The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-12
SUFFERERS BY THE STORM.
The Report Of the Surgeon Of the Ma
rine Hospital Service.

The Loss of Life on the Islands Visited
Placed at 23o-The Dead Not Left
Unburied for Days, as First Reports
Pictured-The Relief Work of the
Red Cross Society.
Washington, Nov. 11-Passed Assist
ant Surgeon Magruder, of the Marine
hospital service, has submitted to Sur
geon General Wyman his report on the
inspection of the sea Islands of South
Carolina. The islands selected for the
work of sanitation were those surrounded
by Beaufort and Coosaw rivers and St.
Helena sound, Ladies, Wassav, Dattah,
Coosaw, Corn and Paris. The territory
which suffered most from the storm in
cludes an area of about $50 square miles
of fiat, low lying land, supporting an esti-
mated population of 900 people, almost
entirely negroes. Many of the islands do
not contain single white person, and on
none of them do the white people amount
to 10 per cent. of the whole.
BLEW 110 MILES AN HOUR
Surgeon Magruder says that it does not
fall within the scope of his report to at
tempt to depict the devastation and dis
aster left in the track of the hurricane,
whose velocity exceeded ITO miles an
hour and which inundated this lowlying
country with a tide which in different
localities reached an estimated
hight from seven to twelve feet above
the high water mark, nor to chronicle the
individual acts of heroism and daring per-
formed by the people. The fact that IN
the short space of six hours, on this lin
tied area, $50 houses were wrecked and
washed away and 3l1 negroes drowned or
crushed beneath the timbers of their
falling houses, bears ample witness'to the
horrors of that fearful night.
After obtaining all the Information pos
sible concerning the islands he began his
inspection, which lasted eight days.
Nearly every plantation was visited,
every burying place was inspected, and
many houses were entered and the sick
examined.
NONE LEFT UNBURIED.
1t was gratifying to see that the reports
of unburied dead lying on every hand
were exaggerated. 1t is true that in the
hurried burials just after the storm, ow-
ing to the water rising, after a depth of
two feet had been reached, the graves
We're comparatively shallow and consid-
cradle stencil arose therefrom, but
prior to the date of this inspec-
| tion all the bodies had been reinterred,
no odor could be detected, and the ceme-
teries thereafter required no further at
! tention with but one exception, where, in
accordance with the teachings of an old
superstition that all persons drowned
should continue to have, as they express
| 1t, "a watery grave" the burying place
| had been located on the beach so that the
bottom of the graves would be below the
| high-water mark, and the body washed
| by every tide. Some of the graves here
were opened by the gale of Oct. 2, and the
exposed bodies required re-interment.
THE DRINKING WATER POLLUTED.
The chief sources of danger to health
at the time of inspection seemed to be the
| polluted drinking water. The high tide
passed over many of the wells, saturating
| them with salt water, rendering them
| brackish and unfit for use. He had the
wells pumped dry for week and 1876
wells were rendered fit for use. When
the sea resumed its proper place innumer-
able pools of brackish water were left.
Under the influence of the sultry weather
which then prevailed, they gave rise to
unpleasant odors and increased to an
alarming degree the malaria from which
the section is never free To relieve this
unSanitary condition gangs of laborers
were put TO work and thirty-nine miles OF
uIdlLS WCIG ClGdDGu anu OJtuGu, relieving
a large portion of the country of the sur
plus water.
GIVEN MEDICAL CARE.
Owing to the large number of sick
noticed on the first inspection of the
islands. it was thought advisable to
station physicians at some Of tho points
where the need seemed greatest Accord
ingly, DR.. Carson was assigned to St
Helena, and afterwards to Coosaw and
Ladies Islands, DR. Copeland 10 St.
Helena and Wassaw. DR. Allen Stuart to
Paris Island, Dr. G. Woodruff and w. p
| Gibbs, temporarily, to Ladies, CooSaw
and Corn Islands. The work which fell
to the lot of these gentlemen was
| arduOuS in the extreme, and the
inconyeniences and privations which the
nomadic life on the islands necessarily
entailed they bore without complaint,
and the cheerful manner with which they
performed their duties is worthy OF all
commendation Medical attendance and
medicines were furnished free to all sick or
disabled applicants and the large mum Der
OF patients treated bears evidence of the
appreciation of the islanders OF this form
of assistance. Three thousand seven
hundred and nine cases were treated dur
ing the six weeks of active work on this
section, of which 1852 were malarial
fever
TIE CROPS LOST.
In concluding his report, Surgeon Ma
gruder says: The crops were almost en-
tirely lost St Helena and the adjacent
territory suffered most, not only in this
way but also il the loss of life, stock and
dwellings. 1t will therefore be readily
seen that the most difficult question
which now suggests itself is that of sub
sisting the impoverished people during
the approaching winter. Very few sup
plies were saved from the food and these
have been consumed, and it is question
of but u short time before the ma ority
Of these people viii be in actual need
| Happily for the country, the col
lossal work of furnishing subsistence
TO this large population has been under
taken by the Red Cross Society, under the
leadership Of its president, Miss Clara
Barton, who has already been in the field
for the past six weeks doing noble work,
and it is surely to be hoped that the ap-
proach Of spring win find another mag
nificent charity brought to the successful
consummation which usually character
ICES the work OF this society.
ENGLISH AID FOR MELLo.