The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-10-05

himself was frightfully knocked about
and bruised and his clothes torn to shreds.
He estimated the loss of life on Grand
Isle, Cheniere and in Grand and Adams
bay and Cook, Chalton and the oyster
bay settlements at 800 to 900. When he
left Cheniere island Yesterday, he counted
but five houses standing out of total
of about 500. The land is covered with
corpses.
As the wind increased in severity, the
houses began to go to pieces. The wind
picked the roofs off as though they had
been shaved from the rafters with
a great carving knife. Then the
buildings began to rock violently
and one by one were torn to pieces, crash
ing down upon and killing the occupants
then rapidly drifting away with the ter
rible current sweeping across the land.
The shrieks were heartrending, as they
were buried in the ruins of their frail
homes.
Schurtz was in house in which fully
seventy-tive people were huddled to-
ge.her, terror stricken. Suddenly there
was a fesfful crash of timbers and the
roof caved in. burying nearly every one
of the party, only Schurtz and a negro es-
Gaping. Schurtz chung to the floating
debris until he saw light twinkling in a
house not far away, and swan to the
house and was admitted There were
several people in the house
Schurtz had hardly entered, however,
when the structure went to pieces. and
out of those who were in the house,
Schurtz, lady and child ESCAPED.
Schurtz succeeded in getting the lady and
the baby to tree and there the party
stopped until morning, when the wind
began to abate. One negro, bricklayer,
managed to reach a pole to which the
hi oD1-- 1n1 ~
chung to that during the whole of the
awful night and was finally rescued.
When daylight broke there was a scene
OF desolstion awful TO behold.
Only here and there stood a house.
Everywhere were merely foundations
to mark where houses stood.
Furniture, bedding. clothing, etc., were
scattered about IN promiscuous confu'
sion.
Everywhere were CHASTITY faces turned
upwards to the skies,
Upon many were still the evidences Of
the terrible agony they suffered before
death.
Some lost their lives in the wreck
of their homes; some drowned after
escaring from their houses; many
MORALLY wounded, lived through the
night, but with nothing to quench thirst
and no medical assistance at hand haC
given up the struggle. There were
broken arms and legs, bruised and bat.
tered bodies, faces slashed out of al
human form.
The Cheniere settlement was even more
thickly populated than Grand Isle.
1t comprised colony of 1 400 souls, the
Spanish race predominating.
Hundreds of fishing smackS owned BY
residents are either beached or demol
ished.
The priest who looked after the spirit
ual affairs of the islanders was among
those saved; and lady who occupied thu
house with BIN as housekeeper was like
wise spared. The fate of DIR. Fry anC
family is unknown. but he is missing
and probably the entire family has per-
ished. The body of Miss Annie Doug.
lass, a school teacher, was found among
the Wreckage.
The scores of bodies lying around are
beginning to show signs of decomposi-
ton, and for the safety of the rest of the
colony 1t became necessary to bury them
Immediately.
There was no time to make collins, mol
material or implements, SO the living dug
trenches in which to deposit the remains
Up to II O'Clock Shurtz assisted in the
grewsome task and participated in the
interment CT not less than fifty persons
men, women and children.
Rebe Rando saved himself, wife ant
two children by swimming about until h,
gathered sufficient lumber to make ar
impromptu raft. He put his family upor
it and drifted to place of safety. Ton
Valence, wife and several children are
believed to be drowned, as well as hii
brother Tony, wife and three children.
1t will never be accurately known how
many lives were lost.
The population OF Cheniere was abou
l 400, and Schurtz thinks at least thous.
and are missing.
1t is impossible as yet to give the finan.
cial loss, but it runs into hundreds O.
thousands of dollars. Unless steps art
taken for relief, it is not unlikely many
will perish from starvation and thirst
All the provisions on the island were
swept away. Fresh water is SO scare,
that it is not sufficient to relieve the thirs
of hundreds who are now without any
thing to eat and scarcely anything t.
wear. SchurIz was one of q party o
thirteen that came to the city on the lug
ger Good Mother. Each had thrillin,
story to relate.
There is only sadness in the news from
Bayou Cook and places thereto. Their
has been frightful loss OF life through
out that section. Houses have BEEF
blown to pieces and snlacks destroyed an,
the marshes and will never be found.
Train crews arriving on the Gran,
Island road report the track strewn witt
bodies and large number already buried
The country is q scene OF wreck and de
vastation. The passengers said no les
than eighty-seven dead bodies were seel
along the route.
Throughout Bayou Cook country tn
distress is appalling. Trains arriving to
day brought many survivors to the city
all relating q terrible tale of suffering.
Anthony Negovitch saw his wife swep
by him in torrent, appealing piteousl,
for help he was unable to render. He wit
messed scores of people drown about HIM
Many who didn't drown had their live
crushed out by the wreckage.
George Sigorovitch saw his wife an,
children perish before him while in tn
water up to his chin.
1t is variously estimated that from 20
to 500 people persisted on Bayou Cook
The deaths at other points will swell tn
total to not less than / 200 according t.
the best information now obtainable.
At Grand Bayou not less than twenty
six persisted. On Rosario and Lindel
islands, the loss OF life has been consid
cradle. The old fort on the Grand leve
has been considerably damaged, but tn
| lighthouse is still standing. 1t is diff
| cult to establish the correctness of the re
port of great loss of life on Grand Island
There are only about 200 people residen
on the island, and no one has yet arrives
directly from there. Several boats hav
already left the city, stocked with pro
visions for the sufferers.
Shell Beach was visited by the storr
and twelve or thirteen people lost thei
lives there
st. Melo island is reported to have bee
swept. Twenty-Five people resided o
the island, and as far as known not on
| is left to tell the tale.
Ex-Congressman Dudley Coleman an
party succeeded in reaching the city fror