The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-18
CYCLONE IN THE SOUTH.
ITS DESTRUCTIVE PATH IN
| LOUISIANA AND ALABAMA.
The Storm Began in New Orleans,
Swept Down the River to the Gulf
and Then on to Mobile-Many
Lives Lost-Crops Ruined-NOt an
n.n,no Of ON tho Trees

ana Inen on 10 MoDhe-"dhy
Lives Lost-Crops Ruined-NOt an
Orange Left on the Trees.
A terrible storm struck the Gulf coast dis
trict between New Orleans. La, and Mobile,
Ala.. coming from the northeast and ragged
there all night and part OF the next day,
sweeping to the south from New Orleans
along the line the Mississippi River, through
the parish Of Plaquemine to the Gulf The
storm was ono Of the worst which ever visit
ed that part Of the country, and, as far as
could be learned on the day following,
twenty-four or more persons were Killed and
probably three times as many wounded, some
of them fatally.
The wind at New Orleans reached veloc-
fly OF forty-eight miles an hour at 8 o'clock
%. ln, when the anemometer Of the weather
bureau was destroyed, and it constantly in
creased in force until 9 .. m, when its yeloc-
ity was estimated at sixty miles an hour.
The crash OF sheds and buildings blown
down, trees torn up and houses unroofed,
caused intense alarm, and most of the popu-
lation Of the city remained up all night, ex-
pecting houses to be blown down.
Among the buildings destroyed was the
Saraparu street market which crushed sew
eral buildings in its fall. The Burdette
the.Northeastern Railroad, Colemans boiler
shop, the Pythian Hall, and number OF
other buildings were unroofed.
The Reyetment Levee on Lake Ponchar-
train. which protects New Orleans from over
flow on the rear was washed away, the
water sweeping over it fifteen feet or more.
MANY of the yachts there we're sunken or in
iured. The track of the Louisville and Nash
y;lle was badly washed for fifteen miles.
III opd VyOlll0e6 &C.
yorely if not fatally, is the mortality record
In New Orleans. Below the city it was far
worse. especially in Plaquemine. Here the
wind reached velocity Of 100 to 125 miles
IN hour, sweeping everything before IT.. The
par.sn seat of justice, Pointe la Haohe,
Town of 1000 people, was the worst sufferer.
In that town not single house escaped In
Jury The Court House and Catholc churcn;
the principal buildings in tho town, ana
some twenty other buildings wero destroyed,
and the situation was 80 threatening that
the greater part Of the people, tearing de-
struction in their buildings, oamped out IN
the street all night in heavy rain.
The air was filled with debris, and the
wind blowing so flercely that many OF them
had to anchor themselves against trees 10
prevent being bloYn away. -Four grown
several children. Among the killed were
Mrs. Leon Ia Franche, wife OF one OF the
Ieadin.: merchants OF the town, and Mrs. E.
Levanders, wife Of a well-known lawyer.
The crop was ripe upon tho trees and
about to be harvested. 1t was completely de-
stroyed in the storm, with loss OF S360,ooo
or more on this one item.
The crop in the orange farms OF Bradish
johnson, the largest in the South, had been
sold to a fruit dealer Of New Orleans, Mr..
Oteri. for $3.50 1t is said that there Is
not An orange LETT on the trees, and 1t Is the
same all the way down the coast.
SSiffs were sent out in the swamps about
LAKE Pontchartrain, and forty persons were
rescued.
The sugar district escaped the worst ofthe
blow. There was much damage to rice and
sugar cane.
AT Mobile, the storm reached its height
about o'clock D. m, when the wind had at
tained velocity Of about seventy-five miles
IN hour. The rain fell in torrents the entire
day, and at night the city was in darkness.
There was not an electric light Of any kind
burning.
: The bay steamer Crescent City dragged her
anchor seven miles and went ashore on the
beach between Arlington and Monroe Park.
The Magnolia and Cooley's warehouses
were blown down and two unknown colored
men drowned in the cotton yard. MaSnlf-
cent oaks all over the city were laid low. and
the earth was covered with green leaves
whipped from the trees by the winds.
Houses all over the city were un-
rooted and fences blown down.
The wind blew the water in from the Gulf
until the river reached Royul street, which Is
four blocks from the river and at an eleya-
ton OF about fifteen feet from mean river
height.
All the wholesale and great part Of the
retail district of the city became four feet
under water, and thousands OF dollars worth
OF goods have been damaged.