The Aegis & Intelligencer

For twenty minutes; minutes which seemed lengthened into hours, these missiles, varying from a quarter of an inch to an inch and a quarter in diameter, fell as thickly as snow flakes; and driven by the angry blast, struck with the force of bullets.

They were of a jagged, irregular shape, resembling that which molten lead assumes when thrown out to cool; the centre being of a white, opaque substance, and covered with pure, transparent ice, twisted by the fingers of the frost into a thousand fantastic forms. One of them picked up on Carondelet avenue weighed 2 ounces. Of the quantity some idea may be gained by a single incident. Bailey & Co's Circus was performing on the Lindell lot, and the proprietors fearing the tent might be demolished, let down in the centre sat that is assumed the shape of a huge funnel. When the storm was over no less than fifty bushels of hail were removed! The force with which it came may be judged from the fact that a negro on Third street was knocked down by three of the stones striking him on the head at once. Individuals unable to gain a shelter were severely wounded, and there are rumors that one or two persons in the northern part of the city were killed outright.

Every building with a western exposure, unprotected by blinds or shutters was completely riddled as if by a fusilade of musketry at point blank range. A well-known glazier estimates that not less than $20,000 worth of work in his line will be required to repair damages in the city proper, and we believe he is rather under than over the mark.

There is not a street in the city on which there was not one or more runaways.— Every policeman reporting at the station houses saw runaways, and indeed nearly every person who was on the street, or lookout, witnessed the frantic action of the unchecked teams. One officer, who was at the Pacific Railroad Depot, on Seventh Street, saw six runaways at one time, including a four-horse team.

It is said a person, who had been out hunting near the Six Mile House, returned with 55 snipe, which had been killed by the hail. We hope the snipe are not as tough as the story.

We have reliable information that a colored people's funeral procession, which was going up Pine street, was sadly disturbed by the storm. When near the corner of Seventeenth street the hailstones commenced to pelt the horses, and one after another the teams ran away, including that drawing the hearse, which became utterly unmanageable. The driver was thrown off the corpse thrown out, and all the mourners carried away from the object of their grief. Sometime after the storm a person who had formed one of the party was seen in the neighborhood where the storm struck the funeral looking for the coffin. The funeral, we understood, was postponed.

One of the most alarming incidents of the evening was witnessed on the ferry boat which was conveying the passengers who arrived by the Indianapolis and St. Louis train from East St. Louis. There were five or six omnibuses, two or three hacks, and some wagons on the boat at the time, and the former had a pretty fair load. The boat had just left the landing and was sheering round, when the hail came down with such heavy force that a partial stampede occurred. One of the horses of an omnibus commenced struggling to get loose, and got jammed against one of the Planters' Hotel carriages. The omnibuses were moving forward, or endeavoring to do so, and the wagons were moving in an opposite direction, but on the same side of the boat. There was a general struggle among the horses, and intense excitement prevailed among the passengers, who got out of the vehicles in whatever way and as quickly as they could. Fortunately, very few injuries were sustained. The captain of the ferry boat put the vessel back, but the passengers did not go ashore. As soon as the violence of the storm had passed, the boat had its head turned to St. Louis and the passengers arrived at St. Louis without any further unpleasant accident Several of the deck hands of the boat received cuts and bruises.