Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-05
ON THE GULF COAST.
First Definite News From the Scene
of Disaster.
IMMENSE less OF LIFE ESTIMATED.
The Damage Will Foot Up
100000.
SUFFERING AND SHIPWRECK

here this morning. All the wires have
been down and the Louisville and Nashville
railroad has been washed out at intervals
from Mobile to New Orleans. The fnan-
cial loss along the entire coast will foot I'D
not less than x.0O0.0OO. and fully 100 lives
were lost
Ruin mt Biloxi.
At Biloxi nothing escaped the fury of the
elements. On every side could be seen the
wrecks Of boats. piers and bath houses and
In many instances the fronts Of houses on
| the beach were totally demolished
Throughout the town great trees were up
rooted. swinging signs were swept away
like leaves. sheds and vehicles were tossed
about like matchboxes and animals Of every
description were terribly frightened. Many
Of the streets are blocked with fallen trees
and mass Of rubbish washed in by the
sea. while the beach itself Is impossible on
account Of the piles Of wreckage visible all
along the entire coast. The canning indus
tries were completely wrecked all the fac
tories being either badly damaged or utterly
destroyed.
Much Of the damage at the back bay was
caused by a section Of several hundred feet
Of the railroad bridge which was swept
away at Ocean Spring. and washing up
against the buildings. crushed them like
egg shells.
Damage to the Shipping.
1t is difficult at this time to make any in
telligent estimate of the damage sustained
by the loss Of sloops. luggers. small schoon-
ers. fishing boats and like crafts.
Out Of more than 100 boats on the bay,
little and big, only three rode the storm
safely, and the beach Is strewn with wrecks
OF all descriptions. On the back bay there
were only one or two that weathered the
gale Not q single wharf is left standing
on either the front or back bay. The dam.
age was not confined alone to the water
| front, but all through the city, in every
direction. the effects of the storm can be
seen In fallen trees, fences and here and
there house partially unroofed.
The velocity of the wind at the height OF
| the storm must have been at least 100 miles
per hour. The Baptist church steeple was
blown down and the bell cracked. The
breakwater at the lighthouse was washed
away. but the tower was not damaged
At Deer Island. just opposite Biloxi. over
| forty head Of cattle were destroyed. When
the storm came up. which was a genuine
cyclone. there were many Biloxi boats in
the Louisiana marsh oyster fishing. and II
| Is almost certain that in many cases q
number. II not all, Of their boats have gone
down with all on board. OF eight schoon-
ers that were known to be there on Sunday
| evening three have been picked up bottom
| up. with masts and rigging all gone and
not soul on board. 1t is believed that the
| loss Of life will not fall short Of 100.
Wrecks at Ship Island.
| At Ship Island. prior to the storm. there
were seven vessels loading for foreign
hor RI 70
Gundersen. 734 tons. from Capetown to load
| for Buenos Ayres, lost her mast and rig
| ging and suffered other damage. The Brit
| ish bark Rosetta Smith. 500 TOMS from Ha-
vana- Capt. Hunterman, was found. bottom
| up. drifting outside and Is a total loss. The
mate. carpenter and cook were drowned
! The German bark Margeretis, 1.2S7 tons
| from New York, Capt Roster, lost two
| anchors and 120 fathoms Of chains and suf-
fered other damage. The Austrian bark An
| ME e. B., from Santos, Is a complete wreck.
| OF the crew Of thirteen men and two steve
| dores aboard. the captain. three sailors and
| the two stevedores were drowned. The
| stevedores were from Pascagoula, one white
| and one colored. The barge Hero Of Moss
Point, belonging to Hows & Griffin. lost the
| only man aboard. named Shepard. and the
| barge Boss Of the same place also lost q
| colored man. name unknown.
Considerable damage was done on the
island, the warehouse fort, keepers house
and lazaretto at the quarantine station be-
| ing completely washed away the light
house keepers house being badly dam
aged.
About one mile of the railroad bridge at
Bay ST. Louis is washed ashore on the
island, together with much derelicts OF
other kinds. from wrecked vessels. oyster
boats sloops and luggers. Very little Of the
government wharf remains and what is
left will be of no service. large number
of cattle were also drowned.
| On Chandelier Island.
| Probably the worse damage and the loss
of property was at Chandelier Island. Here
was located the United States Marine Hos
pital quarantine buildings in charge OF
DR.. G. Nj. Guiteras with DR.. Charles Pelaiz
| Of Biloxi as assistant.
| At this point the fullest strength of the
storm was developed, resulting not only In
the almost complete destruction Of all the
buildings on the island. but fearful loss
Of life. The velocity of the wind reached
100 miles per hour. The building and pier
known as the disinfecting plant, supplied
with all the modern appliances for the
thorough distinctions of vessels from in
being washed away, while the other build
ings on the island are more or less dam
aged and uninhabitable. The largest house
connected with the main station was also
carried away.
| List of the Missing.
| The following persons are missing and 4
is almost certain they are drowned: Stew
ard l.. Duckett of New Orleans, Nurse Nc
KenZie of Mobile, Seaman Muller of Am
sterdam. and two patients, one named
Lazeon of the steamer Ravensdale anc
George B. Salmis, boatman Of the Ameri
can bark Rebecca Goddard.
Neither Of these patients, however, wer,
suffering from any contagious disease ant
there was no disease of that character ex
listing at the quarantine. The buildings OF
the island were located SO far apart tina
there was no communication and it wa.
impossible for the occupa nts to render as
sistance to one another.
The light house is also wrecked to sucl
an extent that 1t will have to be abandoned
DR.. Guteras has notified the department
at Washington that the island is no longe
habitable and recommended the transfe
Of the quarantine station to Ship Island
and DIR. Pelaiz has been transferred t,
that point.
DIR. Guiteras has also notified the bar pi
lots and the health authorities at Pensa
cola, Mobile and Pascagoula that an yes