The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-20
FIVE HUNDRED DEAD IN ALL
4 Close Estimate Of the Fatalities
on the Sea Islands.

The Work of the Revenue Gutter
Boutwell, in Assisting the Relief
Committee in the Distribution of
Supplies The Condition of the
Islands Improving.
The revenue cutter Boutwell, arrived
yesterday from Beaufort and the sea
islands, where Lieut.. Gushing went,
under orders from the Secretary of tn e
Treasury, to aid in the relief of the
stricken people. Lieut.. Gushing ACTED
with the relief committee and Surgeon
Magruder in distributing supplies and rem
dering cuch aid as it was possible to the
suffering sea islanders.
The condition of the islands and the
people, Lieut.. Gushing says, is greatly
improved. From the most reliable sources
it is now estimated that the number of
people killed will not exceed 500 The
greatest number of fatalities was on
St. Helena island The number killed
there is put at 1919. All the dead on the
islands have been reburied. The bodies
of animals have been covered and the
worst places disinfected
TAKEN FROM THE ISLANDS.
A number of destitute people were
taken from the islands to Beaufort and
Port Royal. Twelve were taken from
Pinkney and Jenkins islands. The con
dition of those who are still on the islands,
Lieut.. Cushing says, is in many instances
that Of severest want. In one place on
St Helena thirty eight people were found
living and sleeping in three
small rooms. Acting with
the relief committee about 5000
rations were distributed from the cutter.
An inspection was made of the various
islands where the greatest damage was
done and where the people are most in
need. Gov. Tillman, Senator Butler,
Miss Clara Barton of the Red Cross As
sOciation and the members of the local re-
lief committee visited the worst lOcaii-
ties. Lieut.. Gushing says that all that it
is possible to do is being done for the re-
lief of the destitute.
COOsAw ABANDONED.
COosaw, the center of the phosphate
mining industry, Is practically deserted
Before the storm a vessel had to pick its
way up the Coosaw river among the
dredges, barges and towbOats. Now the
only vessels to be seen are wrecks. The
mines have been abandoned, the miners
have left and there is nothing but broad
eXpanse of water, which a month ago was
the scene of a great industry. The
dredges are lying on their sides, bottom
up and almost every way, high and dry,
and loaded vessels are standing half a
mile from the shore in the marshes.
The hundreds of demolished houses,
broken fences and ruined crops, the mud
| covered fields and the destitute people
tell the story of the great storm in pitiful
language.
Lieut. Gushing forwarded his report to
| Washington last night, in which he gave
in detail the work accomplished by the
cutter from Sept. s, the date he was or
| dered to the stricken district until his de-
| parture. Every possible aid was rem
| dered the committee in the distribution
of relief and the governor in his in
| spection of islands.
TURNED INTO FREIGHT SHIP.
In fact the cutter was for the time
| turned into a freight ship, carrying sup
| plies from the Port Royal warehouses to
| the various islands, landing them in small
| boats and the officers and crew aiding the
committee in their distribution.
| Lieut.. Gushing says the sanitary condi-
| ton of the islands, while not good is be-
| ing improved and with the burial of the
| dead bodies and the work of disinfection
| that is being carried on, he does not APP
| prehend anything like serious epidemic
| of disease. Everything is being done to
| care for the sick wherever they are found
| Lieut.. Gushing and the officers of the cut
| ter were rendered a resolution of thanks
| for their aid in carrying on the work of
relief,