Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-10-14
A NEW DANGER

Lurking In the Wake Of the Recent
Cyclone Over the Gulf States-Hundreds
OF PutrefyiDg COrpses In the Marshes
that Cannot be Reached, and an Epl-
demic Feared-The situation is Simply
Appailing-The Total Loss OF Lives
Fully Two Thousand.
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 9.-The news
from every section strickea by the
storms makes it safe to estimate the
loss of life at fully 1000. while mil
lions OF dollars worth of property was
destroyed. Besides that, thousands of
people have been deprived of the
means of making a livelihood. The
situation is appalling, but New Or
leans is doing all it can to relieve the
thousands in want. DIR. Story, coroner
of Plaquemine parish, has made the
following report;
"A good many carloads of provisions
and clothing have been sent out, but
not near enough. Men. women and
children are without food and cloth
ing. They have become so desperate
that they have threatened to.attack
stood the effects of the storm and steal
food. 1t is frequent thing to see lit
tie sufferers crying and begging
piteously for something to eat.
"Sngle graves for the dead were inn
possible. Great trenches we dug and
bodies were piled in one on top Of an.
other. The earth was thrown over
them and if their names were ascer-
tained they were cut in rude crosses
above the graves. | do not think | ex-
ageratc the facts when | state that at
least ., 800 souls were ushered into eter-
nifty by the recent storm in louisiana
This of course includes Bayou Cook
county, Cheniere Caminada, Grand
Isle. etc. | never saw bodies de-
compose 50 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 bayous ate
the remains. believe firmly that the
marshes and other places are filled
with human forms. 1t is impossible to
get at these, however, as no one is ad-
venturous enough to explore the
swamps. There can be no doubt of the
fact that this is conducive to an epi-
demic of fever, or even cholera. If
one case of the latter disease should
develop it would spread through the
country like wildfre, but nothing can
be done to prevent this"
The relief party which set out from
Biloxi tells an awful story Of the desti-
tuition and loss of life in the Louisiana
marshes. The marshes are filed with
dead and putrefying bodies, in very
few cases the corpses being recogniza-
Bile. The number of lives lost on those
marshes will never be known. Newly
made graves We're seen everywhere.
The only sign of life seen on the
marsh was one raccoon, and it was
floating on log. Hundreds of oyster
boats and luggers were lost with most
of their crews, and the few survivors
tell terrible stories of suffering. Most
of them were nude when found.
Capt. Julian Lefort, the leading spirit
among the survivors OF the Chcniere
Caminada, places the number of the
saved at 500 The population of the
island and the bayous Immediately con-
AucteA with IL was slightly liu,r ti,on
800. lie says the island will be aban-
doned as habitation of man. Grand
Isle and Chandelier will also be ban
doned.
The mayor yesterday morning re-
oeived telegram from K. NJ. Arnold.
of Chicago, general freight agent OF
the Monon route, rendering free the
services of the Louisville, New Albany
& Chicago railway for the transporta-
ton of donations of clothing and pro-
visions for the relief of sufferers from
b,l - nru