Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-10-28

An Aggregate Or 200 Lives sacrificed During the
Late Storm AZ Sabine Pass, Johnspn,s Bayou
ana Radforh-Pathetio Incidents OF the Cslam-

An Aggregate Of 200 Lives Sacrificed During the
Late storm AZ Sabine Pass, Iohnspn,s Bayou
ana Radfori-Pathetio Incidents Of the Cslam-
ig.
JoHSsoS's BAYog, La, Oct. 16.--This
village Is on a high ridge on the sea coast,
and the bayou from whicif4t takes its
name runs through the inhabitable
part OF that section OF the settle
ment in which Is also situated the
postofiice station known as Radtord.
They are in Cameron parrish, 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 rear is dense and inn
penetrable marsh. The population on last
Tuesday numbered 1.200. To-day So o.
that number are counted with the dead.
Forty OF their bodies have been recovered
and consigned to graves In the Shell reels
while the decomposed bodies OF the remain
ing As lie In the marshe5. Radiord was very
thickly settled and populous. These ridg.
es composed some OF the richest and most
fertile graxing 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 in Johnsons Bayou
and Radford, while fleet oi 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 ioresaw. The waters began rising, the
wind swept through the lower stories OF
the buildings, driving the ahfrighted people
into attics and upon roofs. BY 10 o'clock
the first ridge, which was twelve feet
above tho 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.
con 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. Ii was night
pi 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
stood 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 oil houses were speedily recovered.
From ont 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
dren, Locke, vile 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 StweRor
snd four children, Mr.. Granshall, vile and
grandson; Mrs. s. Caller and four children,
Ionic Smith and child, Mrs. Tooch axes
four children, Jack Toochake and seven
children, Mrs. Hawkins aud three children,
DR.. George Smith, wife aud four children.
All the above were white people. The
following is a list OF the eolored people
whose bodies have been recovered and
identified:
Elmer johnson and vile. Jack Lewis
wife and brother; Richard Hambrick, wife
and five children.
Yesterday morning the regular packet
stern wheel steamer called the Emily p. ar
lived at Juhnson's Bayou and brought to
Orange as many as she could carry-about
sixty people. Not one OF them had any
thing but what they stood in. And the
people, save a few who have large stock
the place forever. They are descend.
ants OF race OF people who In
the past made Johnson's Bayou a
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 iorsiathers. OF 5000
head OF stock OF which once the bayou
boasted, G,000 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 o. lives at the three places
approximate 200. Only about twenty
ave bodies have thus far been recovered.