29 May 1896
Page 1
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Newspaper
Fresno Republican Weekly
Location
Fresno, California, United States of America
Date
May 29, 1896
Page
1
A mighty cyclone struck St Louis around 5 PM causing massive devastation. Reports say hundreds dead or missing, many wounded, and fires raging as bridges and rail lines are washed away. The Great Republic sank with all aboard. telegraph and power failed, plunging the city into darkness as rescuers worked amid wreckage and rising floodwater.
Reports detail a massive cyclone tearing through St Louis and East St Louis, wrecking bridges, depots, hotels, factories, and dozens of buildings. Widespread fatalities and injuries feared, with estimates around 200 to 1000 dead as fires and chaos disrupt rescue efforts.
A violent storm sweeps St Louis and nearby towns causing massive damage and casualties. Reports say seven ships sunk, power lines and trolley wires down, darkness blankets streets, and most cars halted. Debris and fires spread as winds reached high speeds and lightning aided destruction.
Reports show no messages received from west of here toward Moberly as debris and damage spread. Scattered towns between Moberly and nearby areas were wiped out and many people killed. Initial belief placed deaths at the fairgrounds where the grand stand toppled, but witnesses at the track say they saw the storm approach and ran to adjacent fields for safety.
A massive river disaster and cyclone hit St Louis on May 27. Steamers sank or were driven bottom up. many passengers drowned or missing. The city endured widespread destruction, with hospitals overwhelmed and residents aiding rescue efforts amid continued morgue arrivals and ongoing searches.
Details of the tornadoes damage in St Louis and East St Louis report 315 known dead near the river with the final count possibly near 400 across both cities. Injuries run into the hundreds and property losses reach millions as factories, homes and rail lines are wrecked. River craft are blown from moorings with several passengers feared dead or missing. Police and militia guard the wrecked districts while efforts to locate the missing continue amid widespread chaos and looting fears.
Names recovered thus far include Henry Adien Charles Archambault Mre Balman James Bean Tred Branwell A J Bergest Louis Boeckman John Bergess Kenonerts Butcher W C Butler George Geul Mre Claypole Katie Claypole Emma Chaneys Peter McGiv eng Martin Craddick Mrs Crimp Sol plia Demonstina James Drenn Annie Dugan and many more with nineteen unknown men eight unknown women five unknown children plus engineers janitor and several other listed workers from local companies and churches.
St. Louis reports extensive church damage from a fierce storm on May 23. St Francis de Sales, St Patrick’s, and Holy Angels suffered severe wreckage while Lafayette Park M E Church and Lafayette Park Presbyterian show partial wall damage. Armondes and Jefferson area structures fell, and several buildings along La Salle St and the Faction Corner were damaged.
Federal troops were directed to advance to the city to assist the mayor and city police. By early morning the local force could not protect citizens or property. Thieves and raiders from across the country swarmed in, prompting the mayor to appeal to Governor Altgeld for state aid.
Crowds search for lost friends as coroner Waite orders rapid identification and removal of unidentified bodies. Workers document hospital notes while frightened women and children watch the morbid procession.
In St Louis on May 28 a storm wreck sparked thefts as thieves roamed the scene harming the dead and looting houses and merchants reported wagon loads of goods stolen. A public meeting at the Merchants' Exchange raised about $12,000 in under an hour for storm sufferers.
The cyclone last night wrecked blocks of homes and left a scene of death from the river bank to the stock yards. Morgues and hospitals are crowded with dead and injured as authorities assess the toll, with hundreds feared dead and extensive destruction along Broadway and surrounding areas. The disaster halted normal travel between East St Louis and downtown, with a single ferry serving a surging crowd as National Guard units prepare.
A long list of identified and unidentified victims from the Vandalia route disaster in East St Louis appears, naming Charles Waite, Amelia Surber, John Anderton, and many others. The tally includes boarders, store workers, a messenger boy, a city collector, and several unidentifed remains found at various sites including a bridge, railway station, and morgue as investigations continue.
Ontario May 28 trains on the Chicago St Louis lines including the Alton and the Wabash were practically paralyzed as a strike disrupted service. Reports from St Louis said no trains entered the city. Burlington and freight houses suffered damage near St Louis and vandalia freight yard workers were killed. Crowds gathered at depots along the routes seeking information as officials denied full knowledge of the movement.
In Jogr on May 28 a man named Denhap, who killed Colonel McGimccy and his family, was tracked near Smith Creek. A sheriff's posse of about thirty men, split into three groups with bloodhounds, departed South Greek at midnight to surround the area and capture Dunham within twenty four hours.
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