The professional world. (Columbia, Mo.) 1901-192?, 1903-03-20
SIX HUNDRED PERISH
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION FROM
TYPHooN IN PEARL ISLANDS
CHASTITY Work Of Hurricane-Live
Bodies Frightfully Mutilated Are
Strewn About-Decaying Corpses
Lie Unburied and Pollute the Air
Inhabitants Literally Washed Of
"Details of the Catastrophe.

"Details of the Catastrophe.
San Francisco, March 1.-THE steam
er Mariposa has arrived here from Aus
tralia bringing additional news of the
typhoon and tidal wave at the Pearl
Island group in the middle of January.
The French government has investi-
gated the disaster and found that be-
tween 500 and 600 islanders persisted
during the storm. After the wind had
subsidized, and the waters receded, the
bodies of the drowned natives were
found tied to trees about the place. Hi
kueru, one of the islands visited by the
deluge, was least able to withstand its
force as its highest place is IL feet
above the sea level. The people sought
safety by binding themselves to the
rock. There they remained three or
four days during which the storm swept
over the dreadful scene. The islands of
Hao, Morakau and Hikuera were vir-
tually washed away, as they are at pres
ent little above the sea level. On them
a man cannot subsist, as the soil has
vanished and the cocoanut trees are
dried up and dead.
IldllcO IltNtl, ilt III IOlOllloI II
spector, now at Tahiti, made a tour of
inspection of the Paumoatus group in
the Italian man of war, Claibra. Revel
says: ION approaching Katui we saw
the Zelo, a French man of war. We ex-
changed signals, and came close enough
so that could he tut on board"
Commander Richard had at first COL
lected the survivors of Hikuera and had
taken them to Rarioa. He had visited
Anaa, Reitoru, M~erokau, M~otulaunga,
Tepoto, Tuanake and Katii. Hikuera
had been devasted. 1t had 400 deaths.
II was a complete disaster. Commander
Richard of the Zelo made a tour of the
island. He described the restitution as
complete as in the Island of Reitoru.
Th~ree-fourths of the fruit trees had
been destroyed and houses had been
cast down. The walls of the Catholic
church and the prison had been swept
away, and ~ inhabitants killed. At
Amanu three persons were killed by the
cyclone.
Some Terrible Details.
Correspondence of the Associated
Press dated Papette, March 4, gives de-
tails of the Tuamotu or Low Archi-
pelago as follows: The loss of life was
about 600 and the financial loss $780,
900. The hurricane and high water last
ed from Jan. IA to 16. At Hikuera 377
deaths occurred and at other islands
142. At Hikuera 262 natives were swept
into the sea and terribly lacerated by
contact with the rock coral and debris.
On the night of Jan. 18th, in the dark
ness and driving %downpour of rain that
stung their faces and naked bodies, par
ents tied their children to their backs
and sought safety. Over their heads
rolled a mighty wave and when the
surges retreated infants and half
drowned boys and girls succumbed.
Fathers and mothers would vainly en-
deavor to retain the corpses of their
dead, and at length had to abandon
them. They tied themselves to cocoa
nut trees and some at last fell with
them; others escaped, clinging to the
trees temporarily and at other times
able to catch hold of something else,
and so between breakers they reached
safety after many hours and were res
cued by ships.
The stencil on Hikuera and the de-
struction of buildings and lack of food
rendered the place unapproachable for
further refugees, and as soon as possible
the survivors were sent to other is
lands, and relief measures were in
a%ugurated. Heavy winds and high wat
er is reported throughout the South Sea
islands and much damage has been
done. The water on the islands was
from Is to 20 feet deep and at times
over.
Hrewsome details are given by Elder
Chiffiel of the Mormon church and Mrs.
Gilbert of the Latter Day Saints mis-
sion in a report to the United States
consul after spending t he night in ter
ror and several times narrowly escap.
ing being swept away, day dawned or
the scene.
The terror was harder to endure than
the terrors of the night. Corpses were
frightfllly mutilated and strewn about
and there were living beings with un,
slightly and most painful wounds. lr
some instances, only one out of a family
survived. Upon a barren reef many
bodies mad lodged, and as the brown
skins lad been scraped off by coral the
CHASTITY appearance was hard to bear
Out on the surface of the deep sharks
were seen devouring many bodies, while
in the lagoon bodies were floating upor
the debris. The story of fatality il
) Morakau, where 50 out of 100 in,
habitants persisted is likewise extreme
ly sad, and so also with regard to The
other islands. Very little food was res
cued from the debris, the supply o
c%ocoanuts soon being exhausted, an
to eat fish would be suicidal consider
ing the danger of poison as the fsl
were preying upon floating corpses. A
only one or two out of 66 sailboatS eS
capped destruction, and these could no
be sent for relief, about l 900 survivor
were in danger of starvation or perish
ing from thirst or disease. Shelterless
E nude, weak and discouraged it is no
wondered at that some Of the native
: became looters. The Americans con
, structed a condenser by which the,
succeeded in securing a supply of dis
titled water for several days.
: Mike Ward, lightweight champion @
$ Canada Mas miNnn the decisian owe