The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-17
Touching and Pathetic Incidents Con-
nected with the Great 1nundation.
The Survivors in Urgent Need of the Comforts
and Necessaries of Life-The Homes Of
Twelve Hundred People in Ruins
TUE GREAT GULF STORM

says: The village of Johnson's Bayou is located
on high ridge on the sea coast and tho bayou
from which it takes It's name runs through the
inhabitable parts of that section of the settle
rnent in which is also situated the postofice of
Radford. They are in Cameron parish, on the
Louisiana shore six miles east OF Sabine Pass.
The bayou is nineteen miles in length, and
varies from one to four miles in width. The
ridge faces the gulf, twelve feet above the sea
level and in the rear is dense and impsnetra-
BILE marsh.
The population, last Tuesday morning, num-
bered twelve hundred souls. To-day eighty-fve
of that number counted with the dead.
Forty of their bodies have been recovered and
consigned TO graves in the shell reefs. while the
decomposing corpses of the remaining forty five
lie fostering in the marshes. Radford was very
thickly settled and populous 1t boosted of its
cotton gin and cotton and cane plantations II
was the head of navigation, and the stores
many. Principal among these were those
run by j. Paverto, who also operated gin and
turned out annually 500 bales of cotton aro-
duOed in that section. The other stores were
owned by A. B. Smith & Co., and j. Griffith,
general merchandise, and other small merchants
constitute the commercial community The
handling of cotton and sugar cane produced in
the district was the principal industry. These
ridges comprise some of the richest and most
fertile grass ranges in the country, 10000 head
Df cattle and horses being owned by the thriving
community. Communication with the outer
world was had through two steam vessels, both
owned in Johnson's Bayou ana Radford, while
aeet of trading vessels piled the waters of the
bayou Thus pictured is Johnson's Bayou or
rather q series of ridges over which
1900 population were scattered on the
morning Of Tuesday last Happiness and
contentment was the lot of the people until
o'clock that evening. When the storm descended
npon them everybody took to their homes and
waited, with bated breath, the fate which they
toresaw. The waters began rising, the wind
swept through the lower stories of 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 IN
der water. House after house fell in or was
swept away, either burying the doomed people
In the debris or hurting them into the Kissing
waters. Cotton and stores next succumbed, and
Radford and Johrson's Bayou were destroyed as
work It was night of terror, described by
survivors appalling People could only cling
to each other and pray for mercy and for the
souls of those whose despairing shrieks rang on
their ears.
For twelve hours the storm ragged over the de-
voted settlement then there came lull. Hope
soon revived. as the waters receded and the
storm passed away The survivors gathered on
the most elevated points, viewing the scene of
desolation around them. The houses that had
stood the ACTION Of the storm were completely
Quilted. There was no food nor drink, salt water
having invaded everything Then the search
For the dead began. Those whose bodies lay
pinioned by the ruins of houses were speedily re-
covered. From out of the marshes more corpses
were taken and likewise buried. The death
roll was then made up as follows:
Mrs Frank Turner and two children; Mr.
Locke, wife and seven children, old Mrs. Locke,
Mrs. w. Ferguson and three children, Bradford
Berry and daughter, Mrs Albert Lambert aud
two children. Samuel Burwck's eight children,
Mrs. Shell Waller and four children, George
Stivener and four children, Mr.. Franshall,
wife and grandson, Mrs. Caller and four chill
iren, Lonzo Smith and child, Mrs. Tooehakes
four children. Jack Toochake and seven chill
dren, Mrs. Hawkins and three children, Dr.
George Smith, wife and four children.
All the above were white people, The follow
ing is list of the colored people whose bodies
have been recovered and identified:
Elever johnson and wife, Jack Lewis, wife
and brother, Richard Hambrck, wife and FIVE
children.
Yesterday morning the regular packet, stern
wheel steamer called the Emily p, arrived at
Johnsons Bayou, and brought to Orange as
many as she could carry--about sixty people
Not one of them had anything but what they
stood in, and many of them were minus hats,
shoes, coats and dresses. Their wants were
promptly supplied by the good people at this
place, and the refugees were made comfortable
for the night. This Saturday morning the
Emily P. and the steamer Lark viii rreinrn and
from thence make regular trips until ali are
brought to place of safety. All the people.
save few who have large stock interests. saw
shey have abandoned the place forever They
are descendants of a race of people who In the
past MADE yohnsoa's Bayou vast orange
grove. Frost cane and ruined them. and then
they turned 10 cotton and sugar, and stock rails
ing only TO meet the fate of their forefathers.
OF the 5000 head of stock which once the bayou
boosted, 5000 are drowned, while the remainder
win die of thirst as all the water Is salt ]. S.
Spencer, of the inhabitants of the place.
says this is the third storm he has experienced
having been through the storm at Morganthaw,
in June last and at Indianola in August He
was making a handsome living, supplying
Northern and Eastern markets with bird skins
and feathers. Dir. Spencer was formerly editor
of the Bloomington (IlLl Paragraph. There il
no estimating the loss, as there is way of as
certaining the valuations: hence 1t is sufficient to
say that the towns are destroyed and abandoned.
Pathetic Incidents of the Disaster.
GALVESTON Oct. l6-Further particulars Of
the great disaster at Sabine Pass and Johnson's
Bayou are constantly being received The stu