The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1891-11-11
HEROIC WOMEN.
WILD DEVASTATION BY 4 CYCLONE
on THE ADAlIAy
ISLANDS.

Especial to TnE woRLD.l

lNDlHCkLnAhAlEs
Especial to THE woRLD.l
CALCUTTA, Nov. u.--As further de-
tails regarding the cyclone which pass
ed over the part Of India on Monday
of last week are received it is seen that
the damage done is very extensive.
Besides the loss Of seventy-seven lives
occasioned by the sinking Of the gov
eminent steamer Enterprise, which
foundered at the Andaman Islands and
the killing of sixty conviets, there no
doubt has been large loss Of life at
other places along the coast.
Advices from various parts Of 0rissa,
a province of India, in Bengal, state
that the cyclone passed over that Sec
ton Of the country and did great dam
age. The eastern part Of province re-
ferred to lies along the shores Of the
Bay of Bengal and this section was
therefore exposed to the full fury Of
the gale which seemed to gather force
as it swept across the bay. The cy-
clone cleared a path through the for
ests, uprooting gigantic trees and hurl-
ing them aside as though they were
reeds. No house could withstand the
terrible energy Of the gale and every
dwelling or other structure in the path
of the cyclone was either swept from
its foundations or literally picked, turn
ed over and deposited at some distance
from the place where it had originally
stood.
The wind also did much damage in
the vicinity of Calcutta, or at least
below that city. As is well known,
Calcutta is the seat Of an immense
trade by sea and river, being the out
let for the trade Of the great valleys of
the Ganges and Bramahpootra. The
city is situated on the east bank Of the
Hoogly river, the westernmost branch
Of the Ganges. The Hoogly river
empties into the Bay Of Bengal through
a number of mouths, the delta being
ten miles across. A large number of
vessels were at anchor off the mouth Of
the river, some waiting for an oppor-
tunity to ascend, while others were
awaiting a fair wind to put to sea.
These vessels were in such a position,
that when the gale suddenly burst, it
was impossible to save many of them.
Numbers dragged their anchors, and
were carried ashore; while others, more
fortunate in their holding ground, were
damaged by the pounding they receiv-
ed by the enormous seas which accom-
panied by the storm. No estimate can
as yet be made of the total loss of life,
but from all the details received, it is
known positively that the number Of
persons drowned or killed by falling
trees or debris is very large.
The wreck of the vessel was seen by
a number of the female convicts who
were seeking shelter from the fury Of
the gale, and they, with heroism sell
dom equalled by women, started for
the shore. Slowly and painfully they
forced themselves against the storm,
grasping the rocks and other things to
prevent themselves from being literally
blown away. At last they reached the
shore. Here, nothing daunted by the
laundering thrush of the waters, which
at times swept high above their heads,
they formed a human lifeline, each
woman grasping the others hand.
Then the bravest of the party, at the
head Of the line, rushed into the sea
and grasped . struggling form seen
twirling and twisting in the water, and,
aided by her companions, dragged
ashore one Of the men who had been
swept from the wreck Of the Enter
prise. Again and again the women
entered the water, and each time they
returned With man, who, had it not
been for their heroic aid, would surely
have been drowned