New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-10-27
9
THE STRICKEN TEXANS.
: Late Storm ct Sabine Pass, Johnson's Bayou
ind Radford- Pathetic Incidents Of the Calan.

Late Storm ct Sabine Pass, J0hns0n,s Bayou
ind Radford-Pathetic Incidents Of the Cslan.
II.
JoHNsoN's BAYOU, La, Oct. 16.-This
village is on high ridge on the sea coast,
and the bayou from which it takes its
name runs through the inhabitable
part of that section of the settle
ment in which is also situated the
postoHce station known as Radford.
They are in Cameron parish, on the Lou
isiana shore, six miles east OF Sabine Pass.
The bayou is nineteen miles in length and
varies from one to four miles in width.
Ridges face the gulf twelve feet above the
sea level, and in the rearis dense and i'm
penetrable marsh. The population on last
Tuesday numbered 1900. To-day IS OF
that number are counted with the dead.
Forty Of their bodies have been recovered
and consigned to graves in the Shell reefs
while the decomposed bodies of the remain
ing 45 lie in the marshes. Radford was very
thickly settled and populous. These ridg,
es composed some OF the richest and most
fertile grazing land in the country, 5000
head OF cattle and horses being OWNED by
the community. Communication with the
outer world was had through two steam
vessels, both owned ia Johnson's Bayou
and Radford, while feet of sailing
; vessels piled the water OF the
bayou. When the storm descended upon
them everybody took to his home. and
waited with abated breath the fate which
he foresaw. The waters began rising, the
wind swept through the lower stories of
the buildings, driving the affrighted people
into attics and upon roofs. By 10 O'Clock
the first ridge, which was twelve feet
above the sea level, was ten feet
under water. House after house fell
in, or was swept away, either bury
ing the doomed people IN the debris or
hurting them into the kissing waters. Cot
ton gins and stores next su ,cumbed, and
Radford and Johnson's Bayou were de-
stroyed as completely as il an invading
army had done the work. It was a night
of terror, described by survivors as appal-
ling. For twelve hours the storm ragged
over the devastated settlements, and then
! there came a lull. Hope soon revived as
the waters receded and the storm
passed away. The survivors gathered on
the most elevated points, viewing the
scenes around them. The houses that had
ste cd the action OF the storm were COM
pletely Quilted. There was no food nor
drink, salt water having invaded every
+; thing Then the search for the dead began.
! Those whose bodies lay pinioned by the
ruins OF houses were speedily recovered.
! From out OF the marshes more corpses
were taken, and likewise buried.
/ SOME OF THE VICTIMS.
! The death roll was then made up as fol-
lows: Mrs. Frank Turner and two chill
f1ren - Locke, wife and seven children;
{; old Mrs. Locke, Mrs. w. Ferguson and
three children, Bradford Berry and daugh-
! ter, Mrs. Albert Lambert and two children,
/! Sam Burwick's eight children, Mrs. Shell
! Valley and four children, George Stwenor
and four children, Mr.. Granshall, wife and
H. So, ~; 4
/; Lonzo Smith and child, Mrs. Tooch ake's
four children, Jack Toochake and seven
! children, Mrs. Hawkins aud three children,
i DR.. George Smith, wife and four children.
All the above were white people. The
I following is list OF the colored people
whose bodies have been recovered and
i identified:
! Elmer Johnson and wife, Jack Lewis,
vito and brother; Richard ,Hambrick, wife
!; and five children.
Yesterday morning the regular packet
/ stern wheel steamer called the Emily P. ar
i rived at Johnson's Bayou and brought to
i Orange as many as she could carry-about
sixty people, Not one OF them had any
i thing but what they stood in. And the
!, people, save few who have large stock
| interests, say they have abandoned
! the place forever. They are descend.
ants OF a race of people who in
] the past made .Johnson's Bayou q
| vast orange grove. Frost came and ruined
/; them. and then they turned to cotton and
sugar and stock raising, only to meet
the fate of their forefatheFs. OF 5000
head OF stock of which once the bayou
boasted, 5000 are drowned. while the re-
mainder will die of thirst, as all the water
! is salt. There are 127 persons missing at
Sabine Pass and supposed to be dead.
The total loss OF lives at 1.-THE three places
approximate 200. 0nly about twenty
five bodies have thus far beenrecovered.
-