The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-08
The Great Disaster.

We were in hope for time that there
might be exaggeration in the reports Of the
destruction OF life and property by the ter
rifle tornado that swept along the southern
coast OF Louisiana and Alabama last Sun
day and Monday. The people who had been
left alive In the afflicted region were panic
struck; 1t was impossible for two or three
days to collect information from the out
lying islands and the settlements along the
bayous: the floods rendered travel exceed
ingly difficult. and both Geographic and
railroad communication were interrupted.
1t was but natural that. under the crcum-
stances, there should be doubt of the cor
rectness of at least some Of the statements
procured from terror-stricken fugitives.
none Of whom had the means of making any
trustworthy estimate Of the measure OF the
ruin that had been wrought.
It Is with the utmost grief that we are
compelled to admit that our hope that there
might be exaggeration In the fearful stories
has not been justified by the authentic re-
ports sent to us within the past three days.
AS our latest dispatches have shown, the
tornado and the floods destroyed even a
greater number Of lives than the number
estimated in our earlier dispatches. and de-
stroyed also greater amount of property
than the amount reported rs destroyed last
Tuesday. The figures which Wa printed
yesterday must have narrowed the minds
of all our readers. and many of the Incl
dents narrated during the week must have
caused even strong men to shudder. The
dead number over 2GOc! At the settlement
OF Csminadaville on Friday last the count
Of the dead ran up to S22, of whom 496 we're
children. Houses were blown to pieces, vii
lagos were destroyed. scores OF fishermen's
craft were wrecked. crops were ruined. Iut
We need not here repeat the details which
we have already printed. There were fear
fui times between Barrataria Bay and the
Delta Of the Mississippi last Sunday night
and Monday morning and all through the
days and nights Of the past week. The
whole country Is in profound sympathy
with the sufferers.
So far as human help can be OF any avail
to the survivors. it will be freely offered.
New Orleans has acted nobly In providing
money and supplies for them. Hundreds
Of Its citizens are engaged In relief work.
The amount OF help needed must be large.
The New Orleans Board of Trade has ap-
pealed to our commercial exchanges for as
sistance. and these bodies will certainly, in
this case, be true to their record. There
have been many calls upon New York this
year. During the past fortnight our citi-
zens have been contributing supplies for
the destitute people Of the South Carolina
seaboard. the sufferers from the tor
nado and the flood which wrought
havoc there last month. They are
contributing OF their means for the re-
lief OF the yellow-fever-smitten regions OF
southern Georgia. They have been pressed
for contributions to the charitable societies
OF the city which aid the unemployed. But.
for all that. the appeal OF the New Orleans
Board OF Trade has been heard In our COM
mercial exchanges. and will be answered
by them. No such terrible cry of distress
as that which reaches us from the State
OF Louisiana has ever been left unheeded by
the city of New York.