Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-11-12
SLAIN IN A STORM.
Terrible Ravages Of the Cyclone il
the Andaman Islands.
Two Hundred or More Persons Killed
and Hundreds lnjured-Heroic
Female Convicts.
MANY BUILDINGs DEMoL1sHED.

clone Wulcn swept over the AnQdmdn
islands in the bay of Bengal on Mon
day caused a very much larger loss
of life than was at first report
ed, and that the damage done
was far in excess of the amount
first telegraphed here In addition
to the drowning Of nearly all of the
crew of II. NJ. 5. Enterprise, the gov
eminent steamer engaged in convey
ing the convicts to and from the settle
ment, by which seventy-eight out of
eighty-three men lost their lives, it is
now officially announced that the total
loss of life is nearly 200, and that about
$50 people in addition were severely
wounded.
Scene of the storm.
The Andaman islands form group
in the bay of Bengal, between latitude
10 degrees and 10 degrees north, and
nearly under % degrees OF east longi-
tude, about $50 miles southwest of
Cape Nograis, a headland on the coast
of British Burmah. The Great and Lit
tie Andaman islands compose the group
and they are separated by Duncans
passage, where a number of native
coasters and fishing boats foundercl or
were driven ashore during the cyclone
Port Blair, on Chatham island, is the
headquarters of the convict settlement,
the latter being naturally the
most important industrial center of
the islands. 1t was at Port Blair that
the greatest loss of life occurred, and
it is believed here that when the final
returns come in it will be seen that
considerably over 200 and possibly 600
were victims of the cyclones fury, for
the population of Port Blair, or Blair
Station is over $4,000 souls
Terror of the Convicts.
The convicts who were not inf con-
finement nearly all of them being East
Indians, In panic stricken here and
there, seeking places of shelter, or
| falling PROSTATE upon the ground and
muttering prayers, prepared to die.
| With the convicts in confne-
ment, the situation was much
worse. Terror stricken they ragged
like wild beasts in their efforts
to free themselves and at least meet
death or liberty. The guards did their
utmost to release the confined convicts,
storm over the islands every man,
woman and child there had all they
could do to look after their own per-
sonal safety.
Heroic Females.
In the midst of this terrible disturb
ance of nature, when the bravest and
strongest men quailed withoapprehen-
sion, it was noticed that a building
standing near the seashore had been
crushed down and actually hurled into
the surf by the force Of the wind. Some
of the convicts confined in this
building succeeded in escaping before
it was blown into the water, others
were drowned in spite of their efforts
to escape, but nine or ten of these con-
victs succeeded in clam boring upon
the roof, from which they loudly
appealed for help. The guards and
others were too much occupied to be of
any service tosthe imperiled men. In
this emergency a gang of female con-
victs displayed great bravery. I'm
daunted by the shrieking cyclone
and listening only to the frantic
appeals for help uttered by the men
in danger they boldly joined hands to-
gether in long line, a human rope,
the boldest of the women at the end
facing the water, and in this manner
they slowly but steadily ventured into
the raging surf, and though those at
the extremity of the line were fire.
quently swept off their feet and were
almost half drowned by the rushing
waters they finally succeeded in res
cuing six native convicts who would
otherwise have persisted, for their COM
panions had been swept away and
drowned,
This is only an instance of the
courage displayed upon this occasion
by the female convicts of the Andaman
islands: on all sides they won the
highest praise by ministering to the
dying and nursing the wounded
While the men seemed cowed
with terror the women, as a rule, dis
played most remarkable courage. So
much so that it is understood the gen
eraI governor Of the penal station will
recommend that a number of them be
pardoned and that the sentences of a
large number of others be committed
10 snort terms o4 Imprisonment.
While this was gong on ashore, at
sea, off the coast, matters were nearly
as bad. Every small craft, without
apparently single exception, was
either swamped after short struggle
wit the storm or swept ashore and
then dashed to pieces amid the surf. A
number of natives not included in the
present estimate lost their lives in this
manner.
Damage to Crops and Property.
The damage done to crops and other
property must be very heavy, as it is
admitted that all the crops not in thor
oughly sheltered places have been
completely destroyed and that the
number of buildings damaged or de-