Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-13
FATE OF AN ISLAND.
The Destruction Of Galveston Re-
calls a Former Tragedy.
Four Hundred of the Best Known People
of the South Sent From Merry.maklnr
to Death by Great Wave From tho
Gulf of Mexico.
(st. Louis Globe-Democrat.,

AhS tSiAiDlc Cyclone lnaI destroyed
Galveston Island is not the first ca
lamity of the kind that has occurred
In the Mexican Gulf. 1t wildly recalls
an incident that will ever live in men,
DRY. Over forty years ago there was u
similar calamity in the destruction of
Last Island. off the Louisiana coast,
by a cyclone. September IL, 1856.
Last Island was u long, low streak
OIL green, bound around the edge with
line of intensely white sand. Seen in
those days from the Louisiana MAIN
land. (hfteen miles away, the lower
end of the Parish of Lafourche,) and
part of the Parish OF st. Mary's (the
garden OF Louisiana) it seemed but a
slender bit of green floating upon the
bosom of the summer sea. AS you draw
nearer the land displayed it's charms
The island proper was about seven
miles wide by about twenty-five long.
The soil was very rich and highly Gull
tivated. Propinquity brought out as
In delicate photograph all it's lines OF
radiant beauty. OF forest so deep and
dense in the far SOUTH there was none.
But few enormous live-oak trees had
grown upon the island and In their
weird light of the semi tropic moon
covered from crown to lowest bough
with long, gray moss of the latitude
they seem like great giants wrapped
in their funeral robes, waving their
dies irae. Beyond these there were no
forest trees, as have said. The island
was but one long sand spit (only few
feet above the highest tide level of the
sea) covered with ever living green.
But 1t was a very Eden of flowers.
The fallen leaves of the live-oak for
centuries had created in their decay n
bed of rich alluvium, which artificial
means had greatly increased The
ever warm air from the further south
seas had given to the shrub growth
an extraordinary richness of verdure.
The orange and lemon trees of
the olive. the oleander which in
feet high) all of the tribe of
japonicas. and the scented summer
hundreds of others unknown here,
made the island coruscant with bril-
liant coored blooms. 1t seemed that
all that was rich and lovely and beauti-
full In the vegetation of the semi
tropics here found it's most congenial
home.
IN THE EVENING.
In the evening when the sun went
down and the warm south wind drew
in from the sea. the air would be
heavy with sweet but unfamiliar
flower doors. You would be enveioped
in very caress of perfume direct
from the heart of the great white Per-
y,
| life if that wonderful isle in the days
| of long ago! True it was a watering
| place. with q most splendid surf
| bathing on the side next the open sea.
But 1t had none of the garnIshness of
| seacoast places of later days. 1t could
have never been like Long Branch or
Cape May. To gamblers and games of
the half-world Last Island was as diff
icult as Paradise. 1t was impossible to
to pass the Argus eyes of the doyen
who watched the gangway of the
boat as the passengers came on board
| for the enchanted isle. as for Adam to
return to Eden when 1t was guarded
| by the angel With the flaming sword
The men who gathered there were not
strangers to each other. for in Louisi-
ana then everybody who was anybody
| knew of his social equal. II he was not
personal acquaintance no matter in
what region he lived. So here was q
spot, not very much known to the
| outer wc d. where could gather, when
summer Gays became long and the dog
star ragged. the great cotton planting
magnates of Louisiana, Mississippi
| and Alabama, or the rich, courtly
! Creole sugar growers from the Bayou
| Lafourche country or the Cote dor or
the Mississippi river, and their con-
| geners. the American sugar planters
| from the Feliclanas and wealthy, aris-
ONCE A YEAR.
Once year the very cream of the
countryside gentry from the States L
have named. with n sprinkling of
wealthy city men," merchants and
! factors from New Orleans, a few
| bankers. popular clergymen from the
! rich city parishes-who enjoyed good
| living and believed ST. Paul was right
when he exhorted Timothy to take a
little wine for his stomach's sake-all
| these people, with their wives and
daughters. would congiegate at Last
Island and eat of the divlnest combi-
nations of the French cuisine, produced
| by cordons, bleus, drink--sparingly
generally-of the good. red wines of
France-for your oldtime planter. es-
| pecialIy if he was of creole blood,
never abused Gods good things
take daily plunges in the warm surf,
and thus decorously enjoy a month
of dolce far niente. Never were men
more courtly. Never were women
lovelier. 1t was the very paradise of
| gentle. graceful. courteous attention
to beautiful women. Here Cupid was
enshrined, for who could resist the
witchery of the perfumed summer
night or the dark-eyed Creole women?
All, how often was that sweet old
story told therc-that old story. but
ever new--which Adam first whispered
in Edenl And sometimes, but not
often, the scene varied. The men were
young then. and the blood of youth
ever runs hot. A quick word on the
promenade, Jealous look at the ball
and early next morning on the sands
there would be seen the flash and
CLEAN of the long, slender. tri-colored
dueling sword on the broad, hard white
beach. or a pair of dueling pistols-a
part of every gentleman's personal be-
iongings-would be taken from their