Storm King Abroad

St. Louis, Jan. 25. - A terriflp thunderstorm raged for an huur ur more in this vicinity after 3 a. m, The sky cleared after a time shortly after daybreak, but the wind continued to blow; It increased in intensity until at 10:45 a. m. the weather bureau officials reported a velocity of sixty-three 'miles an hour hád been gained. Reports of accidente from various parts of the city are coming In and thus far there have been two fatalities as far as known. August Weymeyer was blown off the Shields building and died in ten minutes from nis injuries after being taken to the hospital: he was a carpenter 37 years oid. Thomas Joseph Peterson, i years old, was blown from the roof of a porch at 250 Franklin avenue and killed. Injured: Mrs. Sarah Lorin of 3340 Laclede avenue, spine crushed and she may die, injury caused by blowing down of a fence. Shortly after 3 a. m. a terrino thunderstorrn.aecompanied by a heavy fall of hail and rain struck the city and prevailed for an hour or more. By daybreak the sky had cleared, but it soon became cloudy again and the wind began to rise. Sixty-Tliree Miles au Hour. By 10:45 o'clock the wind was blowing at the rate of sixly-three miles an hour, but seventeen miles less than the recorded velocity during1 the tornado of May, 1896. It was a straight blow from the southweft and the residents of the city. especially in the tornado-stricken portion, were seized with consternation, expecting another visitation. Soon reports began to come into the pólice stations from all sections of the city indicating that there had been considerable destruction of property. Swinging sig-ns and window panes blew down and were broken, outhouses demolished and fences leveled, telegraph poles and wires broken and in some instances ronfs wore taken off. A frame building on Twelfth street, between Locust and Washington avenue, was broken down, but no deaths r injuries have been reporter. The east vall of the 'ruins of the Ravenwood disillery at Madison and Twenty-third treets was blown over. Several Thrilling Kscappf. A Scullin line car on Twenty-third treet narrouiy escaped being caught and buried under the wall. At Nineeenth and Market streets the roof of a wo-story building was blown down. There were everal thrilling -escapes. jut so far as can be learned no one was njured. The roof of twö one-story buildings. 8Ö9 and 811 Locüst street, ocupied respectively by J. B. Smart & Son, lailors, and the Old Mansion barber shop, was blown clear across the treet. The occupants of the store made a rush to escape serious injury. The guests of the St. Nicholas hotel mmediately adjoining rushed excitedly from their apartments. The wind created much alnrm at the Four Courts, especially among the jail prisoners. The big building swayed perceptibly and here was a general exodus from upper floors.