The sun., 1900-10-07

There were flutes and similar sweet SOUND
producers, the others were strings. The ball
room was distant from the main hotel perhaps
way elevated To the level Of both buildings II
was built very near the sea and set upon DITCH
pillars sly feet above the surface OF the eartm,
so that the breezes could blow under both edi-
fees and produce better ventilation. Broad.
wide piazzas surrounded the ball room on
three sides, upon which doors opened so that
after each dance one might take turn In prom
enadinR on the gallery and enjoy the cooirTsss
piazzas we're about 100 feet long by W wide
Around the ball room were two rows OF chars
and the usual dressing rooms Sete n n the tbet rem sN
tended across the end Of the ball room The
buildings were lighted with gas So p, much
@ noon nS Of tEsy ESy 18th the hSo'HP"sh sn ehone out
for an, hour but II was a dun, orange,
hued orb. surrounded by yellow misty
haze that changed constantly. As night came
on the Sky was covered with cloud OF the
deepest blackncss There was renewal OF
the vivid sheet lightning but no thunder me ne
present had never before seen. Great, brllllahi
fights burst from the waves as they were rolled
phosphorescent fires incsndcscent in serpen-
tine forms, were seen rising from the wayyes wy
like shadowy monsters And most tetrlnie
of all, there was distinctly audible AZ Intervals
in the blackness and gloom an unearthly moan
from the depths OF the sea. The women he.
came seriously frightened and the men ',u, r"anIed
that nature was in one Of her most unusual
md marvellous moods. Stn no one anticl-
patcd any roal danger, There had been great
Of the edulnoctial blow. The, ballroom was
lighted. There was nothing else to DO put go
to the dance. Women clothed themselves LOT
the evenings ball. aided by ft-handed maids.
but with hearts Ill at ease other thoughts
than those OF conquests were films their souls
with dread Of what might come But they
lshts tSe soit oiIS sweet @ dance music might drive
away the vague fears that oppressed their
At 10 O'Clock the dance was at It's height.
outside the storm was raging The Intense
blackness OF darkness was broken by the
constant broad flashes of lightning and phosti
phorescent blaze OF tho sea. terrible wind
blew, with torrents Of slanting rain that was
as warm as newly drawn blood Inc Dand
dreamy waItzes (he was loulsianian, You
know, Creole Eyes, when q gri screamed
water coming up through the floor Terror
then he,et all, A rush was made for the hotel
but the covered way was gone II had been
carried of by tremendous wave Of the raging
sea, Mothers had left their little children
asleep In the other house. How should they
get to them? IL was utterly impossible unless
one had wings, to pass through tho tossing.
boiling flood of maddcned sea that rolled be-
tween OF the horrors that followed no living
5onSIg could eveT e f , t becos %Soa' roar grew
nearer and louder, until II wa, IKE lOUO mum
derlng Niagaras. 1t was q tidal wave l,UY
miles long. i0 miles wide and 90 feet high! And
as il rolled resistless, hotel ball room. all all
was swallowed up in the NAV Of the pittiless
sea Men, women and little ones were parted
never again 10 meet until that final day. when
the sea shall give up It's dead"
such a tragedy had never been known be-
fore In the nations history, Nothing was
left OF the lovely isle but n few broken brick
pillars TO mark where life and beauty had died
So awful death. For weeks patrol boats
along the mainland shore found nothing but
dead bodies. In one instance the corpse OF q
lady In the last putreSceut stages was Identified
bv nearly $4,000 worth OF diamonds she had
worn that fatefu night. Think OF the ghast-
illness OF IT, The only two survivors were a
strong. powerful negress who bliudly caught
on to n door that was floating by and was carried
in 20 the mainland and the other was tiny
girl baby not more than Is months old. She
had been placed upon a billiard table. which
fioated and there she was found on the La
fourcho shore forty-elght hours after the storm.
Nearly every household in southern Louisiana
was In mourning for 400 adults were lost. How
helpless we are when Old Nature looses her
awful mystic force and turns upon man!