Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-09-08
THE CYCLONES WORK.
HUNDREDS OF LIVES AND MUCH PROP
ERTY DESTROYED.


things produced by the cyclone which /
came from the West Indies and passed
along the eastern border of the Southern |
States on Monday of last week. Here
are some extracts;
although several days have passed !
since the fearful destruction through the
South the terrible results are only be-
ginning to be known. In the country
around Beaufort and Port Royal the
storm has done fearful work. Charles
ton and Savannah lost only a few lives,
ana other things that may he replaced
by dollars and cents. Not so in the sea
islands. The lost lives there are counted
by the hundreds and hundreds, and
there is no money to buy even the neces-
saries of life. Homes, crops, and in
many cases whole families are gone.
"Skirting the Atlantic coast from
Charleston to Savannah is a belt of
what are known as sea islands, from
Morris islands all the way down to Ty-
bee. All are akin in their distress, Nor
ris island, John island, Edisto, Ward
malow and James island. Charles
tons neighbOrs, have, perhaps, Jared
somewhat better than st. Helena, Coos
aw, Dathan, Port Royal, Paris, Dawfus-
kie, Ladies, and the hundreds of smaller
islands contributary to Beaufort. Hud-
died together, and within almost a
stones throw of each other, are Port
Royal, the largest of them all, Ladies,
Dathan, Morgan, Coosaw, Chisholm, ST.
Helena and Eddengs island.
ut is almost one island cut up with navi-
gable lagoons. Sklrting the ocean front,
looking out on the Atlantic are Hiton's
Head Island. Dawfuskie island, and fur
ther over toward Charleston Chaplins
Stand, Prentice island and Reynolds
island. Hundreds of smaller islands
dot the coast.
"To-day most of them are in ruins and
the majority of inhabitants are searching
in vain for sustenance. From 10000 to
$1,000 seek a market IN Beaufort. What
they will do Row cannot be conjectured.
Further up the coast there are whites ON
the islands who have something left.
Down here, from what can be learned,
nothing Is left. Eighty per cent. of the
houses undoubtedly have been swept
away. Look how this report reads
Ladies island, 700 houses gone: Eas-
tce Place, 80 houses, 3 are left; Hope
Plantation, all houses destroyed. Out
of 10 places on Coosaw island only a
dozen are left
$50 it goes. The population on these
islands is almost entirely colored, with
a few whites, who keep stores or manage
extensive farms. The crops consists
almost entirely of sea island cotton, with
a few patches of corn, potatoes, and
small grain. Nothing is left of the crop
except on the highlands.
1.-The phosphate fields have supplied
sustenance to many of the more pro-
gressive farmers, who, after they have
laid by their crops, turn it oyer to
their wives and children. This side
revenue Is gone, for the present at least
The boats in which they did their Wis
lting, hauling, and trading are very
nearly all gone.
son st. Helena island things are in al
especially sad plight. Mr.. wilkins,
trustworthy white man, says that fol
ten miles there is not a dry spot on the
island. House tops are resting in tree
or are a mass of ruins. There are 400
persons who are in immediate need o
help. Indeed, it has already gone so ia
5 that demands are being made upon hin
} for food.
"a week ago this was one of the mos
, prosperous of the islands. The colore,
| population were industrious and wei
e behaved. They had made money out o
|, their cotton crops. They were dispose
to be saving and to accumulate some
t thing. Many of them had two-stor
+ houses, and prded themselves on
: horse and wagon.
! Estimates of deaths III that sectio
/ range all the way from 400 to 1000, bu
. IN no instance has any one said that les
!. than 400 lives have been lost near there
;, Never will it be known exactly hoy
n many lives were lost. Marsh grass ha
i covered the bodies of many, and other
- have gone out to sea, and, indeed, tn
: count has become monotonous and is II
2 longer being continued.
4 "The death roll as 1t is Is bad enough
a especially when the population of tn
o island is considered. Take the popula
b ton; Ladies' island, 2000; Hilton
: Head, $500; Warsaw, 100; CoOsaw, 2000
Paris island, 500; Port Royal islam
e (not Beaufort), 5000; Beaufort, $500
Dawthad, 400; Chisholm's island, 800
u Total. $4,000.
? "When one thinks of the numerou
shipwrecks, and remembers the fact tina
; the waves washed over the islands