, 1875-09-26
Full Particulars of the FriehtfuI
Disaster;
Narrative Of an Eye Witness to tho
Narrowing Scenes.
The Falling Houses, Roaring Waters, and
Drowning People.
tNDIANOlA.
hkfA EHfkdnA H.tfLA3f,a H.s.k m

had been during the gale From mr. point OF
view. the following WAS what eaw:
| Wednesday afternoon, tho 18th. WAS cloudy
day with pleasant breeze blowing and the sky
gave no token Of the approach OF high wind. The
citizens pursued their ayocations, little heeding
the dire disaster awaiting them. The sun set in
! leaden-eolored cloud and darkness Of the most
intense kind followed. After nightfau the wind
increased from the northeast and the swell in the
bay became higher, and by daylight Thursday
| it was blowing about Is miles an hour.
| This, however, occasioned no alarm in the town
until the news Was generally circulated that the
| water had encroached on the front and was
| foot deep in tho streets nearest the b.y.
| AS the news spread the citizens seemed to ap-
! precia1e q further rise, for many Of the mer~
chants commenced to carry their gooda up to
| the second floor, and to take other prscautiou-
ary steps. Thursday at 10 L. m it was
| blowing fearful1y, the wator still coming in
higher, and in two hours rose feet
| submerging most Of the town. The alarm
spread like wtld1re. Those who had boats ply
ing about in the waves taking women and children to
places Of fancied security. Families sent up to
the highest portions Of the dwellings, household goods
were confusedly hurried into Rarrss, and the whols
town was one scene Of terror.
There were mems Of leaving the town, nnd 80 ali
had to secure themselves best they could Mid
night Thursday heavy current set in, running
through the town and then commenced the dull
crash ali sides Of falling houses. The water by
tits time had reached point covering the whole
! place fully feet.
Looking ont, nothing could bo seen except house
taps and the white foam on the heavy rollers. With
every crash above the screaming Of the wind and the
roar Of the aters could heard the wall Of despair
from drowning woman and children.
Ftantcally clingng to the remnants Of the wzecks
for help when all around were unable to render any.
The scene begeared description. Strong men, over
wanted to rush forth certain death rather than SUI
fer to the victims pezishinR before their eyes
wnst they we're poverleas to render assistance Not
an eye closed thst night in Indanola. The loud
splash and cracking Of umEerst proclaimed another
house gone, End the sound was echoed by piercing
screams.
About dnylghs Friday morning the wind luled aud
the water fell rapidly 1t had risen, and By
it possible for people to get about in the higher
The severity Of the damage done Was then fully ap-
preciated Not house In tho placo but wha: showed
d b3
once tSey stood.
AFTER TIE STORM.
Az soon rs the citizens were able to get ont
Those confined In the upper stories Of
corrses caught BY Filling tinabess removed. It was
SD work. aud noby did the people respond to the
call for duty. 1t was then that The noat hecrrand-
ing scenes met Here little girl. almost nude,
wading in the ate1 in seatrh Of father, mother and
ssters whose bodes Lay bleaching the sands miles
Tor thcr grandchildren. whose prsttling voices were
forever stil1sd By the tre.chszous waters.
No pen could portray tho nd picture Of Friday at
for twelve hours, with $50 Of their number suddenly
stricken down, conld NOT but tearsatn the piper and
make the hand q the chronteler tremhle.
SATURDAY MORNING.
Tha work OF gathering up Whist was left OF the
wreck occupied Ill Fraa we're lit in the streets but
liz
the fires discussing the disaster aud there all
sides Visible sadness and GRIEF beyond tho power Of
run,or spread through the town that some 2 miles
back, where most Of the bodies had been wsahed,
Those who them reported that, in their greed for
jewel they had cut OF fingers from corpses and slit
the ears to secure r1ngH It was but short time BE-
fore small company Of volunteers "as formed and
in few hours they returned, hay1ng killed seren Of
the brutes whilst at their he1ltsh work The stsnch
from the de.d by this time has become Utmost untear
able. Those who had been caught beneath falling
buildings had commenced to putTefy, and the whole
air had the smell Of charnal house.
As the dood had extended some 10 miles tn shore,
where there 8 600 head Of cattle awaiting
transportation. numbers Of the herds were droHned,
and their c2rcasses added to the nauseadn8 stencil.
TEE WIND.
According 10 the last register made by the anenom-
eter IL the Signal Observatory before it fell. Thurs
and the citizens ssy it increased to fully 100 during the
night. The barometer fell Is low as 2895 inches, the
lowest known It 1ndianola.
IN 1ndia1oa who thinks the town will be rebuilt
All who get Away are hurrytng to Victoria, and
those who esnnot a. yst III DO 50 as aoon Is possible
Through the main street the current has cut g9lch
Is feet in depth md the place is now divided BY
it, Every house shows tnat 1t has passed through
crucial test nnd am eorry to say there but few
standing + is impossible Tor me- t9 tel you sr Thas
%rr,v tn yFanfA ANHU
TO fnd the inh:5itants Of 1ndanola, has to walk
away to the lake in the Of the town. and here
and thara unearh from he sands tho bodtes hall cov-
cred, with sometimes an arm exposed sometimes
foot
70 show you how rapidly the vater roac. need only
cite tho experience Of Of the he1ers tending the
cattle On the prair1es back Of tho town. When the
waters were zet noticed rising back thero notwth
thcir herds further inland but IN ten minutes the
water up to the saddfe-girt
To themselves they left the cattle and nads for
the h1uhlands hardly able to keep their seats &C.
count Of the force Of the wind The rain came down
in torrents and it with the utmost difficulty that
sy f9es f5a q e fy
sheep.
This Ii erunu EIace Powder Horn Point, and |
occupied the relative position to 1ndianola that
Navy Cove does to Mobile The pilots MI live their With
families It Is generally houaht that there was noout
100 persons the place. aud Of these only four or ra
are alive It was exposed to the full frJ Of the gale
and doubtless suffered much
approximate, for tho e1tennion of the dood for 10
many rcleA inland and along the coast must have On
eulphed many more than 1t Is possible now to learn
Of. |
TEE Last SAD OFFICES
Up to Monday evening last ninety bodies had boon
recovered and gyun Christian burial As thern were
no eofns left sfter the storm in lndanoaA friends q
the deceased were forced to deviae from dr5-goods
boxes In fact from everything, covering for those
who died Fathers bore to their 1ast resting place tho
flowers Of their family flock, and alone buried tnose
who were dearer to them than Life itself; husbands
laid away benesth the s.ods the remains OF wives
children Of fathers.
TIE FUFTERN0.
Not only Is tho suffering great for clothing and
food but SIR a. ypu know, the sea running 30 h1gn
swopt away the csterns and those left standing ara 90
ed With salt water from the spray that there can %
ind no pure and fresh water in the town. Inc people
arn in octual need Of fresh water cannot saJ LOAF
drink Of good water be had there now. Inc ~
hss completely saed every cisterD efs Standing ana
there arc none now but what 1uo1e or 1e's tho
tured with saa-sale
TIE BODIES
sfnoular to sa1, most Of the bodies Were not FOUND
in tha town. The tremendous current swept eyen
MANY Of those who caught beneath falen pu11o-
and carried them back to tho aSe n the rear OF
Indauola, Along the shorea OF this could 90 seen,
prorudtuR through the sand. a1moat buried ne ars
or feads Of the victns It was ne1t to mpodahte TO
recognize single one.
Tho action Of the waters and waves had Been s0cn
4, r.aaa eorcnletelT heh64d the drowned Ih6 |