The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-09-02
GROWS TN HORROR
Destruction Caused by the Storm OF
Sunday Seems Completely Beyond
Belief.
Over Three Hundred Corpses Recov.
cred, and Each Hour Adds to the
Number.
1t Is Now Thought the Total Loss Of
Life Will BE Nearly 1000 Sur.
yivOrs Destitute.

YEMEsgE. 8. c., Sept. 1.--The Port
Royal and Augusta road Ia complete
wreck beyond Coosaw and the country |
there is well nigh impossible. In addi-
ton to the terrible wreckage of Sum
days storm. the evidences Of which are
everywhere glaringly apparent. the
heaviest kind of rain has been falling.
preventing railroad and telegraph
hands from making the repairs so badly
needed and rendering transportation
across the country almost impossible.
The stories of the death and destruc-
tion at the sea points have astounded
the world, but the real situation is so
far beyond that heretofore stated that
1t seems
Completely Beyond Belief
The list of dead and missing as esti-
mated at Beaufort foots up to the as
tonish;ngly great number of $40. How
much greater it may be no human
being can know. 1t was on the islands
that the storms greatest destructive
force was felt, and it was on them that
the great loss of life occurred. There
are dozen or more of these islands,
and the indications are that there 10
scarcely hamlet in which there Is not
house of mourning. Certain it Is that
in a number of instances entire
families have been wiped out of exist
ence. 1t is perfectly safe to say that
the loss of life will reach thousand.
There are many left of course, and the
suffering among these people is dire.
Never has this country known storm
so disastrous: never has the old Pal.
metto State known such desolation. In
the towns of Beaufort and Port Royal
the loss of life is not particularly great,
however. though the destruction Of
property there will amountto
Several Million Dollars.
The stories OF the storm told by the
poor people OF Beaufort are thrilling.
Sunday morning the storm began, but
it was not until 8 clock Monday morn
ing that the full force was felt. A sea
captain says the wind must have been
blowing 1875 miles an hour at the time
its greatest velocity was reached. The
sea was btown IS miles inland and
nothing could withstand the force oi
the wind and waves.
The picture Of death and desolatior
that presented itself to the people Mon
day morning was appalling. Every
house was wholly or partially demol
ished. Steamships were resting upor
A~~ 1axs1 %rrysS4 S4a1 nx.1
tered about, at intervals dead bodie,
were found. while ever and anon tn,
waves would cast one or more lifelesi
forms ashore, swollen, distorted anl
bruised. During the day the bodies
continued to
Multiply So Rapidly
that Coroner Wills was compelled I,
swear in half dozen deputies, one TO
each of the islands where death is re
ported. 1t is said that one of thes
deputies held an inquest over 78 people
Some of the islands have not been hear,
from at all. while of those heard iron
there was not single one which di
not increase the death roll. There ar
only two boats at Beaufort now an
both are chartered by the Port Roya
and Augusta railroad. This prevent
passage between the islands. The core
ner. however, and collector of the port
x-Congressman Small, are compilin
the information as fast as 1T can be oil
tanned and are making record of th
dead as rapidly as possible. There ha
not been an hour of any day since til
early hours of Monday morning that
Dead Body Has Not Been Founa
at some point on one of the many il
lands So frequent are the discoyeris
that the finding of single body a
tracts no attention at all. 1t takes th
discovery of at least half dozen {
more to induce the people to show an
feelings whatever. 1t is around Bea,
fort and Port Royal that the death raj
was the greatest. but in neither OF tn
towns were many lives lost. Aroun
the two towns there is complet
chain of islands and it was upon the.
that the death angel hovered for hour
Sunday night, leaving in its path so
row and desolation greater than hi
ever visited the state before. even
the bloody days Of reconstruction.
Great Destitution.
AUGUSTA, Ga, Sept. 2. = Receiv.
- - e5.z