The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-10-06
Story Of Death and Devas-
tation Along the Gulf
Of Mexico.
COLONY SWEPT AWAY
AND 27O DROWNED


Believed to be Lost-Fcars That the
Fatalities Will Exceed Those of the
Memorable Hurricane Along the
Atlantic Coast.
New ORLEANS, Oct. 4-The great storm
has passed and although the wires are still
down bits of intelligence continue to come
in from various points which impart the
information that the loss Of life, to say
nothing Of the destruction Of property,
is tremendous From Bayou Cook, the
great oyster field which leads to the gulf,
it is reported that the settlements OF the
fishermen have been completely demolished
and that the loss OF life has reached the
appalling figure Of 270.
Grand Isle, q summer resort, lying in
the gulf directly in the path OF the storm,
is said to have been utterly destroyed and
IL 10 known that the loss OF life Is large.
Many people were here spending the de-
lightful early autumn season and numbers
Of those who had spent the late summer
month in thei- cottages, had not ye:
started for their homes. The hotols and
the two long rows OF cottages which con-
stituted the resort, are said to be no more
and /: is feared that the loss OF life at this
point will be very great.
In the parish of plaquemine the villages
Of Bohemia on the Mississippi and Shell
Beach on Lake Borgue, were wiped out
and at least four lives lost In each place.
On both sides Of the river the sugar, rice
and orange crops have suffered great deal
Of damage and on the west side Of the
river the loss Of life is reported to have
been very great.
1t will be some days before the full ex-
tent of the damage wrought will be known,
but it is feared here that the grand total
will pale into insiynincance the number Of
deaths reported from the storm which re
Gently devastated the Atlantic coast.
Death by Hundreds.
Yesterday lone and ragged fisherman,
who was member of the fishing colony
at Bayou Cook, where all the oysters bear
ing that name are flshed, and which is To-
Gated about seven miles back of the Buras
settlement came to the Socola canal,
which is located ON the west bank of the
Mississippi, opposite Point la Hache, and
reported to the keeper Of the locks of the
canal, Ozene Martin, that of the 800 peo-
pie who composed the colony but 80 had
succeeded in escaping the fury of the ele-
ments. The fishermen had all retired
Sunday night as usual and though the
wind was blowing pretty hard, there was
no forerunner of the terrible catastrophe
that followed. As the night grew apace
the wind increased in velocity until the
timbers in the houses began to creak in
an alarming manner and the roar of the
waves grew louder and louder. The
water rose with startling rapidity, and be-
fore the unfortunates, who had no posi-
BILE means of escape, had time to grasp
some floating object, they were over.
whelnned with the awful might and found
their fate in watery graves. He had clung
to tree throughout the night, and when
morning dawned the scene of wreckage
that spread before his view was simply tar
rible. OF the many little cabins which had
sheltered the prosperous colony the night
before barely one WAS standing. OF the 300
or more human beings who inhabited them
but tenth Of the number lived TO tell Of
the night of experiences filled with horror
which they will never forget He describes
the visitation ~ In the nature Of tidal
ave which swept everything before it.
Greater Fatalities Feared
While nothing definite was received from
g rand Isle, there was general impression
at Point la Rache that dire disaster had
occurred there and it was even reported
that the water had swept over the island,
carrying everything before it in its awful
fury, and much con Germ was felt for the
safety Of the two or three hundred inhabi-
UtlN WHO Wtfc ~ AhtNe DScu bntkb
The report also said that the big hotel had
been blown away. While this has not
been confirmed. such a calamity was pos
sible in view of the terrible violence of the
storm at Bayou Cook as reported by the
lone fisherman.
Report also had IL that the settlements
at Chenier Amanda, which is directly
across the bay from Grand Isle, had been
the scene Of terrible loss of life but this
also lacked confirmation. No communi-
cation was possible with those points and
il will doubtless be several days before the
extent of the calamity there Is made
known.
It was also reported that several casual
ties had occurred in the neighborhood Of
Fort Jackson but there was no way of get.
ting at the particulars
The greatest damage by the storm ON the