Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1903-02-13
ONE THO S AN D DEAD
TIDAL WAVE SWEEPS OVER THE
SOUTH SEA ISLANDS WITH
TERRIBLE RESULTS. y

Many Natives Climbed the Tall Co
eoanut Trees in Order to Evade the
Mighty Wave, Which Tore the Trees
Up by. the Roots and Carried the
Helpless Victims Out to sea-con
dition Of Survivors DepIorabIe.
San. Francisco, Feb. 9.---News of q
fearful loss of life in destructive
storm that swept over the South Sea
Islands last month reached here dur.
ing the day on the steamer Mariposa.
direct from Tahiti. The loss of life is
estimated at 1000 souls. On Jan. 10
last, huge tidal wave, accompanied
by terrific hurricane, attacked the
Society Islands and the Tuamotu
group with fearful force, causing
death and devastation never before
eQualled in land of dreaded storms.
The storm reigned several days,
reaching it's maximum strength be.
tween Jan. IA and Jan. 16. From the
meagre news received at Tahiti up to
the time of the sailing of the Mari.
posa, it is estimated that 1000 of the
islanders lost their lives. It is feared
that later advices will add to the list.
The first news of the disaster arrived
at Papeete, Tahiti, Jan. 26, on the
schooner Eimeo. The captain of the
schooner placed the fatalities at 500
The steamer Excelsior arrived at Pa
peete the following day with 400 des.
titute survivors. The captain of the
Excelsior estimated the total loss Of
life to be 800. These figures compris.
ed only the deaths on three islands of
Hamo, Hikimera and Makodau, whose
ordinary population is 1900. On Hiki-
mera islands, where 1000 inhabitants
one-half were drowned. On an ada
cent island, 100 more were washed out
to sea. Makodau and Hamo are de-
populated. Conservative estimates at
Tahiti place the number of islands
visited by the tidal waves and hurri
canes at eighty. All of them are un-
der control Of the French governor at
Tahiti.
Inhabitants Lett Destitute.
The surviving inhabitants. are left
destitute of food, shelter and clothing.
all having been swept away by the
foods.
The French government, upon re.
ceipts OF news of the disaster, took
prompt measures to- relieve the dis
tressed district and dispatched two
warships, the Duranee and Seelee,
with fresh water and provisions. The
Italian man-of-war Calabria accom-
panied the two French vessels on their
errand of mercy. AS the supply of
fresh water and provisions was total
71y exhausted by the storm, it is feared
that many lives will be lost before the
relief ships arrive. AS far as is known
eight white people were among the
drowned. Included in these were AL
exander Brander, NJ p. Plunkett Of
Oakland; T. D. Donnelly, formerly a
fireman on the steamship Australia,
and the local agent of G. Coppenrath,
a merchant Of Pepeete: Added to this
committed suicide from fright.
AS the islands were barely twenty
feet above sea level and not surround
uOC066o1y
all the Inhabitants to take to the CO.
to cross the land. These trees grow
to an immense height, many reaching
an altitude of 100 feet. All Of the low
er trees were covered by the raging
seas, which swept with pitiless force
about and over them. The natives in
the taller trees were safe until the
cocoanut roots gave way, and then
they, too, were swept onward, far out
into the sea.
Heavy Seas for Week.
The 400 survivors brought by the Elk
celsior to Papeete gained the ships
side by swimming three and four miles
from the tops of the cocoanut trees.
The Eimeo, though badly damaged by
the storm, also brought off as many
persons as could swim to her sides,
she, like the Excelsior, being unable
to run close to the shores because OF
the fearful violence of the ocean
swells, which continued to run abnor-
mally high for a week after the tidal
disturbances. Another schooner, the
Gaulois, from the Marquesas islands,
600 miles from Tahiti, encountered
the hurricane, while en- route to the
latter place, and only timely action OF
the captain in having the cargo, con.
sisting of 80 head of cattle, IS pigs and
80 tons Of cotton, jettisoned, saved the
little craft from destruction. Even
with this precaution the life of one
man was lost by waves sweeping the
decks.
One of the many acts of heroism re-
ported, is that of a woman, who
climbed one Of the>tall cocoanut trees
and dashed her little babe to the
branches, hanging on to the body OF
the tree beneath the little one as best
she could. There they remained fol
ten hours suffering great torture until
f1nallv rescued s.:Is
Thousands Of tons of co5rpa and owe,
200 tons Of pearl shells are known to
have been lost. The pearl shells are
valued at $500 per ton and many
valuable pearls may now be lost to the