Dispatch estimated
the total dead might reach l40, the
tornado of 1896.
Estimates of the property damage
remained between 100000 and
100000.
Hundreds az families. left without
q roof. or with sides of their homes
laid open by the storm, slept last
night in the national guard armory
and other improvised quartres, and
were fed today from field kitchens,
placed in service by Red Cross dis
aster relief forces.
Patrol Streets
Militia men of the 139th infantry,
st. Louis National guard regiment,
today patrolled the streets west OK
Grand Boulevard, directing motor
lists through a mass Of fallen trees,
and broken lath. All Of the city's
1900 policemen, called out when
the storm broke az I p. IN. yesterday
remained on duty today, regardless
Of their regular hours.
Downtown Il. Louis escaped vir-
tually unscathed, but some Of the
city's finest homes along Lindell
Boulevard from Newstead Avenue To
Grand Boulevard were laid waste.
" The area Of greatest destruction
lay roughly southwest 70 northeast
bounded by Forest Park boulevard,
Sarah Street, Pendieton Ave, and
Herbert Street.
The black, swirling funnel seemed
to have appeared without warning in
the vicinity of Forest Park, TO nave
pursued a Eig-zag course for six
miles to leap the Mississippi rsveE
and dissipate its fury with q last
twist at the Illinois Tri-Cities. Vens
ice, Granite City and Madison, iH
which six persons were killed and
twenty injured.
Every st. Louis policeman and
fireman was called out ON special
duty but their numbers were in.
adequate TO patrol the stricken area
and a regiment Of state militiamcn
was ordered on duty. Orders To
shoot looters were issued. Only twd
reports Of looting were made last
night, but neither was verified.
A citizens relief committee Of 3ss
with Mayor Victor Miller as chairs
man, hurriedly was organized 20 dis
rect relief work.
Storm Area Large
The Red Cross placed a relief stas
!, tion In the center of the stricken
area and 100 automobiles were presAs
ed into service for use as ambk
lances.
Mayor Miller issued an appeal for
funds.
The loss estimate or from S1O.00G.-
| 900 70 500, 1000, 900 came from AL. E
Christopher, building commissioner
Insurance men made flat estimate
OF $75,00O,0O0 damage. The tornado
was the second in st. Louis history
| The first struck 81 years ago anf
claimed 40 lives in ST. Louis and l6t
in the vicinity The two tornadoef
followed generally the name course.
The estimated area OF the twistei
Of 1896 was eight miles in length
and from one quarter 10 q mile and
a quarter wide.
Throughout the wilderness ci
crumpled houses. fallen trees. wreck
/ ed factories and business bulldingA
| and twisted wires. mem dug frantic.
ally in the darkness all night. Shr---
IN before 4 o'clock this morning. eH-
plorers seeking the bodies OK five
missing children in Hhe recently re-
modelled Central high school found
the bodies az two little girls
Seven school buildings, housing $500
| children. were In the tornado swept
area, but only at Central high was
/ there reports Of fatalities. Eighteen
other pupils in that school were in
jured when a huge tower was sent
/ crashing down on the auditorium.
Thousands Homeless
That the death list did not soa1
high into the hundreds was attrib.
uted 10 the heavy construction of the
buildings i'm the devMated area. Hard
and there the debris 0f what hnd
been IA wonden structure gave muaa
evidence ~ what might have hap.
pened.
old brick ho4aeg we're rrdmpIed
like ere SHELF in one pnrY oK cha
4 lContln4ed cH prge hc.l