Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1904 — DEATH IN A TORNADO. [ARTICLE]

DEATH IN A TORNADO.

LIFE AND PROPERTY DESTROYED IN ST. LOUIS. Sudden Storm Wrecks Many Buildings in Exposition City, Then Crosses River Into Illinois—Woman Killed in Her Home in Venice.

A storm which assumed the proportions of a small tornado swpt over a block and a half of the residence district of North St. Louis Friday, causing the death of one person, the slight injury of probably fifty, and damaged property to the extent of $100,030. The storm then jumped across the Mississippi River into Illinois, near Venice, where one person was killed and ten injured and considerable property damage done. Trees were blown down and a number of houses unroofed. Mrs. M. C. Beal, of Venice, 111., was killed by the falling debris of her home, which was blown to pieces. John Ellington, at St. Louis, was killed in the destruction of part of the Madison Cooper Works. Breaks Without Warning. The storm which broke over St. Louis without warning was preceded by a shower earlier In the day, but there had been no rain In North St. Louis. The sky had cleared and its atmosphere had become murky and hot when a dark cloud approached from the southwest. Suddenly an arm seemed to shoot to the ground like a gigantic cable, twisting and turning. The end touched the; ground at Nineteenth and Angelrodt streets and swept along Angelrodt for ten blocks, then turned north and swept three blocks along Broadway, when it jumped eight blocks northeast to the foot of Breman street and the river, where considerable property along the river front was injured. The tornado then jumped to about the middle of the river and encountered a ferry boat, which was turned and tossed about, but was not sunk. Leaving the ferry, the storm struck the Illinois shore near Madison, where it demolished several dwellings, the Liederkranz Hall, and blew down a portion of the Madison copper works, killing John Ellington. Severe damage was done also to buildings in Granite City, which adjoins Madison, and a number of persons were injured, but none seriously.

Trolley Car Is Buried. A Broadway trolley car containing eleven passengers was buried under six telegraph poles which crashed into the top and wrecked the car. The passengers had a remarkable escape from Injury,and only the motorman received slight bruises. The roof and one-lmlf of the top story of Sommers Bros.’ Tailoring Manufacturing Company's establishment were blown away. Probably the heaviest loss suffered by a single concern was at the Niedringhaus rolling mill. The big smokestack was Jjlowii down and half the plant was demolished, entailing estimated damage of $23,000. Six employes were injured in this plant. Tart of the roof and two cupolas were blown from the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Rood Counsel. The side of the Backus Stove *nd Range Company plant was blown ln - , . • A, concert was ln progress In Festival Hall, at the Exposition, during the heavy thunder storm in the evening, when suddenly there was a flash of lightning, and immediately all Die lights went out. A panic was only prevented by a woman’s voice taking up the strains of “America,” the others Joining in. Other familiar songs followed, and the audience left the building singing, but without excitement. I n the Chinese village, on the Pike, 860 Chinamen, just arrived, were being watched over by Immigration officers temporarily when the storm struck. The celestials became panic stricken, find the officers were forced to draw revolvers to subdue the excitement. Lightning struck near by, and one Chinaman was severely shocked, while another jumped from the roof of the building and broke his arm. The hand stand in the Plaza at Rt. Louis<*vns struck by lightning and was burned.