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About Plattsmouth weekly journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1881-1901 | View Entire Issue (June 4, 1896)
WRECK AT ST. LOUIS. Missouri's MttroDOlis Swept bu Cuclone. THE LOSS OF LIFE IS IMMENSE. Fully Five Hundred Said to Have Perished. FIRE AIDS THE DESTRUCTION. ELECTRIC LIGHT AND CAS WORKS USELESS. Convention Hall I'nroofed Storm News from Other Point In Mixoorl Eight? twhoo) Children Krported Killed at C lrk. I1L, and t ifty at the Villas of Ujm. Death and destruction reign supreme In St. Louis and vicinity as a result of tlie most terrible storm that ever visit ed that section. Buildings of every description are in ruins, and, as a re sult, hundreds of people are reported dead and injured, but, until order is re stored, it will be impossible to make any definite statement. Reports are in' circulation that seven steamers lying at wharf boats have been sunk, with all on board. The city was left in darkness, as the electric lights and trolley wires were blown down. The storm broke out about 5 o'clock "Wednesday afternoon after a most op pressively hot day, and the rain began t fall. It soon developed into a fierce thunderstorm, with the wind from the east. A little later the wind had gained a velocity of eighty miles an hour, driving the rain before it and tearing loose signs, cornices, chimneys, and everything in its way. Many buildings of every description were de molished, and others set on fire by lightning and crossed wire. 1 he streets were full of people going Lome from work, and a panic ensued as aoon as the storm broke. Men were buildings, horses and carriages were sent flying here and there, and falling wires, full of deadly fluid, added to the horror of the scene. Suddenly the wind veered around to the west and completed the destruc tion. It is asserted by some of those who have traversed the down-town part of the city that there are but few build ings in St. Louis that have not suf- ST. LOUIS CITY FILLED WITH INJURED VICTIMS OF THE CYCLONE. fered in some way from the storm. The wagon way of the Ead3 bridge on the East St. Louis side is a crumb ling mass of mortar and stones, and parts of the tower and pier No. 1 have also been torn away. Thousand.? of dollars will not cover the damage to the bridge. An outbound accommo dation train on the Chicago and Alton road was wrecked by a broken rail, but fortunately nobody among ths pas sengers were hurt. The tanks of the Waters-Fierce Oil company on 'Gratiot street blew up, spreading Instruction on every hand. Three stories of the Coe Manufacturing com pany's building. Ninth and Gratiot, and nearly half of the Wainwrisiw brewery were blown down. The Sum mer high school, at Eleventh and Spruce; McDermot's saloon. Eleventh 2nd Cbesnut; the central emigrant sta tion on the opposite corner, and Jere S'.iofcan's livery stable. Eleventh and Walnut, were unroofed. The roof of the republican convention 2iall was blown off. The scene in the river was appalling. Steamboats moored at their landings were torn away, turned over and sunk, drowning all on board. Many people were seen clinging to floating wreck age, and piteously appealing for help. At present it is impossible to estimate the lives lost. The hospitals are full of injured, and the morgue contains many dead, while numbers of slain lie every where among the ruins of the demol ished buildings. Many of the dead will never be identified. The Plant flour mills, the St. Louis iron and steel works are demolished, and the immense Cupples block is par tially destroyed. A terrible feature of the stcrm was the blowing down of Old City hospital. The entire north wing of the ramshack le old structure was blown away. Two patients were killed and a number se riously Injured. How many of the un fortunates of the city resting in the hospital walls at the time the storm struck will die as a result of the expo sure to the elements cannot be conjec tured. Returns from the St. Louis races are received at the track at Lakeside, Ind., and a few minutes after 5 o'clock the -operator sending the report of the raoes stopped his work long enough to remark: "There goes the grandstand." Then his wire collapsed and nothing more was heard from him. In a few seconds the same message was re ported from Lexington, Ky., with the additional Information that fully 150 people were dead. This information was subsequently corroborated by the operator of the Wabash road at Deca tur, who said that in his second mes sage received from East St. Louis it was declared that the grand stand at the races was down and that fully 150 people were buried In the ruins. At East St. Louis the destruction seemed greatest. 11. C. Hice, Western lTnlon manager at the relay depot, climbed across the demolished bridge and reported the National hotel, the Trcmont House, the Martell House, the DeWolf cafe, the Hezel Milling com pany's mill, Horn's cooper shop, and a great many dwellings east of there as far as Fifth street, gone and many peo ple killed. The Baltimore and Ohio and V'andalia round-house, the Stand ard oil works, the East St. Louis and Crescent elevators, and twelve freight houses on the levee, are demolished. Diaaotera on Water. The steamer J. J. Odell of the Illi nois River packet was blown from its wharf at the foot of Morgan street, crashed into the second pier of the Eads bridge, and sank. Her boilers blew up before she disappeared. She had a crew of 12, and three women passen gers, besides her captain, George Town- send, an old riverman, who had his home in St. iouis. Three of her crew, Jack Morrissey, Pat Milan, and a man named Moore, reached land safely. The two former jumped before the explosion and caught driftwood. Moore was blown overboard by the explosion, and was cut about the head, but managed to swim ashore. Three others of the crew clung to the pier and made their way up to the bridge proper. There is no way of es timating the number of lives that were lost on the river crafL ltelle of ltatoo Konce Lost. The tug Belle of Baton Rouge, which was anchored up the river, was carried far down the river, rolling over and over, and finally struck the raft of .'he Wiggins Ferry Company at the front of Choteau avenue, where it sunk. As the first evidence of the approach ing storm began to appear every en gineer on the river got up full steam In order to be able to combat the ele ments. Had it been anything but a tor nado it is probable this would have aided the crews of the steamers in sav ing their craft. But the onslaught wrt so violent that the crews found tWir efforts only sufficed to aid them slift't ly in directing the course of t&eir boats. The steamer Pittsburg of the Dia mond Joe line, the steamer City of Vicksburg and the Providence of the HOSPITAL Columbian Exposition Company, the Captain Monroe of the Anchor line, and many of the smaller craft were pitched and tossed about until the final blast rent them from their anchorage. The storm swept diagonally across the river and struck the Illinois hank with increased fury. The loss of life in the water on the east side seems to have been light, as everybody was cautioned not to jump and everybody was carried safely to land. The Belle of Calhoun and the Libbie Condor, which were moored near Cho teau avenue, were almost totally broken up. The Ellen G. Smith, the harbor boat, was blown away down the river, and was wrecked near Arsenal island. It Is thought no lives were lost on this boat. Tte steamer Ed Harvester of the Missouri Valley Transportation Com pany, was also torn from its dock and carried down the river. rI:iny Heroic Act Performed. Many heroic acts were performed in the saving of lives as a result of the storm. When the City of Monroe had listed away from the Anchor line wharf there were about 40 passengers on board and a full crew, as the boat was just making ready for the trip to' New Orleans. When the moorings finally gave way the boat lurched over on its side and nearly capsized. The move ment threw nearly all the freight to the starboard side and served to hold the boat in its perilous position. Capt. Viegler made a reassuring speech to the passengers, which slightly quieted the extreme excitement. He said they were all safe. When the boat struck the Illi nois bank the captain was not to be found. The crew of the tug Dolphin No. 2 had a marvelous escape from drowning when the boat was blown from its moor ings at he foot of Washington avenue. On board were three men and two women, the latter Jennie Mitchell, a cook, and Emma Nolan, chambermaid. When the storm broke the men were on deck and the women below. The mate saw that the storm was to be a hard one, and began to ring the alarm bell. Then the steamer Dragon, which left its moorings, was blown out into the si ream. At the same moment the Dolphin's ropes parted, and the tug began to ship water. The wind blew her against the bridge. While this was going on the women and the oilier men on the boat climbed to the' upper decks. When the boat struck the bridge those on board had to dodge to esrupe the iron work of the structure. The mate saw there was no hope If they stayed on board. Jennie Mitchell was the first to climb on the ironwork She was assisted by two of the men, while the mate stayed on deck te help Emma Nolan. As she swung herself to the MAP OF ST. LOUIS beams the boat drifted away, and sank befife the eyes of the horrified crew. Slowly, with the wind blowing at a force that caused the big structure to rock like a cradle, the three brave men trusted the women on the laborious climb to the roadway. , Several times they were nearly blown off. They final ly reached the railroad track 'on the bridge, where they lay down until the full force of the storm was passed. Then they crawled to the "Washington avenue station. . There were fumowVhursday fthat the excursion steamer Grand Republic, belonging to the Columbian Excursion Company, had gone to the bottom with 500 excursionists. An officer of the com pany promptly denied this. He said the boat left St. Louis at noon to go to Alton, where It was registered for an excursion at 8 o'clock that night. The storm might have blown the boat away, but in that case only the crew would have been imperiled, and these men could swim to safety. She is' safe. Wild Race with Death. "While the storm was at Its highest the passenger train on the Chicago & Alton railway pulled out on the bridge from the Missouri side. It was on its way east. Engineer Scott had only proceeded a short distance when he realized the awful danger which threat ened the train. The wind struck the coaches, at first causing them to careen. At that time he was about half way across. Overhead the poles were snap ping and tumbling into the river, while large stones were shifting loose from their foundations and plunging into EADS BRIDGE THE EAST END OF the water. Realizing that any moment his train might be blown into the water or else the bridge be blown away Scott, with rare presence of mind, put on a full head of steam in an effort to make the east side shore. The train had scarcely proceeded 200 feet and about the same distance from the shore when an upper span of the bridge was blown away. Tons of huge granite blocks tumbled to the tracks where the train loaded with passengers had been but a moment before. At about the same instant the wind struck the train, up setting all the cars like playthings. Luckily no one was killed, but several were taken out severely injured. Tbe SHOWING LOCATION" OF THE FAIR GROUNDS AND EADS BRIDGE. . m ilsw .a im-Jl B?.f !U-&H Si-'i !kvi!!r Hff Tfrl tSSSSSS "r"rr wrecked part of tne bridge Is Just east of the big tower, near the Illinois shore, and extends east for about 300 feet The entire upper portion, traversed by street cars and carriages, is carried away, while the tracks beneath are buried in the debris, in some places eight feet deep. At midnight a report er penetrated the mud and debris to the burning St. Louis refrigerator ware house. Several "injured firemen had been taken from the wreck, and three more were known to be In the ruins. Fire Adds to the Horror. Fire added much to the storm's loss AND EAST ST. LOUIS. account. Down wires, wild currents of electricity, crushed buildings, all contributed to this element of destruc tion. The alarm system was paralyzed. Approaches were blocked; a $200,000 conflagration on the St. Louis side was supplemented by a dozen lesser fires. In East St. Louis a mill was burned, and two other considerable losses were sustained. To the enormous total the fires added at least $500,000. Tne Catholic church of St. John, of Nepomuk, at the corner of Twelfth and Soulard streets, was razed to the ground, except the front, which stands like a tower, all the side and back walls being completely destroyed. It was a very large and handsome church. Now there only remains the arches and tur rets of the front and enough of the walls to show the beautiful style of its architecture. The debris lies in the street at the side and inside the build ing, the side walls just projecting above it. There is scarcely any debris in front, leaving the front view very natural ex cept for the ghastly vacancy shown through the windows. Deiu-rlhed by Frankenfeld. H. "W. Frankenfeld, the St. Louis weather ofiicer, was a busy man during and after the storm. In an interview he said: "For the past week the weather in the vicinity of St. Louis has been charac terized by low pressure, high tempera tures, excessive humidity, and prevail ing southerly winds. The pressure has also been low throughout the west. At AT ST. LOUIS. IT WAS CARRIED AWAY. the same time it is relatively high in the south, causing the warm, southerly winds laden with moisture, to blow from the gulf of Mexico. This mois ture has been held in suspense by the warm atmosphere, and the humidity consequently increased from day to day. The mean temperature averaged from 3 to 13 degrees above the normal each day, while the humidity ranged from 7 to 20 per cent each mean, for this season of the year. "Wednesday morning, the weather map showed the low pressure still over lying the west with the center of de pression extending in irregular oval from the Texas Pan-Handle through west Kansas and Nebraska. Throuch- out th state of Missouri high tempera ture and humidities prevailed with south winds. The day would be popu larly termed 'warm, hazy, muggy.' "Although reports are missing, owing to the widespread destruction. It Is now evident the storm area moved slowly east during the day. The barometer commenced to fall at 9 o'clock and by noon it had fallen a thirteenth of an inch. About this time the sky became covered with dark, thickly-cumulated strata, which by 6 o'clock formed a mass of stratus cloud, which commenc ed to assume a light-green color In the northeast. "This green color slowly advanced from the northeast, spread more to the west and north. At the same time the temperature commented to fall. "The normal cyclonic circulation thus brought winds of different tempera tures and humilities into an upper posi tion, with the results that a decided instability was produced in the atmos phere and a violent secondary storm center was created. The barometer continued to fall rapidly and by 5 p. m. it had fallen .25 of an Inch since noon. The wind was becoming variable, with a tendency toward a northerly direc tion until lightning and thunder had commenced, at 4:30 p. m. "At 5:04 p. m. the storm broke forth in all its fury; the wind changed sud denly to northwest, with rapidly in creasing velocity, and the rain fell in torrents. The green cloud still remain ed In the west and north, but the storm moved toward the southeast with large, angry detached masses of cumulus clouds crossing each other. At 4:15 p. m. the wind changed from the north, having the greatest velocity in the his tory of St. Louis. About 5 p. m. the wind had reached about 62 miles and later on it changed in its direction to the southeast. "From 5:04 p. m. to 6:04 p. m. 1.38 inches of rain fell. When the rain end ed at 9:05 p. m. 1.53 inches had fallen in all. The electrical storm was of un usual volume. The sky was almost one continuous blaze of light and the clouds extended far into the south." I-Ut of the 1 !. The following is a list of the dead, according to the latest advices from the stricken city: Michael Bradshaw, 81 South Jefferson avenue; Katie Clayphal, aged 21, and Mrs. Clayphal, 814 South Jefferson ave nue; Martin McDonald, 2745 Clark ave nue; unknown baby, 2745 Clark ave nue; Mrs. Cheney, 1415 Mississippi ave nue; John P. Pendy; Jennie Hahn, Shrewsbury Park; Charles Nee. 400 South Seventh street; William Winkle. Eighth street and Park avenue; James Dunn, city hospital; unknown child. 944 Papin street; two unknown men. Twenty-seventh and St. Vincent ave nue; unknown woman. Thirteenth and Soulard street; unknown man, Dallman and Park avenue; janitor St. Paul's church; unknown man. Eighteenth: .THE STEAMER ODELL. SUNK IN THE RIVER AT street and Geyer avenue; two unknown children, 1726 South Ninth street; Mal achi McDonald, 30, single, 27i5 Clark avenue; unknown baby, 2 years old. picked up at Twenty-second and Mar ket streets; Robert Miller, Blair and Benton avenues; unknown, picked up at Third and Rutger; William Ottewad; John Burgess; Wallace T. C. Butler; Booker Epstein; Bornstein; Fred Zimmers, chief engineer union depot power house; 'unknown child, about 5 years old, California and Ann avenues; J. Lemeke, manager St. Louis Barbers' Supply Co.; unknown man, at A. B. Jones' broom factory; Josephine Mar tini; fifteen unknown men; one un known woman; one unknown girl; John Rafferty; Harry Hess; Mr. and Mrs. Da vid Sade; George Woods, clerk in Van dalia office; Henry Strieker, Vandalia railway; J. E. Keene. Vandalia rail way; Dr. C. E. Neall, dentist; two chil dren of Mrs. Horace Trump, Litchfield, 111.; Mrs. Richey; Joe Frank; Joe Mitch ell; Phil Strieker; Charles Carroll, bar ber; John Kent: Mrs. Scott Hayward; Frank Rose; Ed Kavanaugh; Jacob Kurtz, Vincennes. Ind.; Mrs. Clenden ning; Mrs. Bruce; Mrs. Emma Sullivan; Robert Bland; John Reamer; Charles Maitz; William Saber; Henry Winter man; Anderson; Palmsley; Miss Conley; Mrs. Slide; Charles Waites, 1519 Collins avenue; William Surber; Henry Winterman An- derson: Peter Walmsby; Miss Conley; I Mrs. Slide; John Hayes; Mrs. William Hayes; Mrs. Pat Bean; J. A. Porter, j Broughton, 111.; flagman of air line, name unknown; John Hayes; Mrs. Wil j liam Hayes; unknown boy; unknown traveling man; Mr. and Mrs. David S. ; Sage; George Woods, clerk in V'andalia j office; Henry Spricker, Vandalia line; J. E. Heine, Vandalia line; Dr. C. E. Mull, dentist; John Kent; Mrs. Scott Hayward; Frank Rose; O. Kavanaugh; Jacob Kurtz, Vincennes, Ind.; Mrs. Clendennin; Mrs. Bruce; Mrs. Emma Sullivan; John Brames; twenty em ployes of the Liggett & Myers Tobacco company at Tower Grove Park; twenty men employed in the St. Louis Wooden Gutter and Refrigerator factory, at Sec ond street and Park avenue. Iteed at Fast "t. fanla. Great difficulty Is being encountered at East St. Louis In the work of Identi fying the dead. The latest advices five the following list: David Langg and wife; Philip Stick ler; George Roose; Miles Mitchell; Mar tin Martel, proprietor Martel house; three servant girls in Martel houso; James Kent; sixteen unknown dead In Vandalia freight house; twelve dead In Louisville & Nashville freight house; seventeen dead In Big Four freight house; live dead in Air Line freight house; twenty dead at the east switch house of the Eads bridge; four dead at relay depot; nix members of a wharf boat crew. Charles Carroll, barber; John Kent; Mrs. Scott Hayward; Frank Rose; Ed Kavanuugh; Jacob Kurtz, Vincennes, Ind.; Mrs. CletnlenniuK; Mrs. Bruce; Mrs. Emma Sullivan; Robert Bland; John Ucumer; Charles Maltz; William Ruber; Henry Winter man; Anderson; I'alniHle) ; Mlts Conley; Mrs. Slide; Flagman of Air Line, name unknown; John Haven; Mrs. William Hayes; Mrs. Pat Bean; John Valentine; City Collector David S. Sage and wife; Philip Strlckler, Jr.. ami mother; Judge Faulk, Vandalia, III.; Mrs. M. Martell; All of the boarders at Martell House except Judge Hope of Alton, 111.; Mr. and Mrs. John HayeH; Will Hayes; Sixteen boarders at Tre mont House; William Mitchell; Irene Clendenen; William Sullivan uml wife; Mrs. John Reed; Patrick Dean uud family of six; John Biuliaiz; two boarders at Stacey's boarding house; Edward O'Brien; John llreen; Ida Gladdue; Mrs. Roof; Albert Volkman; Joseph Mitchell; John Sullivan; Will iam Rickey; unknown man on Colllns ville avenue; son of Mrs. Ira Kent. Among the missing are: IM"" Bland, supposed to be under the v of the Vandalia depot; City Clerk J. .iy Kaln; Frank Bland; Frank M'Coimlck; Al bert Volkman; Earl Keene; George Woods; Mike Kildea; W. E. Kitfer; Alvin Mate; Will Murray; Dan Kelly; George Romer; W. Frelink W. Han ford, all employes in Vandalia depot and bejieved to be in its ruins. IJhi'h hi-rn in Mliurl. Baldwin, Mo., special: A hurrieane accompanied by a terrific rain and hail storm, passed over St. IoiiIh County about 4:30 Wednesday afternoon. For three hours rain fell in torrents and hail fell to a deptli of several .nches. Great damage was done to crop throughout this section of the country. Several buildings were blown down, but so far as can be learned no one in this section was seriously injured. Moberly, Mo., special: Ten people were killed in a tornado which struck the village of Labaddie, I-rankim county, Wednesday evening, and the town of Renick, ten miles from Mober ly, In Randolph county, was completely wiped out. Nothing definite from eith er place. ST. LOUIS BY THE CYCLONE. Sturgeon, Mo., special: A cyclone passed three miles north of Sturgeon at 3 o'clock Wednesday afternoon. At Renick three men were seriously in jured, and a family of colored people were carried over a mile, two chil dren being badly m hurt. Friendship church, north of town, was demol ished. Mexico, Mo., special: A cyclone swept across Audrian county Wednes day evening, doing great damage to crops and wrecking many buildings. Seven people have been killed in the county and probably twenty-five badly injured. In the Bean creek district a school house was carried completely away, and a daughter of Joseph B. Ware, one of the pupils, was killed, and Lulu Eubanks and Hilda Blase, also school children, were fatally in jured. Others along the route of the tornado in this district, whose names cannot be learned, are more or less in jured. At the Dye school hou.se, six or eight miles further southeast, not a pu pil escaped uninjured, and five children were killed, three outright, two dying later at this place. The school bouse was utterly demolished and several of the children were blown a great dis tance away, and were not found until several hours afterward, and then In a mutilated condition. Eicnty PnplU Killed. Kansas City, Mo., special: Alton train dispatcher reports eighty chil- dren killed at Drake, near Roodhouse, 111., by the cyclone. They were buried in a school building. Drake, where seventy children are re ported killed, is a small town in Greene county, and 240 miles from Chi cago on the Chicago, Kansas City and Denver short line of the Alton railroad. It is five miles west of Roodhouse, a junction point on the Alton road, and 115 miles southwest of Bloomington, and directly in tbe track of the furious storm. It is approximately sixty miles northwest of St. Louis, and about mid way between Chicago and Kansas City. It has a Western Union telegraph sta tion, several churches and schools, and is an educational center for Southeast ern Illinois. i