The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1894-09-06
A RUSSIAN SEA GALE.
It is Certain That a Thousand
Persons Have Perished.
REPORTS RECOUNT WIDE HAVOC

Two Parties Of American Tourists Are
Supposed to Have Been ON the Sea- 1t
tho Time-Impossibls for Days Yet
to Compute the Damage Done.
ST. PETERSBURG, August 2S.-Words
cannot describe the wind that swept
across the Sea of Azof yesterday. It is
impossible for days yet to compute the
damage done, but it is certain that 1000
have persisted, some by drowning, others
by being crushed under falling houses.
The excitement is great among the Ameri-
can colony in this city, for it is feared
that at least two parties of American
tourists were on the Sea of Azof at the
time the wind did its deadly work. All
the afternoon there has been q string of
callers at the American ministry asking,
almost begging, for news from Odessa,
whence the tourists were to have started
on the regulation sightseeing trip across
the Crimea, visiting Sebastopol, Balak-
lava and the other famous battle scenes.
The parties were separate, but it is
probable they started within twelve
hours of each other, and according to the
schedule of these excursions they would
have reached the Straits of Kertch yes
terday morning, going thence by steam
boat north to Berdiansk, where they
would take train back to Odessa. It
is said the leader of one of these parties
had proposed q trip q short distance
north from Temruk into the Lake of the
Black Cossacks. If his party branched
off that way, they have PROFESSIONALLY
persisted, for the storm ragged almost
along the entire east coast of the lake.
1t is hoped some lucky chance delayed
the excursionists 80 that they could not
reach their embarking port to-day.
At late hour there was still no gen.
eral report of the disaster on which to
base surmises of the Americans safety.
The reports received recount wide havoc.
The wind was first felt at Nogaisk. No
gaisk is peopled by fishermen, who were
out on the water. When the hurricane
had swept out to the north q terrible
scene was presented. The village was
ed-overturned-as If an immense
pillow had been pushed through it. Ly-
ing everywhere were women and chill
dren, dead or in the last agonies. The
shallow waters of the Sea Of Azof were
dashed to such height that it was plain
every fishing boat must have been sunk.
The cyclone swept on to the northwest
after wrecking Nogaisk. It's path seemed
to have been unusually wide, for at Ma
riopol it devastated the country to .
point eleven miles inland. and had its
outer edge far upon the sea. Mariopol
was practically blotted out of existence.
Not three houses in 100 are left stand
ing. It il estimated that 800 persons
persisted in this place alone. North of
there the cyclone made q sudden turn
to the east over Dolga points. Its left
edge inflicted slight damage to the town
of Berdiansk. Houses were unroofed
and . dozen persons killed by falling
timbers.
Once at sea, the storm made its full
fury felt. 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 sea has gone to the bottom,
and that every passenger has been killed.
When the wind swept over the northern
end of Azof it took new course, and
going southerly along the coast of the
land of the Black Cossacks, Temruk and
Achuev were ravaged, each town being
almost totally destroyed. Telegraphic
communication with this district is sus-
pended, and it is impossible to learn the
extent of the destruction, but at least
1000 persons must have died on the two
shores. The storm, as nearly as can be
learned, seemed to suddenly cease its
force near Temruk, and passed of with
comparative quiet southerly over the
black Sea.