Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-09-09
APPALLING.

APPALLING.
The Recent Disaster Along tho Southern
Coast the Worst Ever known Tho
Death List Dai'~ Swelling-Tho Latest
Accounting Shows Over 700 Victims
Some Think the Total VIII Reach $1,000
Great sufrci Among survivors
COLUMBIA, 5. c., Sept, lit is fast
developing that the loss of life and de-
struction of all kinds of property on the
sea islands that skirt the southeastern
coast of South Carolina by the recent
hurricane have never been paralleled in
this country
Estimates of the dead here range all
the way from 100 to 1900, but in no in
stance has anyone said that less than
400 lives have been lost. The averages
have been between 600 and 500 and
from all that can be learned that seems
to be about the correct estimate.
Coroner Wills has made this list of
the number drowned on the several is-
lands:
Warsaw, ~; CONN point so; Dnwthad 81:
Coosaw island 25; Pacific works (Chisholms
island), 20, limiting island, about -; ST. He.
lena island. 20D Savannah river plantations
I5O; Beaufort, =; Salt water bridge 4; Otaheta
plantation, O. tug boats, .. Grays hill 8;
Lands end, ~ Kane's neck, 6O Coosaw mines,
5; Paris island, "a Total 75s
1t is estimated that 5000 are in a
starving condition. The crops are
partially destroyed, the stock is all
drowned, and there is actually not
enough provisions in the country to
keep the people alive.
From Morris island all the way down
10 the Tybee all are akin in their dis
tress. Morris island, Johns island.
Edisto, Wardmalaw, James island,
Charleston's neighbors, have perhaps
Jared somewhat better than St
Helena, Coosaw. Dathan, Port Royal.
Paris, Dawfustlie, Ladies and the
myriad of smaller islands tribu-
tuary to Beaufort. Huddled to-
gether and within almost n stones
throw of each other are Port Roval,
the largest of them all, and Ladies,
Dathan, Morgan, Coosaw, Chisholm,
St. Helena and Eddings island. 1t is
almost one isle, cut up with navirable
lagoons Skirting the ocean front,
looking out To the broad Atlantic.
are Hilton Head island, DawfusI<ie
island and further over to Charleston.
Chaplin's island, Prentis island AMI
Reynolds island. Hundreds of smaller
islands dot the coast. To-day most of
them are in ruins and the majority of
the inhabitants are searching in vain
for sustenance From ten to fifteen
thousands do marketing in Beau
fort. What they will now do is
che question. Higher up the coast
there are whites on the islands
who have something left. Down here
nothing is left. Eighty per cent. of the
houses has been swept away by the ter
rifle storm. At Ladies' island 700 houses
are gone: Eastice place of fifty houses.
three are left Hope plantation, all
homes destroyed That is the register
at Indian Hill, out of seveuty-five places
on Coosaw island but dozen are left,
and so it goes.
The population on these islands is al
most entirely colored, with few
whites who keep stores or manage ex-
tensive farms. The crops consist al
most entirely of sea island cotton. with
a few patches of corn, potatoes and
small grain. Nothing is left of the crop
except on the highlands.
There is danger of a water famine all
over the islands. Even in Beaufort
county all the wells and cisterns are
filled with hot water The people were
killed by the houses falling on them
and by drowning. The cabins were
scattered everywhere. In some places
as many as sixteen bodies could be
found huddled together on the roads.
They have not begun to find even a small
OF the bodies. Some of
them have been swept far up in the
marshes, where man cannot GO At
Gains neck there are deer, cows, hogs,
snakes and all kinds of wild animals
piled up together, making the section
SO offensive that no one can go there.
Many persons are dying from starva-
ton.