04 Jun 1896
Page 1
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Newspaper
Oxford Eagle
Location
Oxford, Mississippi, United States of America
Date
Jun 04, 1896
Page
1
Eyewitness reports describe a dreadful cyclone in St Louis and surrounding towns with hospitals demolished steamboats lost Eads Bridge collapsed and hundreds displaced. Rescue efforts continue as fires rage and cities plunge into darkness amid wreckage and fearsome casualties.
A severe storm wrecked Union Station district crashing freight and passenger cars into the grain elevator and several brick buildings. Two women trapped in a ruined saloon grocery survived initially but one woman appeared fatally injured as telegraph poles and walls collapsed across streets and levee areas. Fire and wreckage spread as factories and shops suffered major damage with injuries reported along Chestnut, Twenty‑first, and Clark avenues.
Rumor spread across several city districts that the Liggett Merers Co cigarette factory on Park Avenue and Manchester Road had a collapsed roof burying about 100 workers. Police and ambulances were alerted as reports varied and were not independently confirmed.
A twenty foot section of the western jail wall collapsed during exercise, exposing the interior and causing terror among inmates. Jailer Wagner and police quickly secured the crowd, Four Courts damaged and Judge Harvey’s court adjourned in confusion as investigators were summoned to the scene.
The eastern abutment housing the ticket office of the Eads Bridge collapsed after a powerful wind. Debris and damaged piers left tracks blocked and fires started in East St Louis. The catastrophe, described as the greatest disaster to a major U S bridge, left unknown car status and widespread confusion in darkness.
Frank Matthews recalls a brutal river storm that wrecked the Pittsburg a Diamond Jo boat tied at the foot of Washington avenue. He and four others escaped by stepping into the river as the vessel sank. The Dolphin lies wrecked bottom up at Olive street while City of Vicksburg City of Providence and City of Monroe are missing with crews and passengers.
An East St. Louis catastrophe leaves multiple deaths and widespread ruin. Tudor mills and Wiecher’s hotel collapse, with about 15 to 20 people trapped. A bridge near Vandalia freight house burns amid fifty fires and extensive debris along Front Street. Passengers aboard the swapcar crossing train escape unhurt, though many are injured or missing.
The Mississippi Assembly near Crystal Springs opens on July 4 with Senator Wai Thall Ba efs invited to speak. The event features Rev. Syric Waethorne of Nashville and Dr. Dwight of Restec, plus the Schubertreartet of Chicago and a focus on veteran care and female education. Grounded grounds include a lake project, amphitheater, and visiting delegates as the event aims to promote elevation efforts statewide.
Reports from St Leos indicate further storm victims beyond the city and nearby regions in Missouri and Illinois. A casualty list cites many killed and injured at Sinker Sew Baden Marmont stations Breckenridge and more, with dozens of families mourning and others seriously injured. Across Ambler Jarrettown and Fram Franklin counties the cyclone damaged barns and homes, with an estimated $100,000 in losses and widespread uninsured property exposure. J B Yellowley notes drought harming crops in Madison county affecting tomatoes and overall yields.
More than forty churches were ruined or damaged by the cyclone, many near Lafayette Park in St Louis. Steeples fell and interiors flooded. congregations sought shelter in hospitals and schools as militiamen patrolled the darkened, rain soaked districts.
At the Methodist Episcopal general conference in Cleveland on May 24 the debate over forming a large church insurance company heated the session. Bishop Fowler struggled to maintain order as the decision loomed, with the long parliamentary clash centered on adopting a constitutional commission of six ministers, six laymen and three bishops to report to the next conference.
The Sherman Statue commission selected Carl Rohremith of Chicago to complete the statue design and awarded him the contract. Members include Lamont, Miles, Dodge, Howe, Noble, Henderson, Jacobson, Cadie, and other representatives from the government and the Society of the Army of the Tennessee.
The New Feasion ice Officials among Wm F Sands of the District of Columbia to be second secretary of legation at Tokio Japan. Lieut I C Lemly to judge advocate general of the nar with the rear of captain.
St Louis mourns as funerals fill May days after Wednesday disaster. In St Peter and St Henrys cemeteries and nearby plots, graves are prepared and solemn processions carry mourners to final rest.
Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice David L Snodgrass was adjudged guilty on a pistol carrying charge. He entered a guilty plea and was fined costs, stemming from a case involving a pistol made by Judge Jebo Beasley.
A couple near Leesburg Florida were badly mangled by an 11 foot alligator on a roadside near Lady Lake. Mrs Dyches fought the reptile with a kick while her husband drew a pistol and fired after the creature injured him. the gun misfired but the woman sprang in to kill the animal. The incident left Mr Dyches severely injured.
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