The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1901-08-23
TERRIBLE STORM SWEEPS THE
COAST OF THE GULF OF
MEXICO.
TELEGRAPH WIRES ARE ALL DOWN
News of the Disaster Is Hard to Get,
but 1t Is Known That There Has
Been Enormous Damage ma
Considerable Loss of Life-Mobilc
Is Completely Isolated Great
Damage to Shipping.

| westward during the past two days
has Frustrated telegraph and telephone
| wires to such an extent that news from
| the outlying sections is hard to get.
The greatest fears have been enter
tanned for the safety of the people liv-
ing at Port Eads, which is at the
mouth of the Mississippi. river, and for
the ships that started for sea just be-
fore the storm began. The wires at
Port Eads have been Frustrated since
Tuesday night at s o'clock, but the
Picaylne reached man who left there
at 2 o'clock. Wednesday. He was at
Buras, which is sixty miles down the
river, and the farthest point with
which there is wire communication at
the present time. This man describes
the storm which swept that section as
a regular tidal wave, similar to the one
which resulted in such awful less of
life in 1888. He says all the people liv-
ing on the east bank of the river have
moved up to the Jump" which is fiji
teen miles from the mouth of the river.
The house of a man named Golden,
half a mile above the quarantine sta
ton,
Was Swept Away.
and the fifteen members of the family,
including nine children, were drowned.
The quarantine buildings were badly
damaged, but no one was injured. The
government boat, Gen. Reese, is be-
lieved to have be2n lost. The steam
boat BuraS was driven ashore near the
lighthouse, and later it was reported
that she had sunk. Her crew were said
to have been saved. The tugboat
Velasco went down to Pass LOutre,
which is the eastern mouth of the
river with two barges. When last seen
she had her decks awa3h, and it is be-
lieved to have gone down. If this boat
and her 7oarges have beer lost twenty
or more people have been lost. There
are numerous reports Of Individual
casualties all along the river from
Buras down to the passes. There is
serious arIre hension concerning the
Ckeniere Canirada end Grand Isle
sc ctions on the South Louisiana coast
vest of the Mississippi river, where
two
Thousand Lives Were Lost
In 1898 by the tidal wave. Ur to this
writing no word has been received
from that section, which is largely in
habited w fishermen, mostly Chinese
and Malays.
Up tc last midnight everything
seemed to- be safe at the Mississippi
coast towns, Bay St outs, Pass Chris
tan, Biloxi, Mississippi City and Ocean
Springs, but since then not word has
been heard from them. All wires are
down but no great fear is entertained.
The only reports of damage so far re-
no
and urrooted trees.
There has been much damage done
at Shell Beach. settlement on Lake
Borgne, which is southeast of the clV,
and connects with Lake PontchartralH.
All the buildings there nave peen
sn ept away and there are reports OF
loss of life among the fishermen, put
the exact extent of this is not known.
A tidal wave swept over the lana there
as it did nine years ago.
In the city of New Orleans and suo-
urbs there has been some damage. Az
West End the lake rushed over the re-
vetment and destroyed nearly all OF
the buildings there.
Mobile Completely Isolated.
Mobile is completely isolated from
he outside world It is known that
considerable damage has been done along
the water front in Mobile, but whether
there has been any loss of life or not Is
mere conjecture. Nothing had been heard
from the country south of Mobile up to
the time the last wire to Mobile failed.
At 4:2U yesterday afternoon the Western
Onion in Mobile was abandoned, the
water at that time being three feet deep
In the operating room. Two hours later
connection was had for moment with
Mobile. An operator had made his way
to the operating room in boat. He took
up his position on top of the switchboard,
several feet above the flooded office, and
sent this message:
IAN on top of the switchboard here
with lineman. The water is over three
feet deep in this room. and it is still ris-
ing. The wind is blowing Mt the rate Of
fifty miles an hour. and we look for worse
things tonight. The business district is
deserted"
| Here the wire failed.
From Mobile to Fort Morgan, dis
lance of thirty-five miles, and on both
sides Of the bay, summer resorts and
summer houses are located. These were,
It is believed, in the direct path of the
storm, and it Is feared many lives have
been lost there.