Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-05

stood many gales and the occupants OF
10 felt reasonably safe from the storm.
IL turned out 10 be the bier OF probably
twenty-five people.
Mr.. Schurts on Sunday night had an
experience severe enough TO turn a
mans hair gray, and when he reached
the city this morning he showed the re-
suits OF the peril ne had been through.
He was almost naked, the clothes he
had on we're torn TO shreds; his face
was bruised aud he had not yet recoV-
cred from the excitement he had under
, gone and the frightful scenes OF death
be had witnessed.
Mr.. SchurtS says tho estimate Is that
the loss OF on Grand Isoe and Cheniere,
and in the Grand and Adams Bay and
| the Cook, ChalOn and Oyster Bayou set
! Elements will reach eight hundred TO
| thousand. When he left Cheniere
! Island yesterday be counted five houses
standing out OF a total of about 300,
while the land was covered with corpses,
As the wind increased in severity the
houses began 10 90 to pieces. The wind
picked the roofs of as though they had
| been shaved from the rafters with a
| great carving knife. Then the build
/ inRs began 70 rock violently and one oy
one thev were torn TO pieces, crashing
down upon and killing their occupants
! and then rapidly drifting away with the
/ terrible current that was sweeping
| across the land.
The shrleks and groans Of the unfor-
tunate people was heartrending as they
were buried in the ruins Of their frail
| homes.
MIR. Schurtz, Mr.. Thompson aud a
negro bricklayer were in a house in
which there were fully twenty-five peo-
pie all huddled together and terror
stricken at the mighty agony OF the
elements. Suddenly there was q
fearful crash OF timbers and
the roof caved In buryiDg nearly
every one of the party, only Mr..
| Schurtz and the negro bricklayer
escaping. Mr.. Schurtz clung to float
ing debris until he saw light twink
/ ling in house not far away. He swan
TO the house and was admitted. There
were several people in this house. Mr..
Schurtz had hardly entered, however,
/ when the structure went to pieces and
out of those who we're In the house,
| Mr.. Schurtz, a lady and a child escaped.
Mr.. Schurtz is certain that not less
| than nine hundred 70 a thousand peo-
pie perlsned in the awful cyclone and
| tidal wave. SchurtZ and the lady aud
child succeeded in reaching tree.
Schurtz says while be remained In the
/ tree three waves washed over him that
were mountain high, but he and the
| lady and baby clung tenaciOusly to the
limbs for support, and saved themselves
| from being washed away In the awful
/ bowling gulf around them.
I The wind was highest at midnight
and continued for q couple Of hours.
| Then 1t began to abate in severity un-
| iii a o'clock, when 1t was blowing with
only moderate velocity, finally dying
out. While the wind was highest the
| rain fell in torrents, drifting In blind
/ ing sheets and striking the faces OF the
unfortuuates who were clinging to trees,
/ planks, posts and other debris
with the force OF hailstones.
When the wind died out the waves
/ began to decrease in size and the water
/ that had swept over the land began 70
run back again into the gulf. When
daylight broke the picture Of desolation
was awful to behold. Only here and
there stood house. Everywhere there
were merely fountains TO mark where
/ homes stood.
Trees lay PROSTATE upon the ground.
/ Timber was lodged in piles OF indis-
criminate confusion where it had been
/ thrust by the mighty rush Of waters.
| Ruined Chimueys suggested stories OF
/ stricken houses. Furniture, bedding,
clothing, stoves, kitchen utensils and
| household goods OF all kinds were scat
| tered in promiscuous confusion
| wherever the vision was able to reach.
] The Grand Island road was projected
/ 70 run to point this side OF Grand
/ Lake, but the route, although surveyed,
| has never been completed. The island
/ has q population OF about ZOO. II is
about eleven miles long and varies in
| width from a half mile to mile and a
\ half The largest structure upon 10 Is
| the Ocean Club Hotel, which was finish
I ed about two years ago, and which has
/ accommodations for several hundred
guests.
Mr.. Krapz's property is about five
] ulllte AAuIA AAN III v lh N9NN@a 80 = a.
\ and consists OF about a dozen small cot
tages, lying half o mile from the beach.
Mr.. Il. L. Herwig has considerable
| property on the island, much OF which
\ is Improved. There are number OF
/ stores and small residences. One side
/ OF the island is directly exposed TO the
| gulf. There are bayOus and marshes
and some high land on the opposite
/ side.
Grand Terre is to the east Of Grand
| Island. aud the two are separated 0y q
| channel sixty feet in depth.
Old Fort Livingston, part OF it In the
gulf. is on Grand Terre as are also the
| lighthouse and a number OF small resi-
| denceS.
Grand Island lies directly south Of
/ New Orleans. II is about sixty
I miles as the crow flies, from
the city and about ninety miles
/ by the t0rtuous route that Is COW
\ cred in reaching II. There ara two
ways OF getting TO the island, one by
way of Socola canal, fifty miles down
| the river, and the other by way OF Com
| paDy canal, which IS about opposite
\ the old exposition grounds. By either
route Grand Lake must be crossed.
/ The trip islmade in from ten TO fourteen
I hours, according 10 the wind and the
speed Of the craft. The island is In
/ jefferson Parish.
! A large store at Buras was lifted from
| its foundations A house at Oulander's
Station, OF in the distance, was demol-
| fsLaA A. Rur0e rfvar tha staRmnr
| Comet, running between there aud Port
! Eads, under command OF Capt. II. L. Lang,
/ had a lively experience. Captain Lang