Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1878-03-12
THE GREAT BENGAL CYCLONE OF 1876

THE GREAT BENGAL CYCLONE OF 1871
This is undoubtedly the gravest CO
lamity ever caused by water. Thre
great islands, and innumerable small
ones, were entirely swept by tn
Hood, as also the mainland. over oil
area Of FIVE or six miles in length BY
about four miles in width. These
islands all lie near the mouth of the
Magma, river formed by the unior
of the Conges with the Brahmapootra
The largest of the islands-Dakhin
Shahabazpore-is 500 miles in cir.
cumference, and had 240, 900 inhabit.
ants, while the other two great islands
-Hattia and Sundney-had in all
about 100000 inhabitants. The peo'
pie had only few minutes to think
of their safety, when the wave rose to
ten or twenty feet above the land.
Two hours later the flood began to
subside, but not till noon of the fol-
lowing day could the survivors quit
their places of refuge in the trees, etc.
As luck would have it, the villages
are surrounded by groves of cocoa
nut and palm trees; those who saved
themselves did so by taking to the
trees. Some took refuge On the house
tops, but the water entered the houses
and rose to the roofs, and carried them
off to the sea, together with the peo-
pie upon them. There was hardly a
household on the islands. or on the
neighboring coast, but had lost some
Of its members. All the cattle were
lost. Boats were swept away, and as
wagons on wheels are unknown in
that region, all means of communica-
ton failed. Nearly all the civil and
police officials persisted. The town of
Dowluctor was utterly destroyed. The
loss in cattle cannot be estimated.
The crops suffered greatly, but it is |
hoped that enough remains to prevent
a famine. The entire flooded region
looks like waste. Still the condi-
tion of survivors just after the catas-
trophe was better than was to have
been expected. The farmers of that
region are the most thrifty in Bengal;
the provisions are mostly kept buried
in the ground; hence, though they
are damaged by water, they can still
be used for food. Wherever Sir r.
Temple went he found the people dry
ing grain in the sun. Until harvest
time the cocoanut will be of some as
sistance. Prior to the calamity, the
harvest promised to be very bountiful; |
as it is, it will be fair one. About
sixty relief stations were established.
The official journal says: wherever
he storm-wave struck, not a third {
part Of the population, it is believed,
A
survives. The islands have only
ourth of their former inhabitants.
The odor of the decaying carcasses is
and a general outbreak of
,holera is hourly expected" From
IN official communication, it appears
hat there persisted in Chittagong du- :
ing the storm over 5000 souls, ard
,etwecn October 3lst and December
LIST, 4,339 persons died of cholera. +
Since New Years cholera has ragged i
earfully. In the district of Noakholly
here died in October 43,544 persons,
nd in the following three months d
0,263. Indeed, with the exception of
he islands Of Hattia and Sundney, the
eaths from cholera everywhere have
xceeded those caused by the inunda-
on. On these two islands the num-
er of deaths in October was "a 702 y