The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-03

LOUISIANA, AlaDama ana MISSISSIPPI
men and women had never been gail
cred together at any southern watering
, place before. The season had been for
tunate in other respects. Thus IA
none of those morning rendezvous upor
the sands which have been mentioned
before had occurred. The cool, whit,
beach had not known the flash of the
colichemurde or the crack of the dead
ly duelling pistol that season. The
southern women particularly hatet
these things, but what could they do
Thus far they had escaped any Of these
horrors, and, for that, gentle hearts full
of kindly happiness and good will to all
the world. thank God.
The morning of September 10, 1856
was one of almost unearthly loveliness.
The sea was sometimes as smooth as
translucent glass, now as green as an
emerald, then sapphire-hued It's sur
face was covered with a faintish misty
haze. Its loveliness was supernal. The
fishing boats in sight seemed like great
white sea birds trailing their wings as
they basked in the morning sunbeams.
They We're softened in the semi-mist
delieately vaporized to an ethereal
beauty. Toward the mainland the for
est visible seemed gray and yelled in
diaphanous, nebulous vapor. But 1t
was early then and the sun had scarce
ly had time to drive away the ghostly
gray fog Offended with that of the sea-
from the great Lafourche marshes lying
along the nearest shore. AS the sun
rose higher the sea mist vanished. But
such a day as it was The thermome-
trio measurement of September in Lou
islana is not greatly different in it's al
| ttude of heat from that Of New York
or Washington. This day. however,
| there was such a downpour Of solar
warmth that the island was almost
burning. Gentle puffs of wind blew
and rippled the sea water and turned it
into opalesvent green. But the cooling
sea breezes reviving and refreshing all
| living things did not come. The day
was uncomfortable. Men wandered
about listlessly Politics-it was the
great Know Nothing year, yet talked of
in Louisiana political annals-even
ceased to charm. In the air there was
stiffness as though nature was
watching and waiting in silence, bale
full, mysterious, ominous. The sunset
that evening affrighted the timid souls.
1t went down in the west, and the red
sky as vermel, an angry sun, and left
the Occident blazing across the waves
as though world was in flames. All
that night the Dago fishermen Ga curl
GUS. superstitious class, half Spanish
Italian and half creole, taking to the
waves like sea gulls) heard out at sea
strange sounds, means as though some
supernatural being was in awful agony
The morning of the 18th was like that
of the previous day. Toward night
there came up terrible thunder
storm as q fire-crackerLis to the crack
and roar of a six-inch gun. The dwell
er on the mainland and the Teche and
Lafourche planters had never before
seen such lightning. 1t flashed from
the zenith to the eastern and western
horizon In great broad green, purple
and famed colored hands Of electric
blaze a degree in width. And after
each awful crash, that almost rent the |
ear drums there would be a distinctly
sulphurous tinge perceptible in the air. |
Toward the morning of the 18th the |
thunder and lightning ceased, but the
rain continued, and the wind grew |
stronger from the southwest The sail |
boats of the frightened fisherman could |
be seen in the early morning light fly
ing before the wind for secure landings
in the safe streams and waters Of che
Mere camnada.
There was to be at the principal hotel
that evening the grand ball of the sea-
son, for it was to be the last. The band
of the French opera house was there
from New Orleans, then unequalled for
its music in America. There were no
wind Instruments except the cornet.
There We're flutes and similar sweet
sound producers, the others were
strings. The ball room was distant
from the main hotel perhaps twenty
yards and was reached by a covered
way, elevated to the level of both build
ngs. 1t was built very near the sea
md set upon brick pillars six feet above
he surface of the earth. The hotel was
in the same fashion so that
he breezes could blow under both ed
fees and produce better ventilation.
Broad, wide piazzas surrounded the bali
DOM on three sides, upon which doors
opened so that after each dance one
night TAKE IL TURN III OIL |
he gallery and enjoy the GOODNESS of
he fresh night breeze from the sea.
The piazzas We're about one hundred
eet long by eighty wide. Around the
,al room were two rows of chairs, and
he usual dressing rooms We're in the
ear. The musicians occupied a high
ais that extended across the end of
he ball room. The buildings were
lighted with gas. So much in the way
f description. Toward noon of the
9th the sun shone out for an hour. but
was dull, orange-hued orb sur
ounded by a yellow misty haze that
hanged constantly. As night came on
he sky was covered with a cloud Of the
eepest blackness. There was a re-
ewal of the vivid sheet lightning but
o thunder. The sea was in such agi-
alton as the oldest present had never
efore seen. Great, brilliant lights
inst from the waves as they were
olled in by the tremendous southwest
ind. Deep phosphorescent fires, in I
andescent in serpentine forms, were c
zen rising from the waves like shad- t
wy monsters And, most terrible of =
Il, there was distinctly audible at in l
rivals in the blackness and gloom an
moan from the depths Of the
"a. The women became seriously {
lghtened and the men realized that u