The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-09-01
Nearly Four Hundred Bodies Found
on the South Carolina Sea Islands.
Total Loss of Life by Sunday Nights Hurri-
cane Estimated Ali the Way from Five
Hundred to One Thousand.
Waves Blown Inland Fully Fifteen
Miles by 125-Mile-an-Hour Gale.
Vessels Carried Five Miles from the Waters
Edge-0ne Hundred Negroes Drowned in
the Lowlands Near Walterbor0.

BEAUFORT, s. c., Aug. 31.-Over three
hundred and ninety dead bodies have been
found on the islands about Beaufort and
Port Royal. Over two millions of prop
erty has been wrecked near the same
points. Bot1 ere the direct result of
we're storms which swept along the At
lantic coast Sunday night. On every one of
the fifteen or twenty islands lying around
Port Roya, and Beaufort there is mourn
Ing. On every door knob there is q hunch
of Grape. and on every hillside there are
fresh m made graves. The beaches. the
underground. trees and shrubbery, the
marshes and the inlets are revealing dead
bodies every time an investigation is
made. Of the many disasters and
devastations which have visited
this section of abe country. none
has been half as horrible as that
which came Sunday. Those who are at all
posted abont the country. and the habits of
the people N the storm-visited sections.
are confident in their prediction that the
death-roll will run as high as five hundred.
Some of the best people of the State even
place the loss ct more than one thousand,
There has not been an hour of any day
since the early hours of Monday morning
that O dead body has not been found
at some point Oh one of the many islands.
As the waters recede. and the people
move deeper into the wreckage gath
cred by the storm. the CHASTITY remains
are uncovered. So frequent are these
discoveries that tie finding of O sins gle
body attracts no attention at all. 1t re-
uuires the discovery of q half-dozep or
more to induce the people to show any feel
ing whatever.
1t Is around Beaufort and Port Roya
that the death rate was the greatest, but
in neither of the towns were many lives
lost. Around the two towns there is q CON-
plete chain of islands. and it was over
these that the angel of death hovered for
hours Sunday night, leaving in his path
sorrow and desolation greater than has ever
visited the State before. The storm was
one of the NEST severe ever known on the
coast. The seas ran high and salt water
waves were driven by the heavy winds
over fifteen miles INLAND. A sea captain
say the gale was at a a125-mile-an.hour gait.
Houses were blown away. Trees
were torn from the earth, leaving
Vessels were dashed against the breakers
and thrown upon the earth as much as five
miles from the waters edge. It was grand
spectacle, and those who passed it will not
forget the experience of Sunday night
the number of dead bodies multiplied so
rapidly that Coroner Wills was compelled
10 swear in alf dozen deputies. ore for
each of the islands where death was re-.
ported 1t is said that one of these
deputies held an inquest over seventy
eight people. While the inquest was bein q
held seventy eight graves were being dug.
and seventy-eigbt bodies. swollen
and fast decOmposiDg. were waiting
interment. Some of the islands have
not yet been heard from at all.
There are only two steamers at Beaufort
now. and both are chartered by the Port
Royal * Augusta railroad. This prevents
passage between tho islands. The coroner
and the collector of the port ex-Congress-
man Small. are compiling information as
fast as it can be obtained. and are making
record of the de ad as rapidly as possible