The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-09-12
THE DESOLATE COASTS.
FROM THE STRICKEN SEA ISLANDS
OOMES THE CRY OF DISTRESS.
20, 600 Mouths to be Fed-Their Crops Ruin
cd and the Fields and Gardens Laid Waste
The Half Has Not Been Told.

oO1uulUliL, ~ W., september I.-NoFcCldl.)
The awful stupendity Of the disaster of
the storm-swept coast of South Carolina is
at last realized. 1t proves to be the ca
lamity of the century. A death roll of
several hundred persons develops into al
most that many thousands, while absolute
restitution extends to 10000 persons,
| nineteen-twentieths of whom are ignorant
negroes These awful facts have been
ascertained by DR.. j. w. Babcock. of this
city, who spent four days as the special
representative of Governor Tillman at
Beaufort and vicinity. In point OF fact,
the whole truth is not yet known as on &C.
count OF the impossibility of
ut present making circuit of
the score or more of islands that make up
this archipelago, but enough has been de-
veloped to warrant the foregoing state
ment as to the death and devastation. All
these islands were submerged and the seeth-
ing waters annihilated almost everything,
scarcely leaving land mark.
Twenty Thousand destitute.
These 10000 persons are now confronted
by the terrors OF starvation and pestilence.
These facts have caused Governor Timan
to give all his personal attention to the
situation and he is now working with might
and main to procure relief. He tonight is
sued proclamation, to the people of the
contributions to the cause. He states
therein that these people will have to be
fed by charity for six months and that it
will take $4,000 to furnish them with
bread alone. He calls upon the whole
people to aid him and pledges his official
word that their charity shall not be misap-
piled. The contributions that have been
made are mere bagatee in comparison
with what will be needed. The governor
has telegraphed the mayor Of Charleston to
To ifxyp OF o,,l nAyfn h
him as to the appointment of central
committee to take charge of the work.
To the American People.
The official appeal is follows:
An appeal to the people OF the United
The hurricane which swept the south At
lantc coast on the 9th of August was I'M
ton and ruin throughout the entire state Of
South Carolina, but the sea islands, spreading
northward along the coast of South Carolina
from the Savannah river to the north Edisto
inlet, were the greatest sufferers by reason
of the severity of the wind and the unpre-
cedented height Of the tide, The sea invaded
the land. Hundreds of houses have boon
swept away by the waves or blown down by
the wind, and while the exact number of
deaths will never be known. it cannot be less
than thousand. Vegetation has been as
completely blasted by the salt water as though
it were the breath Of a simeon. What was
a prosperous and blooming expanse OF rice
fields, gardens and farms, is today desert
with the very land marks destroyed leaving
the people without shelter, without food.
without the possibility of getting work ex-
cept for a limited number to confront the ter
rors of starvation until another crop can be
grown: Owing to the fact that nineteen min cen
means of communicating with the remote
islands have been destroyed, l have only
within a day arrived at Il clear understands
ing Of the situation and the misery 1t un-
Starvation and Pestilence.
DIR. ]. w. Babcock, superintendent Of the
State lunatic asy um, an accomplished physl-
clan and sanitarian. who Went to the scene
of the disaster on the LIST of September, as
my official representatives returned To-Day. and
hs report n w yI upon the p e
he draws. l have not felt justified hitherto
In asking for help except from our own peeo-
pie. The people of the state whose losses by
the storm will into the millions, have
responded nobly and immediate suffering is
being alleviated. but starvation or ,pestilence
will claim mapy thousand victims before the
winter is over If our efforts are mob supple
mented by the charitable in other states:
pledge my official word that contributions
given given shall not be msappiied; that laziness
and idleness will not be encouraged, but the
money and provisions which may be donated
will be applied to the support Of these people
so as to enable them to rebuild their homes
and take a new start i'll life with the new
year There are not less than 1000 thus
destitute Bread alone for these storm suf-
fercrs will cost not less than S73, 900 between
now ana MafcD. Nullc pIdtli'Hily IL IHoHllS
will elapse before they can grow any. Med
icines, bed clothing anything that can be
used In a house, because everything Is gone,
will be thankfully received. We can buy
these things with money, but If money is not
to be had do not hesitate to contribute. Send
all money contributions to me. They will be
acknowledged through the press. and Will be
nut in bank to be checked against as needed.
Send all other contributions to Central Relief
Committee at Charleston, 5. &. MY efforts
to relieve these unfortunates are stimulated
by the feeling that being negroes. ignorant
and helpless, they are peculiarly the wards Of
the executive A common humanity pleads
with those who are able to help these poor
wretches in their destitution;
(Signed.) Is. H. 1lLl-MAN' Ho'cinoi'