The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-27
Villages RaZed and Vessels Sunk by
Hurricane That Sped Along with
Frightful Velocity.
PROBABLY 1000 LIVES LOST
Two Parties of American Tourists
Believed to Have Perished.
Junction Effected by Two of the Chinese
Armies in Corea-East Indian Valley
Swept by the Waters of Lake.

ST. LOUIS Aug. ga special cable
gram TO the Globe-Democrat from St. Pc
tersburg says: 4 wind Of death No other
name can describe the hurricane that swept
across the sea of Azov yesterday. 1t will
be impossible for days yet TO compute the
damage done, but ii is almost certain that
least thousand persons have per-
ished, some by drowning, others by being
crushed under falling houses and trees.
The excitement is great among the Amer
lean colony in this city, for ii is feared
that at least two parties Of American tour
lists were on the sea OF AZov at the time
the wind did its deadly work. All the
afternoon there has been stream Of CALI
ers at the Office of the American minister
asking, almost begging. for news from
Odessa, whence the tourists were 10 have
started on the regulation sightseeing trip
across the Crirnea, visiting Sebastopol, Bal
aklava and the other famous battle scenes.
The parties were separate. but il is prob
able that they started within twelve hours
of each other, and, according to the sched-
ule of these excursions, they would have
reached the strait Of Kertch this morning.
thence to go by steamboat north to Ber-
diansk, where they would take train back
to Odessa. 1t is said that the leader Of
one of these parties had proposed a trip
a short distance north from Temrink into
the land of the Black Cossacks. If his
party branehed off that way they have un-
questionably perished. for the hurricane
ravaged almost the east shore Of the sea
of Azov. Everybody is praying that some
lucky chance delayed the excursionists,
they would not reach their embarking port
to-day.
At a late hour there was still only a
general report of the disaster on which to
base surmises of the Americans safety.
This report recounts wide havoc. The wind
was first felt at Nogaisk 1t came from
the southwest, and the terrified inhabitants
of the town felt i'm a very few minutes
that the storm was Of more than ordinary
magnitude. Nogaisk is peopled mostly by
fishermen, who were out on the water,
and the shrieks Of their wives ashore as
the blast momentarily increased were
heartrending With every minute the
blasts grew more violent, and houses began
to fall as if they were made Of cards.
When the hurricane had swept out to
the north terrible scene was presented.
The village was razed-overturned-as il an
immense plow had been pushed through
it. Lying everywhere were women and
children dead or in the last agonies The
Azov is called. were lashed to such a
height that it was plain that every fishing
boat must have been sunk.
The hurricane swept on to the northeast
after wrecking Nogaisk. Its path seems
to have been unusually wide. for at Marin
o2ol it devastated the country to a point
eleven miles inland and had its outer edge
far upon the sea Marnopol was prac-
tically blotted out Of existence. Not three
houses in a hundred are left standing. 1t
is estimated that over two hundred per-
sons Derished i'm this town alone. Norsh
of Marinocol the storm seems to have
made q sudden turn to the eastward over
| Dolga points, its left edge inflicting slight
| damage to the town of Berdiansk. Houses
| there were unroofed and dozen persons
| were killed by falling timbers. once at
| the storm made it's full fury felt. The
sight from the shore is said TO have been
| appalling in its suggestion Of wreck and
death.
| OF the steamers that touch at the port
Of Berdiansk not one had come in at the
| hour of the latest report. Grave fears are
| expressed that every craft on the has
| gone to the bottom and that every passen-
| ger is drowned. The sea is shallow
that 2 storm affects it greatly. One spec
| tator says that at times he could see the
| sand two hundred feet from shore the wind
| appearing to fairly lift the water from its
| bed. When the wind swept over the north
! ern end Of AZov ii took a new course. go
| ing southerly along the coast of the land
OF the Black. Cossacks. In turn Fisk and
| Achuev were ravaged. each town being al
| most totally destroyed Telegraph COM
| munication with this district is suspended
| and il is impossible TO learn the extent Of
| the destruction, but at least 1,e0 persons
| must have died on the two shores. The
| storm. nearly as be learned, seemed
| to suddenly lose its force near Temrink
| and passed of with comparative quiet
| southerly over the Black sea.