der. The city authorities and board
of trade organized relief corps. The brave spirit of self-reliance
triumphed over the appalling calamity. Money for relief was sent to the
city from many sources, and it is interesting to note that the citizens
of Johnstown, who had suffered from the great catastrophe of the
previous year, were among the first to offer help. They knew what
desolation meant.

THE ST. LOUIS TORNADO

A far more terrible story of death and destruction is that of the St.
Louis tornado of May 27, 1896, which lasted but half an hour, killed 306
persons and destroyed property to the amount of $12,000,000.

The same tornado visited many places in Missouri and Illinois, causing
an additional property loss of $1,000,000.

The sky grew black at 4 P. M., the sun was eclipsed in the whirl of
driving dust and dirt, mingled with the branches and leaves of trees,
the boards of buildings and other loose material torn off by the wind.
At times the wind blew eighty miles an hour. In that mad half hour,
while property was crumbling and hundreds of human lives being snuffed
out, thousands of maimed and bleeding persons were added to the awful
harvest of devastation.

FREAK DESTRUCTION

Over in East St. Louis, where the houses were all frail structures, the
destruction was greatest. The great Eads Bridge was twisted all out of
shape, and freight cars were tossed to and fro, tumbled into ditches and
driven sometimes into the fields many yards from where they had stood.
The great Vandalia freight house fell in a heap of utter ruin, burying
beneath it thirty-five men who had there sought refuge.

The swath cut was three blocks wide and four miles long. The top of the
bridge was knocked off as well as the big abutment. The Martell House
was blown into the Cokokia Creek and many were buried in the ruins.

To add to the horrors of the night the electric-light plants were
rendered incapable of service, and the gas lamps were also shut off,
leaving the city in utter darkness. Fire broke out in several portions
of the city, and the fire department was unable to make an effective
fight because of the choked condition of the streets and the large
number of firemen who were engaged in the imperative work of rescuing
the dead and wounded.

ANNIHILATION

The City Hospital, which fortunately survived the storm, was filled to
overflowing with the injured. In addition to those who were killed in
their houses and in the st