The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-11
The News Confirmed.
MIR. sCHURB's STORY.
Picture OF DesOIatiOn Rarely
Seen-Some of the Lost.

4 Picture OF DesoIatiOn Rarely
Scen-Some of the Lost.
Mr. Matthew Schurb of Goldsboro,
just opposite this city. was one Of the
survivors of Cheniere Caminda calamity
who arrived this morning on the
schooner Good Mother He brought
with finn narrowing tale of his ex-
periences and Of the loss OF life at
Cheniere. Mr.. Schurb went To the island
about four weeks ago with Mr.. George
Thompson and d negro bricklayer named
Louis Roberts for the purpose of con-
structing a school house. He engaged
board in a house i'm which there was
very large family. not less than twenty
five in all The house was rude affair
of boards. but it had withstood many
gales and the occupants of it felt reason
ably safe from storms. 1t turned out to
be the bier of probably twenty-five peO-
pie
Mr.. Schurb on Sunday night had an
experience severe enough TO turn a man 5
hair gray, and when he reached the city
this morning he showed the results of
the peril he had been through. He was
almost naked: what clothes he had on
We're torn TO shreds; his face was
bruised and he had not yet recovered
from the excitement he had undergone
and the frightful scenes of death he had
witnessed. Mr.. Schurb estimates that
the loss of life will reach 500 to 1000
When he left Cheniere island yesterday
he counted but five houses standing out
of total of about three hundred, while
the land was covered with corpses. As
the wind increased in severity the houses
began 10 so TO pieces The wind picked
the roofs of as though they had been
shaved from the rafterS with huge
carving knife Then the buildings be-
gan To rock violently and one by one
they were torn 10 pieces, crashing down
upon and killing thicr occupants and
then rapidly drifting away with the ter
rible current that was sweeping across
the land.
The shrieks and groans Of the unfor-
tunate people was heartrending as they
were buried " the ruins of their fragile
homes Mr.. Schurb. Mr. Thompson and a
negro bricklayer were in d house III which
there were fully twenty-five people all
huddled together and terror-stricken at
The mighty agony of the elements. Sud
denly there was fearful crash Of tim
beers and the roof caVed in burylng near
~ every one Of the party, only Mr..
Schurb and the negro bricklayer escap-
ing. Mr. Schurb chung TO floating debris
not far away lie went to the house and
was admitted. There We're several people
i'm this house. Mr. Schurb had hardly
entered, however, when the structure
went TO pieces and out OF those who
were i'm the house only MIR. Schurb, a
lady and a child escaped. Mr.. Schurb
succeeded in getting the lady and baby
to a tree and there the party stayed until
4 in the morning when the wind began
to abatc. The negro managed to reach
the pole to which the fishing smacks are
usually tied and chung 10 ii during the
whole OF the awful night. finally being
rescued Mr.. Thompson, who lived at
HarVey's canal was lost sight of and lie
was probably drowned.
Mr. Schurb estimates that there were
twenty people killed in the house from
which he escaped 1t was the residence
Of Mrs. Ducros.
Mr.. Schurb is certain that no less than
nine hundred to a thousand persons per-
ished In this awful cyclone and tidal
wave.
When daylight broke the picture Of
desolation was awful 70 behold. only here
and there stood a house. Everywhere
there were merely foundations to mark
where homes stood. Trees lay PROSTATE
upon the ground. Timber was lodged In
piles In indiscriminate confusion where
II had been thrust by the mighty rush
of water Ruined chimneys suggested
stories of stricken hearths. Furniture.
bedding, clothing, stoves. kitchen uten-
sis and household goods OF all kind were
floating I'm promlscuous confusion wher-
ever the vision was able to reach. And
here there and everywhere were the
CHASTITY faces OF cOrpses turned upward
to the peaceful skies, now bright and
beautiful and bearing no trace Of the
awful perils of the night. Upon many
OF them were still evidences Of the terri
BILE agonies they had suffered before
death came TO relieve them of their
troubles
some had lost their lives In the wreck
OF their homes, some had been drowned
after escaping from the shells which
could not shelter them from the blasts
OF that frightful gale and who were de-
pendent upon them for protection. Many
Of the poor fellows. many of the womon
and children had lived through the night,
but mortally wounded ana with nothing
10 quench their thirst and no medical
assistance nt hand had gievn up a strug.
gle that verify tried mems souls. There
were broken arms and broken legs,
bruised and battered bodies, faces aashed
out Of all human form Many u pile OF
debris was the temporary grave OF a
family
swept by the Flood.
Chnierc Caminda lies across from
Grand Isle and IL separated from The
island by Cheniore bay. IT'S head ~
stuck out OF the gulf and when the storm
came up the mighty waves Of the ocean
washed over the face OF the stricken
land and swept everything before them
The cheniere settlement was even more
thicikly populated than was Grand 1sie.