St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-10-05
STORMS OF THE PAST.
Experiences of 1888 and 1882
Dissertation of Grand island.

Experiences of 1888 and 1889
Description of Grand Island.
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 4-The last bad
storm near the mouth of the Mississippi
was in 1883, and there was also a severe
storm in 1889. In 1888. when there was
so much destruction in this city, the
gale was very high at Grand Isle, and
the water of the gulf was backed up on
the land, and the residents and sojourn-
ers upon the island were for day and
night terror stricken. The storm,
howe ever, did no damage of great mag
nitude and there were no lives lost. At
that time the regular steamer running
to the island was long overdue and then
| there were rumOrs in the city that
Grand Island was destroyed. The re-
ports fortunately proved to be untrue,
but they had created greater anxiety In
the city than the reports that were re-
ceived last night for the reason that the
storm of IS happened during The month
/ OF August when there was a large
number Of summer SojournerS from the
! city upon the island.
Grand lake lies this side of Grand
isle. 1t is about fifteen miles across
| and it is shallow, and wheD the wind is
| high Is very tempeStuOuS. In periods
| OF cyclones it is extremely dangerous.
| In 1888 boats could not venture across
| it until the cyclone had subsidized, and
| in 1889 the Joe Weber steamboat. car
| rying passengers 10 and from the ISL
and, was weat her-bound mile from
landing. and, afraid to venture into the
lake, she lost day and half in getting
away, and her detention caused much
| alarm i'll this city. That was also In the
| month of August. Grand isle is more
| fortunately located to withstand the
1 effect of heavy blow than Lost island
| Lost island was situated to the west
| ward of Grand isle, and was more fully
exposed to the hurricane of the gulf
! than her sister. Back in the fifties,
| Lost Island was the summer resort of
| the planters of the South and South
western Louisiana and many Of the
| people of New Orleans. 1t was about
| 1850 when tidal wave swept over it,
and the island sank into the sea, large
! number of lives being lost, including
many people high in social and business
life. Part of tie island is still above the
surface of the sea, but it is practically
uninhablted.
Grand isle lies directly south OF New
Orleans. 1t is about sixty miles as the
crow flies from the city, and about
ninety miles by the tortuous route that
is covered in reaching it. There are two
| ways of getting to the island, one via
Socola canal. fifty miles down the river,
and the other via Compony canal, which
is about opposite the old exposition
grounds. By either route Grand lake
| MUST BE CROSSED.
The trip is made in from ten to four
| teen hours, according to the wind and
| the speed of the craft. The island is in
/ Jefferson parish. and it has been IA
| summer resort for many years, not
| literally patr0niZed, however, because
| of its location and the lack of wire COM
munication.
The GraLd island road was projected
| to run to point this side of Grand
| lake, but the route, although surveyed,
| has never been completed. The island
| has population of about 700. 1t is
| eleven miles long and varies in width
| from half-mile to mile and a half.
| The largest structure upon it is the
| Ocean Club hotel, which was finished
| about two years ago, and which has
| accommodations for several hundred
guests. The hotel has been failure
owing to the failure of the project to
push the completion Of the Grand Island
railroad. of which eX-GOy. Yarmouth
| is the head. The hotel is a two-story
structure, is quite strongly built and
lies about four squares from the beach.
! The island is sandy, is SAID TO have
rock foundation and is considerably
| higher at one end than at the other. The
Kranz property is about five miles from
the Livingtone lighthouse and consists
of about a dozen small cottages lying
| about half mile from the beach.
| p. F. Herring has considerable prop
erty on the island, much of which is
| improved. There are a 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, and the two are separated by
channel fifty feet III depth. Old Fort
Livingstone is on Grand Terre. as are
also the lighthouses and number of
small residences.