Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-10-18
srREWN WITH THE DEAD,
Sultures F1Ockins Over Sabine aad John.
sons Bayou-rOtal Number of Victims
Placed at 2OO-HeartrendinsI Incidents
of the Awful storm.
GALvELToS, Tex, Oct. l6.

respondent VINO has IT returned from Sa-
olne Pass teegraphs from Orange that the
turkey buzzards are soaring over Sabine for
| miles around on land and water. Ii is one
vast charnel house. The town is swept out
OF existence. What was prosperous village
when last Tuesday dawned is now the centre
OF wreck and dssolstion. There are I27 per
sons missing and supposed to be dead. Only
about 20 bodies have thus far been recov-
cred. There Is not ons sound house in the
town of Sabine. The residences of Dr.
Gillliand and Editor McClanahan are the
only ones that can be repaired. Every other
house is an absolute wreck. This. 10 brief,
Is the story of the storm. Innumerable
touching, heartrending incidents of the storm
are related by the survivors. One house
containing IA colored persons, was seen to 90
down with crash, and every one OF the in
mates were lost
Incidents are related of husbands lashing
wives and children to floating wrecks, and
then seeing them killed by heavy logs being
driven against them. The damage to prop.
can only be estimated by the value of the
town, for all its loss. The Sabine & East
Texas railroad track is washed out for a dis
tsnce of 10 miles. The ties nave tioated of :,
and the rallies are twisted like wises, the eff
feet of the hurricane. Millions of deaf fish
|
birds also strew the ground. young woman
In perfectly nude state was found roaming
around on the prairie yesterday, FIVE miles
from Sabine. She was dsmented, and could
not tell her name.
When the government tugboat Penrose
reached Saoine yesterday, Columbu. Martee
was found rowing around the delta looking
for the bodies of his family. He said My
self, wife and three children were clinginy to
floating root, which was gradually breaking
| to pieces. One OF the little ones went, and
then another. was holding the youngest.
and saw my wife; she said, Good by, nus
band am going | could not reacn her
The piece OF the roof supporting her broke
OF, and she sank before my eyes. | held to
the youngest child 1t said: Papa, I'm
tired; won't you walk with me?" The piece
of the roof was on was now crumoiing |
| told the little one to kiss me. She put her
little arms around my neck, gave me big
| squeeze, and just then a wave dashed us off
and saw her no more. Great God, why
didn't go down, too?" He was pressed to go
on board the Penrose, but refused, saying
'Here among these lagoons are the bodies of
my wife and children; and here will | stop
till find them" No tongue can tell how
the people have suffered during the past few
days. In many cases the dead one are con-
sidered the lucky ones.
Later reports from Johnson's Bayou bring
the terrible intelligence that S5 persons are
now known to be lost in that settlement, and
and it is generally feared that the list wiil be
swelled to hundred or more, thus making
the total number of victims by the hurricane
fully POO Reliable information from John
sons Bayou arrives slowly, all the roads be-
ing impossible and only two boats are running
to that section The destitution of the sur
vivors, of whom there are over 1000 around
Johnson's and Rsdford village, is described
as something awful. They lost everything
and are without food, drink and clothes.
Mayor Calhoun of Beaumont issues the
following: SIN view of the urgent and dire
necessities of the hopeless and desperate peo-
pie of Sabine Pass, request immediate help
in their behalf. Aid of any kind is invited
provisions, clothing or money. They are
without means of any kind"
Chairman Greer of the committee on lodg-
ings has already made 100 refugees comfort
able for the time being Fifteen bodies were
recovered on the high land called Back
| Ridge, west of Sabine, and were buried. Six
| bodies of women were recovered on the
west shore of the lake, two colored and four
white, one being that of Mrs. W. A. Junker
of Carlisle. A telegram from the merchants
of Galveston to the relief committee says
Galveston subscribes $1,000 Draw on Ball,
Hutchinson & Co., for that amount
The death roll 30 far at Johnson's bayou is
as follows: Mrs. Frank Turner and two chill
dren Mr.. Locke, wife and seven children
old Mrs. Locke; Mrs. W. Fefguson and three
children; Bradford Berry and daughter
Mrs. Albert Lambert and two children; eight
children of Sam Burwick: Mrs. Shell Wal
ley and four children; Mr.. Franchall, wife
and four children; George Stivener and four
children; Mrs. Caller and four children, a
child of Alonzo Smith, Mrs. Toochske's four
children, Jack Toochske and seven children,
! Mrs Hawkins and three children, and DR..
George Smith, wife and tour children, all
white persons.
The colored victims were Eleazer johnson
and wife, Jack Lewis, wife and brother and
Richard Hambuck.
The people, save few who have large
stock interests, say they have abandoned the
place forever. They are descendants of a
| race of people who IN the past made John
sous bayou vast orange grove. The frost
came and ruiEed them, and then they turned
to cotton and sugar and stock, only to meet
the fate of their forefathers OF the 5000
head of stock which once the BAYOU boasted,
5000 are drowned.
The scene of destruction at Johnson.
UaNOu UcRSAIs uSSCItptlOn- lhc Dhp
tist church has been turned into morgue.
Into this sanctuary the bodies are brought al
fast as recovered
ORANGE, Tex, Oct. IL.
| Steamer Emily P. returned this after noon
bringing 100 additional sufferers from John
sons bayou, who are entirely destitute o.
everything necessary to sustain life, most o.
the crowd consisting of women and children
Emily 2. will return to the bayou immedi
ately to bring back l50 more persons waiting
there, penniiess and without clothing. We
nos have to take care of 2l0 persons from
that section. Only few bodies have beer
recovered by the tug We have two steam
ers, two schooners and about 20 small boat:
doing active work in gathering up the suffer
and burying the desd from Sabine pas.
and Johnson's bayou.
BEAUMONT, Tex, Oct. l6.
Refugees from the flooded district about
Sabine Pass continue to arrive on every small
craft that comes up river. It is estimated BY
persons who have been over the scenes OF
devastation at Sabine Pass, Johnson's Bayou
and Taylor's Bayou, that the death list will
exceed $50 souls Eighty-fve corpses have
been recovered and buried around Johnson.
Bayou, and "a bodies thus far been buried al
I an and