The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-24
TEMPEST-RUINBD INDIANOLA.

1t is difficult for the residents of cities with
whom the storm dealt gently, or did not visit
at all, to realize the awful and overwhelming
calamity which has befallen the people OF
Indianola and the adjacent villages
That thrifty, pleasant town that for many
years had defed the winds and withstood the
encroachments of the boisterous Gulf should
suddenly and without warning be almost
literally expunged by the combined action of
the wind and waves is wonderful, and almost
challenges belief. The dreadful facts, how
ever, come well authenticated, and to US is
eft the sacred duty of giving such aid as may
be within our power to alleviate the physical
suffering of those who are left to mourn the
fate of the many hundreds who were swept
into eternity upon the wings of such a temp
est as seldom comes to devastate the earth.
1t is impossible to read the heart-rending
story, with all its horrifying details and
touching incidents, without tears yelling
up from the stoutest and hardest hearts, and
gathering in eyes all unused to weep. Not
within the power of words, far beyond the
possibility of art to depict the terrors of that
awful night, when, amid the Kissing and roar
ing of the tempest. and the thunder of the mer
CHESS waves from the Gulf, nearly three hundred
human beings met their thrilling doom. We
may close our eyes and try to picture to our
selves the pleasant little town nesting close
to the blue, deceitful waters of the Gulf,
with its inhabitants-its strong, self-reliant
men, its beautiful, hopeful women, and little,
careless, prattling children, all rather re-
joicing in the rising storm-for they had
passed unscathed through many storms
before We see the heavens grow darker,
and hear the hoarse murmur of the angry
Gulf
strong wind comes from out the leaden
ominous cloud in the west, behind which
the sun sank red and threatening, and as the
night advances and the gale increases we
note the look of anxiety that settles upon the
men and women. Old pilots who have en-
countered the fercest storms that ever swept |
the sea, grow serious, and solemn hush
settles over the doomed city. silence
in which man dares not breathe |
listening to the awful utterance of nature-a
silence which was broken all too soon by the
shrieks of drowning men and women, by the
walls of little children and the crash of
houses falling as they were swept away with
whole families by the resistless current.
The day dawns and Indianola is in ruins
Utterly demolished in a single night by the
cyclone, and for miles along the show-white
beach, for miles inland over the rough prairie
lie bleaching in the hooking sun, the mutt
ated victims of the storm
Over the bodies of many the waves have
learly washed the sand of the sea shore, and
rom these rude graves, these snowy mounds
project hands, and arms and feet, in mute,
tut eloquent appeal for decent burial.
All this and much more we may imagine,
'ut imagination itself is unequal to the task
# picturing one 1.-THE of the hor-
or of the scenes or of the suffering. The
ate of those who escaped with their lives
rom the storm is only a little less sad than
hat Of those who we're lost, for almost every
ne mourns some loved one, and in many
instances the survivors are the last of large
antilles.
The calamity is a national one, and aid for
be sufferers should and we know will be,
emit from every important city in the country.
oston - glorious warm-hearted Boston-as
sual, leads the way, and has already
ent substantial and munifcent aid,
nd her noble example the other cities |
ill not be slow to follow. Let us all do
hat we can to alleviate and supply the physi-
II wants of the afflicted people on the Texas
'ast No earthly sympathy or help can.
'sauge their grief.