The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-11


death by wreckage. Everything bears
the impress of an immense horror The
history Of the whole has left behind IL
souvenirs which abound in strange and
romantic interest. Terrific as was the
work Of the storm elsewhere on Che
Mere Caminda it reached a climax OF
horror. Cheniere is one Of that group
Of islands which extend along the lower
coast, and TO which belong Grand Isle,
Tambalier and Lost Island. 1t is a long,
low. fat strip Of earth about three miles
long by one in width. IT was one Of the
old haunts OF LATTE and his band. OF
late IL was a station for fishing boats.
1t contained one Town, CaIntnadaville, OF
about eighteen hundred population, the
majority Of whom are fishermen, and all
of whom did a great Of business with
New Orleans through the firms selling
FISH in the French market.
The destructive work Of the elements
nowhere finds better illustration than at
this place. The condition in which that
once prosperous little town had been
left is appalling. 1t is said that on Sun
day evening there were 200 dwellings
within its limits; but today twenty-five
remain standing, and Of these there is
not one unin1ured- The very ground
upon which hey were built is torn and
rent as though some gigantic plowshare
had passed capriciously over 1t.
Just imagine fathers and mothers
burying their sons and daughters, and
1 CnllQTen III their extreme SdQntSS DuIA-
| ing their dead parents. 1t was touch
| ing TO see this; but then il was only the
| truth, for everywhere one could see
/ little graves wherein as many as ten
| people were buried. Some were drowned;
| others killed in the wrecked buildings.
| Still there are hundreds Of bodies that
/ are still unburied; some are under the
/ wrecked buildings while the balance are
| floating on the bottom of the bay or
| Caminada- Beneath some Of the wrecks
I - = ~
| they cannot be taken out and given A
| Christian burial; the brave little band
| of gravediggers are exhausted They
have already buried in the rude graves
| on the island $780, and are still burying
what bodies they can find.
Group Of Grave DiEEers.
Fiction would be useless in describing
that scene. for the cruel truth itself
surpasses any possibility of Imagination.
Within a few yards of the wreck Of the
Valence store there was A band OF grave
diggers, consisting of three men, two
women and a child of ten years. They
were burying an old man and young
and beautiful girl Of seventeen years.
All of the grave diggers had spades and
they were digging as fast as they could
| in the moist earth. Soon the depth they
sought was reached and tenderly they
| took the body of the old man, who was
| named Kingston, and placed IT in the
| grave The girl was taken up and placed
| on top Of the dead body Of her father.
| In that band Of grave diggers there
| was a son. He was ten years old and
his name was Alexander Kingston. There
| We're no tears in any eyes, even in those
| of the son and brother. for every man
| and woman had a tale OF equal sad
| ness. They had wept until they were
i exhausted and the tears ceased 70 flow,
! but the grief in their brave hearts viii
be for the rest of their lives.
| The grave diggers threw in haste the
pile Of earth over the bodies Of daughter
| for others. They had walked but a
| short distance when the body OF man
was seen floating in the bay by one OF
| the men. A rope was procured and the
| drowned body was hauled into shore.
It proved to be that Of a cOlored fisher
! man. With haste, but tenderly, they
| buried it on the bay shore within a short
distance of where it was found.
Entire Family Lost.
In the house Of Mr.. z. Terrebonne the
grave-diggers found his body and that n
his wife and six children The body OF
the husband and father was lying on the
| kitchen floor and il was taken out Of
| there and buried about fifty yards from
the wreck. 1t was not mangled in tho
least. The little band went 10 the front
| portion of the house and there they found
| Mrs. Terrebonne's body. Clinging in her
| arms was q babe. The two bodies were
| taken out and buried in the same grave
| where the father and husband was in
| TERED. Near where the mother was
| found there were five children of AR L.
| Terrebonne ranging from twelve to four
| years The oldest had met death by
big piece Of lumber falling and crushing
| his skull. The others were drowned.
| They were taken out Of the portion Of
the house that still stood and carried 10
| the graves of Sheir parents. In the rear
| of the island one could see hundreds Of
| little mountains, graves Of those who
were drowned and killed in the terrible
| storm. There were a number OF men,
women and children going about with
| big poles and hooks. They We're search
| ing for the dead. As soon as they found
| a body they would Immediately dig
| grave and place II in it. Those that took
| the most prominent part in the burial
| Of the dead were V. Nacoste, Felix BIZ
| zani. Andrew Bizani and his wife. Louis
| Broussard. the majority of the Lefeau
| family, Andrew Lewis, Edward Andrews.
| Henry PaulSmith, Frederick Colan, Jr.,
| his wife and Vito Karch. not TO speak ~
! many that came from Bayou Lafourche.
Two Score I'm One House.
In Mime. Bucross house there was
found fully forty bodies unidentified.
| They all were mansled I'm some manner.
| They were buried ten and fifteen in the
| same grave Madame L. Cidioc and her
daughter Delphie were found many
yards away from their wrecked home.
| They had been drowned in one OF the
! gulches in an attempt to reach the store
| Of Mr.. Nalence. In their home was the
| drowned bodies Of a girl and a boy OF
| Madame Cidioc. These bodies were
| buried all together in the same grave
| The BiZani family, with the exception
| of Felix and Andrew. was wiped out OF
| existence. Arthur Bizani, Leo Paul
| their wives and children with numerous
! cousins, aunts and other relatives. were
| all drowned in the homestead of the
| family. This family consisted Of TWEEN
| ty-five people. The bodies were dragged
| out and they were buried i'm the west
| center OF the islands I'm three graves
| Thomas l.. Oriol was killed by falling
| tree. Florentine Broussart, the Wife OF
| Louis Broussart, and two children We're
| drowned. In the Broussart house the
| following others were drowned: Ferdi-
| nand Broussart. Bernard Broussart
| Regina Broussart and Bernardo Brous-
| sart.
Hundreds OF bodies have been found
| since Monday morning and they are
| buried without even a prayer over their
remains.
| An Appeal 90 the Country.
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