A CYCLONE’S WORK.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 444, 8 February 1890, Page 4

A CYCLONE’S WORK.

IT DOES MUCH DAMAGE IN ST. LOUIS. Ax 4.30 o’clock on the afternoon of January 12a cyclone struck the southwestern section of St. Louis and swept through the northern limits, making a pathway nearly a quarter of a mile.wide, and leaving death and desolation in its tracks. There was scarcely any warning of the approaching storm, owing to the fact that the sky had been overcast several hours before the full force of the wind was felt. Dozens of dwellings and stores in the southern, central and northern sections of the city were more or less wrecked. Three fatalities are reported, but they comprise an entire family, father, mother and child, residing on Mound-street. They met their deaths by the falling of a building on their dwelling. The losses on property are roughly estimated at §IOO,OOO, but are likely to prove more. The cyclone seemed to have entered the city in its full force at Twenty-third-street and Chateau Avenue, passing northeast until it reached Seventeenth and Olivestreets, where it again turned to the northeast, leaving the city and striking the river just north of Tyler-street-. The only announcement of its approach was a dull, sullen roar, quickly followed by a torrent of rain, which iu turn was succeeded by sleet, and before the victims could realise what had happened the storm had swept by and on, leaving wreckage and mangled humanity in its pathway. Trees were torn up by the roots and broken off, telegraph poles were swept down, while the. roofs of buildings were lifted and tossed into the streets. , '• ••

Mrs Charles Miller, who resides with her husband at Twentieth and Eugenia-streets, was sitting in a chair with her babe in her arms when the roof was lifted from her house., She rushed to the window, and just then the wall gave way and Mrs Miller and her babe were buried under the debris. The babe escaped without a scratch, but the mother was badly hurt and may not recover, Mr Miller escaped unhurt. This is ;b,ut one of dozens of incidents of. the terrible, storm. . .; - • A telephone message from Venice, ,111., opposite th® northern, part of the city, says that the storm was very disastrous there and that.several lives.were lost, but no details are given. As usual in such cases, the weather preceding the cyclone was close, muggy and

{ oppressive, tho atmosphere being sur- : charged with electricity, and all the .1 elements of a disturbance and break of the forces of nature being present. During the forenoon the day became dark and lowering, the temperature being of spring-time mildness, almost debilitating in its languor. During tho afternoon _ a heavy and increasing rain began, which was accompanied by fitful bub severe gusts of wind, suggestive of a stormy March day. About 4 o’clock the skies darkened perceptibly, and shortly after that hour one solitary flash of lightning illuminated the scene and a severe peal of thunder followed. Hardly had the echoes died away when a cvclone burst upon the city and a brief reign of terror and desolation succeeded. When that was past and the people dared to venture out of their dismantled homes, the storm still continued in a modified form and a, severe wind prevailed throughout the remainder of the evening and night, with the temperature steadily falling. Swaying and threatening walls marked every corner along the track of the cyclone. 1 and the streets looked as if an earthquake had raked them, scattering the debris of roofs, chimneys and church spires down into the broad thoroughfares, until an aspect of general ruin prevailed.