The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-10-10

other points, and the mortality is esti.
mated between 1900 and 1000. The
loss Of life will probably exceed the
latter figure when the full record is
made up. The deaths are confined to
two parishes, Plaquemine and Jeffer-
son, and are more than one-fourth OF
the total white population. The
seriously wounded are few in number,
In fact, the severity of the storm was
such that 1t required q man of the
finest phsique and in perfect condition
to live through it. The weak and in
jured were all killed, and in the settle
ments whore the storm was worst not
single child survived and very few
women. The survivors are the young
men in the vigor of manhood Not one
OF them but what has terrible story
to tell. Not one but what is badly
bruised and injured. They escaped
mainly on RATS or logs, floating for
twenty to ninety hours In the water,
with the wind at 115 miles an hour howl
ing around them.
ALONG THE GULF COAST.
These towns and settlements extend
along the Mississippi from Point la
Haches, forty-five miles below New Or
leans to the gulf on Bayou Baratara
and the oyster reefs between there and
the mouth OF the Mississippi, and on
the islands stretching from the Missis-
sippi to the main land at Chemeie
Caminada. Bay St. Louis and Pearl
river are in Mississippi.
The great majority of the people are
whites and not over one hundred are
colored.
AT Chemeie Caminada was large
Chinese colony engaged in preparinp
and exporting shrimp to China. ST.
Maleo was settled by Malays or Man
illamen, all of whom were fishermen.
A majority of the population in the
fishing town were Creoles, Italians,
Spaniards and so-called Austrians or
Daimatians. a large proportion of
them were engaged in fishing and
owned boats. AT the time the storm
visited Chemeie Caminada, 12O fishing
vessels were in the gulf fishing. Not a
word has since been heard of them or
their occupants.
Along the Mississippi the loss of life
is to some extent due to falling build
ings. On Baratara bay it was caused
wholly by drowning. The Mississippi
rose nine feet and poured over the
levees. The gulf rose fifteen feet, and
between these two floods everything was
washed away or destroyed. Chemeie
Caminada, where the greatest loss
of life occurred, is fishing town of
1.640 people, situated on the mainland
of Louisiana opposite Grande isle. 1t
was supposed to be the safest place on
the gulf coast, but the fury of the storm
raised the water in the bay back of it.
Early Monday morning, the water had
risen fifteen feet and poured over the
island eight feet deep. With a current
mi 4
everything before it and of the 3lO
houses in the settlement, only three
were standing at sunrise. The survi-
vors were saved by clinging to trees or
poles in the few houses which escaped.
Most of the bodies were carried to sea,
but those that were found in the
wrecks were buried in trenches, it be-
ing impossible to find collins.
TERRoRS OF THE NIGHT.
Throughout all the storm-visited
section, the majority of the people are
in great destitution, many OF them be-
ing without clothing. The storm came
upon them in the night when they
were disrobed and they have been in
that condition ever since. It had rain
ed all Sunday, and the wind was quite
strong, but no one anticipated a seri-
Gus storm. 1t was after midnight
when the fury of the storm broke ont
and it was so sudden that the people
were unable to get anything. 1t was
impossible to see or hear q distance of
ten feet away and husbands and wives
stood up to their necks in the water all
night, cfinging to trees only few feet
apart not knowing whore each other
was until daylight. Nine feet of the
flood swept over the levees. When
the sea backed up fifteen feet, it rush
ed over into the river and continued to
do So until the water had gone down.
The tide then started out like mill
race, carrying most of the bodies to
sea.
The pecuniary damage while heavy
is not as large as might have been ex-
pected as the sugar plantations and the
richer portions of Plaquemine parish
were not worsted by the storm, and it
was the smaller farms and fishing set
Elements which suffered most.
Between here and Mobile the dam
age done is placed at $780, 900, and in
and around Mobile at 100000, the
total damage amounting to $4,39O,O 900
The loss of the crop of Plaquemine
parish is estimated at 25 per cent, the
loss in oranges is I5 per cent, while
about 20 per cent. of the orange trees
were killed or blown down. The oys-
ter and fishing fleet is almost complete
ly destroyed and the levess badly wash
ed and will have to be rebuilt. The
shipping suffered severely, but princi-
pally the smaller vessels. The due
Webre, Aspinwall, Chamberlain and
two other steamers are supposed to be
In the wreck. One of them was blown
into rice field. One hundred and
twenty schooners and BRACES and 265
luggers are sunk, in most cases accom-
panied with heavy loss of life. Some
$50 small vessels are missing and are
supposed to be lost. The entire gulf
coast of Mississippi and Louisiana west
of Atchafalaya Is strewn with wreck
age.
RAILROADS WASHED OUT.
OF the railroads, tho Louisville and
Nashville is the heaviest sufferer and
the damage inflicted will run from
$500, 600 to 100000.
The greater portion of the line be-
tween here and Mobile, 142 miles, is
more or less damaged. Nine thousand
feet of the Bay st. Louis bridge Is COM
pletely swept away, 5000 feet of tho
Biloxi bridge is gone, while the Scran-
ton and Jackson bridges are all badly
injured and cannot be used. About
five miles of embankment and trestle
work and fifteen miles of track are
washed away. The amount of work to
be done before the road can be put in
order again Is so great that the gen
eral superintendent is coming South to
take command, and besides all the
local force from the southern divisions
large body of men are on their way
here from Evansville, Ind, with pile
1riupco of fn ovno1ifa tho