The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-29
AMERICAS Widest SPOT.
DESoLATE REGION WHERE THE PAUL
ONE WAS LOST

Land nor WRter-A Labyrinth of Float
ing Islands, Mud Volcanoes and Quick
sands - Its wild Inhabitants Wrecks.
New ORLEANS. Jan. 27.-The1 loss OF the
Yacht Paul Jones of the Louisiana marsh has
called attention to the fact that thisr region.
within sigh OF the largest clty In the South. Is
perhaps the widest and most desolate part of
the United States. 1t is like a world in pro-
cess OF formation. The coast line is constant
~ changing. islands are arising and disap-
peariDE. baye are altering their outlines. and
1t is almost impossible to tell what Ia land and
what ia water.
Thousands Of lives have been lost In wreck
and flood along the Louisiana coast, and the
problem whether anything can be done to
make this region habitable and protect pass
ing vessels from the shores is q serious one.
So far. the Government has been able to do
nothing. and disasters like those at Lost ISL
and. Johnson's Bayou. Sabine Pass and Che
Micro Caminada have come at intervals OF a
few years with great loss of life. Half n dozen
years ago. in order to avoid the danger re-
sulting from having the yellow fever quaran-
tine station Immediately opposite the'pleasure
resorts OF Mississippi Sound. the Government
established a station on Chandelier Island
and extended a large amount Of money to
make 1t perfectly safe: but with the first storm
the station completely disappeared. 1t was
SN'NS thop - 'Ohiu IAo 10 puiib oh thO a.
again, apd the quarantine authorities re-
turned to Ship Island. Immediately facing the
prosperous towns of Biloxi and Ocean Springs.
to which fact the yellow fever epidemics OF
1897 and 1893 are attributed. The PROPOSE
ton was strongly urged by the people of Mis-
sissippi and Louisiana after these epidemics
that the quarantine station should be re-
turned to the Chandeleurs. but the answer
was made that life was impossible there. 1t Is
true that a number of fishermen live in this re-
gion. or rather fish there. but It is at great
risk. and thousands are dr~owned-2,500 in
the single disaster Of Cheniere Caminada. q
few years ago. The fishermen seek the Che
nieres and higher places In their small boats.
%pirogues and skiffs on the approach Of the
storm. but even then they do not always
escape. for the sea sweeps over the ridges.
The Paul Jones was a small yacht. using her
sails infrequently and depending mainly on a
7aphtha engine for power. She steamed down
the Mississippi on q pleasure trip. The men,
bers Of the party on her we're warned at Buras.
the southernmost settlement on the Missis-
sippi River. against the trip along the Louisiana
coast, but the warning was disregarded and
on Jan. 4 the yacht steamed out Pass a rOutre.
Had 1t been an ordinary yachting party this is
the last that would ever have been heard Of 1t
tut the host happened to be a prominent mer-
chant Of st. Louis. the owner OF the yacht was
q wealthy resident OF Louisville. and one OF
the young ladies in the party was-a daughter
Of the Mayor OF INDIANAPOLIS. 1t was only BY
the Investigations conductedSby friends and
relatives Of those on board that the fate Of the
yacht became known. 1t took a dozen expedi-
tons tn get the fact. 1t was almost by acct
dent that the searchers learned that tho wreck
OF the Paul Jones had been seen and visited
by fishermen. more than a week before. and
all the valuables removed. The fishermen
thought 30 little OF wrecks that they did.not
deem 1t necessary even TO report it. But for
the extraordinary measures taken by, Messrs.
Jones and Taggart. the fate Of the yachting
party would have remained a mystery.
The dozen or SO parties Of friends. amateur
yachtsmen and others who assisted In the
search returned to New Orleans thoroughly
impressed with the wildness and desolation OF
the region they visited. and they all agreed
that nothing like 1t exists anywhere else on the
American coast. Around the mouth Of the
Mississippi. from the fringe Of islands facing
the Mississippi coast to Grand Isle. a dis
lance Of 200 or 300 miles.l is a region Of which it
Is difficult to say whether 1t Is land or water.
marsh or island. There are times when 1t is
all under water. times when 1t Is mud. and
times again when 1t Is land. Its contlRura-
ton is constantly char Zing. Here in count
less centuries the Mississippi has poured its
millions of tons of mud carried from the up
per valley. and 80 filing up the Gulf bottom
that the entire coast is a shallow sound. In
this sound what are called mud Jumps arise
from time to time. They are young volcanoes
due to the gas produced by the fermentlng
matter in the mud. which forces up the mud
in tho form OF cones above the sea level.
The mud Is baked hard In the tropical sun.
and a few reeds or n little marsh grass grow
on it-and it is then dubbed an island. But 1t
is q most dangerous island. Sometimes it is
called prairie tremblante. With the water
still lying beneath II. 1t is a mere superstruc-
ture OF debris. wood. canes. DC. upon which
the earth rests. q floating raft. as 1t were, an
chored by the roots OF the marsh grass. Somo-
times it Is a mere quicksand. sometimes a pile
OF sticky. mud. giving out foul. intoxicating
gases. To be lost on one OF these islands
means death. not the death that threatens a
castaway from starvation, but death from
being swallowed up in the Iuicksands or poi
Boned by the gases. And even a boat will
avail little. The land is too soft to walk on.
the water too shallow to row in. More than
enc amateur fisherman who has been caught
in his boat in the chaotic land has had to wait
hours for q favorinG tide to enable him to es-
cape. He dared not leave his boat and the
water was too shallow 10 allow the skiT to
move.
Then, too. no maze was ever invented moro
labyrlnthian than the bayous and islands OF
tho St. Bernard coast. All the islands are
identical-mud and sand splts with saw grass
zrowing on them. All the bayous are as much
alike as two peas. You may wander for weeks
and never get out OF the labyrinth unless some
fisherman gives you the clue. Many have
been the lives lost in this swamp: many the
people who have gone into it with confidence
never to find their way out.
The story that q CaStaWay from the Paul
Jones was seen on one of these islands is gem
orally credited. He was seen by two fisher
men at different times. and his footprints
we're clearly traced by the officers of the relief
boat Zeta. but neither the man nor his body
could be found when the island was searched.
The verdict is that he was swallowed up in
one OF the many quagmires or quicksands.
Such Is the condition OF the country under
the most favorable conditions. 1t appears at
its worst when a Gulf hurricane blows from
the southeast. Then the waters of the Gulf
are piled up. and all the land disappears COM
pletely from view-it is the Gulf then. and q
most tempestuous Gulf. in which no ordinary
vessel can live. How many vessels have bSen