St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-16
IN A RESISTLESS RUSH.
The Waters of the Gulf and Lake
swooped Down on the Town
of Sabine Pass,
And of the Once Thriving Village Hardly
a Vestige Now Remains to
be Seen.
over One Hundred of the Inhabit-
ants Met Death by
Drowning.
Active Measures Began for the Relief
of the Homeless and Starry
ing Sufferers.
The Sabine Pass Horror.

BEAUMONT, Tex, Oct. 15.-The first
reports of the great disaster at Sabine Pass
were not in the least exaggerated. In fact,
they underestimate the number of deaths
caused by the storm. The train could not
get within twelve miles of the town, but
over dozen tow boats have been sent
there. and are at work saving drift and
property. There is considerable backwater
vet at Sabine, hemmed in and held there by
the railroad embankment. The most in
tense excitement has prevailed here since
the first news of the fearful catastrophe.
The people have neither eaten nor slept,
and crowds have surrounded the wharveS
and depot waiting for the return OF the
train or boat FROM the devastated town. The
steamboat l.. O. G. Lamar left Orange
Wednesday night at 10 O'Clock with a re-
lief committee on board. When she would
return no one knew, but constant watch
was kept at Orange and here. At exactly
midnight last night
THE WHISTLE OF THE LAMAR
was heard. People hurried helter-skelter
to hear the news and to receive the sick
and destitute. The relief committee aboard
the Lamar consisted of twenty citizens
from Beaumont and about forty from
Orange. They travelled up the NecheS
river between p. M. and midnight, which
was an extraordinary trip. fraught with
fearful danger. Twenty-Five Of the COM
mittee were left at Sabine Pass to recover
some of the bodies. many of which are re-
ported to have washed dozen miles over
into Louisiana. The members of the relief
committee who returned were so tired and
worn out. and so overcome
BY THE HORRIBLE DEVASTATION
they had witnessed that it was next to i'm
possible to get coherent story from them,
and as each of the rescued refugees was
surrounded by about a hundred people it
was equally impossible to get detailed
account from any one of them. The exact
extent of the StOrIn-Swept territory is as
vet unknown. From reports brought by
the committee it is certain that the flooded
district embraced an expanSe OF country
MANY times larger than at first supposed.
The gulf seems to have moved over the
land for miles in one high unbroken wall
of water. The committee report that 101
persons are missing, 80 Of whom are
KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN DROWNED.
Thirty-fve of the victims were white and
fifty-fve colored. Joseph Smith, famous
local character, known as Alligator
Smith, was supposed to be among the lost,
as people on the relief train saw him drly-
ing before the gale on the lake. Many per-
sons were brought up on the Lamar.
Bedding was Immediately carried from
house to house for the comfort OF the heart
broken suffers every one Of whom has
some dear friend Or relative among the
dead. Nearly all the refugees are sick and
Frustrated from exhaustion and hunger.
They are being tendederly cared for by the
citizens of Beaumont DR.. B. f. Calhoun,
one of the relief committee. says there are
MANY persons in the vicinity OF Sabine
Pass who are utterly destitute. being with
out clothing to cover their nakedneSS. DIR.
Calhoun requests aid for the destitute. He
saws it makes no difference what is sent,
whether food. clothing. medicine or money.
THEY NEED THEM ALL.
DIR. Calhoun is mayor of Beaumont, and
he will distribute through committees what
ever is sent to him. From all the accounts
gath cred language could not exaggerate the
state of affairs at Sabine Pass. Out OF
more than one hundred and fifty houses in
the village, less than six remain standing,
and they are ruined. Wives and children
were swept away and drowned In the pres
ence of their husbands and fathers, who
were powerless to save them. The waves
broke against the lighthouse in solid walls
fifty feet high, tearing out the windows at
the very top of the structure. Corpses
have been picked up at distance OF thirty
miles from the scene Of the disaster. Friends
and relatives of the drowned residents are
coming into Orange and Beaumont on every
train. The steamboat Lamar took on board
a cargo of food. blankets and clothing, and
IS INIT fna md of dow
light this morning started down the Neches
to succor the unfortunates. She Will prob
ably reach here on her return trip about
midnight. The pecuniary damage at Sa-
bine. including that to the government
works. will aggregate nearly $500, 900, as
MANY of the neighboring plantations sus-
tanned serious injury.
THE DEAD.
The latest list of those known to have
been drowned is as follows:
Mrs W. A. JUNKE.
CHARLES c. JUNKE.
Mrs. B. F. MCDONOUGH.
Miss MCDONOUGH.
Mrs. COLUMBUS MARTEE and child.
Mrs. POMEROY and three children.
Mrs. c. POMEROY and child.
Mrs. MULLIGAN and four children.
Mrs. VONDUAY and three children.
O.. F. BROWN.
Miss MAHALA CHAMBERS and two chill
dren of William Shaw, and child of Capt.
| Stewart.
Mrs. WHITING.
| JOHN WILSON.
BENJAMIN FOLEY.
The foregoing names are all OF white per-
sons. The names of the ffty-6ve colOred
victims have not been ascertaned.
A boat sent out to Johnson's bayou re-
IL. l;afc fa in ho Oft
noon with a most distressing report from
that community.
HUNDREDS OF PERSONS BEING DROWNED,
as we'll as fearful and complete destruction
of property. including thousands of heads
of live stock. The Cameron Beach
hotel was seriously threatened, but
saved by cattle crowding into
the lower story, thereby preventing
the building from floating off with its upper
stories filled with terror stricken humanity.
The Emily P. and the relief party for
Johnson's bayou are yet unheard from
and full particulars of the disaster in that
section cannot be given until her re-
| turn. 1t is safe to say that no
such destruction of life and property was
ever known before on the Gulf of Mexico,
and helm will be needed and is asked from
without food. clothing or shelter, and the sur
rounding country is to poor to supply their
very urgent needs. At the latest six bodies
| had been picked up at the mouth of the
Sabine river. having foated across the lake.
a distance of thirty miles. Three of them
have been identified. being the bodies OF
Mrs. Mulligan and child and Mrs. Whiting.
Later-The Emily P has just arrived
with sixty-two survivors. Thirty-seven
bodies of persons who were drowned at
,Johnson's bayou have been recovered. and
sixty.ive are still missing, but their names
cannot yet be given. Previous accounts
have not been exaggerated. The relief
marty reported fearful devastation. The
government tug Penrose has also arrived.
Those on board give gloomy account of
the situation at the pass.
Twenty-six Lives Lost.
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 15.-Capt Bailey.