Democratic messenger., 1893-10-14
twenty-five Hundred Dead.
The Appalling Situation iri
tlte Louisiana Marshes.

i'rcm New Orleans gives this thrillin.
account of the suilcrings of the pcopl,
who were in the storms track:
The news from every section stricken
by the storm makes il safe to cstimat,
the loss Of life ut fully 1000, Will,
millions of dollars worth of property
was DESTROYED. Besides that, thous
ands of people have been deprived Of
the means of making Il livelihood
The situation is appalling, but New
Orleans is doing all she can to relieve
the thousands in want. DIR. Story
coroner of Plaqueminc parish. ha,
made the following report:
"A good many carloads of pro
visions and clothing have been sent
but not near enoug. Men, women
and children are without food and
clothing. They have become so des-
peratc that they have threatened tc
attack the stores and steal food. 1t i.
a frequent thing To see little sufferer.
crying and begging piteously fol
something To eat. Single graves for
the dead were impossible Great
trenches were dug, and bodies wcr,
piled in one on top of the other.
The earth was thrown over them
and if their names were ascertained
they were cut in rude crosses above
the graves. | do not think exagger-
ate the facts when | state that at least
900 souls were ushcrcd into eternity
by the recent storm in Louisiana
This, of course, includes the Boyou,
Cook county, Chcnicrc, Camanada
Grand Isle, DC. | never saw bodies
decompose so rapidly as those of the
storm sufferers which were viewed by
me. This was due to the fact that the
fish and crabs in the bavous eat the
remains.
| believe firmly that the marshes
and other places are filed with human
forms. 1t is impossible to get at these,
however, Us no one is vcnturesomc
enough to explore the swamps. There
can he no doubt of the fact that this
is conducive to an epidemic of fever,
or even cholera. If one case of the
latter disease should develop it would
spread through the country like Wild
fire; but nothing can be done TO pre-
vent this"
The relief party which set out from
Biloxi tells an awful story Of dcstitu-
ton and loss of life in the Louisiana
marshes. The marshes are filled with
dead and purifying bodies, in very
few cases the corpses being recognized.
The number of lives lost on those
marshes will never be known. The
territory covered was Il distance of
200 miles. Newly-madc graves were
everywhere. The only sign of life
seen in the marsh was one raccoon,
and it was floating OH a log. Hum
dreds of oyster boats and luggcrs were
lost with most Of their crews, and the
few survivors tell terrible stories of
suffering. Most of them were nude
when found
An arriving schooner at Biloxi re-
ports that many bodies are floating on
the shore at Cat Island, Ship Island
and Chandclcur Island. No less than
20 were counted on Cat Island alone
They had been bufcttcd by wind and
wave, and were in Il state of dccompo-
sition, and are bcingburicd rs rapidly
as the sorcly-tricd relief parties are
able TO dig graves for them in the
sand of the beach. Before the storm
of Sunday there were 100 craft anchor
ed in and around Biloxi. Only three
survived.
The stories of death and desolation
which continue TO come in from the
storm-stricken district of Southern
Louisiana, lying between Pointc Ia
Hache and the quarantine station are
of the most narrowing character. Scores
of dead bodies are still lying OH the
rivers edge, or are in the high and
tangled weeds of the marshes, whittier
they were driven. Many Of those who
escaped are starving. 1t is reported
that men and women, driven to dcspcr.
alton by hunger, are feeding OIL dead
animals. a large number of bodies
have already been thrown into trench
es and covered up, but those still lying
exposed TO the hot sun are rapidly
dccomposing. adding further peril to
the situation. IL was TO relieve this
terrible condition that the Board OF
Health yesterday morning sent down
the coast a large quantity of lime and
disinfcctants, which will be used for
sanitary purposes. The board has dis
patched Il physician to the scene to
superintcnd the distribution Of the
disiniectants.
The distress is so great that the
Board of Health yesterday concluded
to send similar bodies in the leading
cities of the country and appeal for
help, promising that Louisiana will
bury the dead and feed the starving.
but soliciting the assistance of the
charitable III getting the unfortunatcs,
who have been well nigh ruined. upon
their feet again.
Ever since Monday people have
been arriving from different points Mt
Chenicre. They represented they came
upon mission Of relief and were
received with open arms, but instead
of coming TO save they came TO plander,
proceeding to ransack the ruins and
little piles of belongings which the
survivors had saved, without regard
for the suffering they imposed thereby.
They have stolen clothes and money
and any other articles they could lay
their hands on.