Hospitals

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Babies Taken

SCENES IN THE HOSPITALS

 

A trip through the east side hospitals at midnight; revealed terrible suffering. At St. Mary's the Sisters were treating fifty cyclone victims. Dr. McLean had charge of the surgical ward, and was assisted by Drs. Fairbrother, Le Haan and Thompson. The doctors had been busy since the storm sewing up and dressing wounds, The patients had sustained injuries of various kinds, but fortunately only a few were considered in a critical condition. Two or three died after being received at the hospital. Several had fractured skulls, and several others were injured internally. The reporter talked with a number of the patients.

Roy D. Moore, a Vandalia freight clerk, was found with his right arm broken between the elbow and wrist.

His home is on the Missouri side of the river, near the corner of Page and De Hodiamont avenues. He said he bad been caught in the wreck of the Vandalia freight office, on the Levee, with about thirty others. He was pinned in near Mat Quirk, Joe Crean, Thos. Dougherty, Mr. Givens and Bob and Ed Bland. They were all taken out alive, and as to the twenty-five others he could not say what became of them.

On a cot next to Moore lay two children, Nancy and Albeit Fierce. At their side sat an older sister and their mother, who had escaped with but a few bruises. The boy's shoulder and breast are badly injured, and Florence's right wrist is dislocated. Their home near the Crescent elevator, was blown over and demolished, the entire family being buried in the ruins.

The next cot west was occupied by a boy with his bead in bandages. No one seemed to know who he was or where he had been brought from. The little fellow was asleep. Nearby was an unknown man with his head tied up. He had come from the operating room and was unconscious. One of the attendants said he was not expected to live long. He had been taken from the ruins of the Martel House.

In the same room was Frank Barr, who works in Nelson Morris' stock yards. He was at home, No. 7 Rock road, when the storm came up. His house was blown to pieces and lie and his wife were buried in the ruins. He didn't know bow seriously his wife was injured. His own injuries were not very serious, consisting of bruises and cuts.

In the hallway downstairs was John Malloy, who was caught in the ruins of the Air Line freight house and completely covered. He complains of pains in his side and left shoulder.

Thomas Dougherty, a Vandalia freight clerk, who lives with at 1322 North Seventh street, St. Louis, escaped bruised hip and cuts on his head.

Al Tudrer was another storm victim found in the hallway. He comes from Hamilton, OH, and came to East St. Louis a few days ago with Charles Kinney, of Indianapolis, in search of work. When they saw the storm coming they crawled into an empty box car. The car was blown over and the occupants badly bruised, one the shoulder and head and the other on the hip.

In another ward Dr. E. Thompson was found sewing up a frightful gash in Patrick Trainer's head. The injured man was delirious and imagined that several men had him down and were beating him. A couple of men were holding him while the Doctor stitched up the wound.

In the same room was John McMahon, with his shoulder blade and rib broken and back injured. He came to East St. Louis from Alton a couple of days ago. He sought shelter, when the storm came up, in a little frame house near the Green Tree Hotel. The house was demolished and McMahon's clothes were blown from his body. He was cut and bruised all over, but no bones were broken.

Deamie Bender, who lives at 2609 Walnut street, this city, and works for the Big Four line, was found in that room with his feet injured. He went down with the freight office of that line, along with a number of others.

 

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