Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-10-13
THE GULF COAST CALAMITY,
Over 1000 People Persisted in
Last Weeks Storm.

The Tidal Wave is Feet High, Swept
Over Large Section of the Coast---
Thousands Have Lost All Their Pos
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of Relief should he
Started.
The two recent tidal-wave disasters, one
along the Sea Islands of South Carolina,
and the other on the coast of Louisiana,
must rank among the greatest calamities in
| this country, even exceeding the Johns
town, Pa, flood. Over 800 people persisted
on the Sea Islands, and over 1000 on the
Louisiana coast.
In this last disaster the region of greatest
devastation extends along the shore near
the mouth of the Mississippi river, chiefly
to the westward, for $50 miles and inland
about 80 miles, though nearly all the Sc
Iious loss was within a few miles of the
coast. The greater part of this country is
alluvial land, the most of which is not more
than seven feet above the level of the sea-
| Under the influence of the wind tide of
Is feet came in and flooded the whole
country. Setting up the Mississippi it
raised that river above the levees and poured
torrent over Ponte la Hache and the
other villages near the river. The greatest
destruction, however, was at Chemre Ca
meLada, fishing town on the mainland of
Louisiana opposite Grand Isle, about so
miles west of the Mississippi. Here there
were 80 houses and a population of 1640
The ocean buried this eight feet deep, and
when morning came only three houses
were standing. The speed of the current
was estimated at eight miles an hour Then
the tide turned and the torrent swept out to
sea again, carrying hundreds of dead bodies
with it. The survivors escaped by clnging
to trees or poles, and when all was over
half the population of the village was dead
This is the worst story of all, simply be-
cause the village was the largest in the
track of the flood. OF the 1000 who persisted
nearly all were whites, comprising more
than one-fourth of the white population of
the region.
One item in the list of casualties records
the loss of 240 fishermen at sea in their
boats; others are, Adams Bay 200, Bayou
Laford ITO, Bayou Cook 81, Bird Island
40, and so on through long list. All this
was in Louisiana and the adjacent portion
of Mississippi, but the damage was felt in
lesser degree along the whole Gulf coast
! There is not wharf left between the Miss
issippi and Mobile, and about so small
vessels were wrecked along this portion of
the coast. At Mobile house blown from
its foundation on Farmers island crossed
the bay, Is miles, and went ashore on the
mainland. In that vicinity forests were
destroyed and many buildings blown down,
but no loss of life occurred. On one road
10 miles long 1900 trees were blown down;
on another of two miles 240 trees were
found across the road. For the most of the
Gulf coast no estimate of money damage
has been made, but in Louisiana it is put
at little less than 1000, 900.
Thousands of people have been deprived
of the means of making livelihood, and
the prospect of want and starvation which
confronts them is appalling DR.. Story,
coroner of Plaquemine parish, says: "a
good many carloads of provisions and cloth
ing have been sent, but not near enough.
Men, women and children are without food
and clothing. 1t is an affecting thing to
see little sufferers crying and begging pte-
ously for something to eat. Great trenches
were dug and bodies were piled in one on
| top of the other. / do not think | eXag-
gerate when | state that at least $500 souls
were ushered into eternity by the recent
storm. | never saw bodies decompose so
rapidly as those of the storm sufferers
viewed by me. This was due to the fact
that the fish and crabs in the bayous eat
the remains. l believe firmly that the
marshes and other places are filled with
human forms. 1t is impossible to get at
these, however, as no one is adventurous
enough to explore the swamps.
New Orleans has raised relief fund of
about SIS, 900 in all, and steamers, tugs,
skiffs and trains have been sent in every
direction to extend relief.
The great suffering shoud appeal to the
people of the North. Thousands must de-
pend upon others for food and shelter dur
ing the winter. The communities affected
are so scattered that the story of the great
disaster has attracted but little attention.
Measures of relief should be started at
once in all sections of the country.