Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-09
FULLY 1000 KILLED
Appalling Tidal Wave in
South Sea Islands.
FOLLOWED BY FAMINE
HUNDREDS PERISH BECAUSE OF
HUNGER AND THIRST.
Natives Climb Tall Trees to Escape
Flood, but Are Ruthlessly
Swept Away.
FOLLOWED BY FAMINE

A dispatch from San Francisco says:
News of a fearful loss Of life in a storm
that swept over the South Sea Islands last
month has reached here by the steamer
Mariposa. which arrived direct from Tahiti
The loss Of life is estimated at fully LOCO
persons.
January Is huge tidal wave. accom-
panied by terrific hurricane, attacked the
Society Islands and the Tuamotu group
with fearful force, causing death and de-
vastation never before eQualed In that land
Of dreaded storms. The storm ragged sew
eral days reaching its maximum strength
between January IA and 16.
The first news Of the disaster reached
Papeete. Tahiti, January % by the schooner
Eimeo. The captain Of the schooner placed
the fatalities at 500.
The steamer Excelsior arrived at Papeete
the following day with 400 destitute sur
vivors. The captain of the Excelsior esti-
mated the loss Of life to be 500. These fig
ures comprised only the deaths on the three
islands of Hao. Hikura and Makokaa. whose
ordinary population is 1880.
On Hikura Island. where 1000 inha bit
ants were engaged In pearl diving, nearly
half were drowned. From an adjacent is
land 100 more were washed out to sea-
Hao and Makokaa are depopulated.
Eighty Islands Swept.
Conservative estimates at Tahiti place
the number of islands swept by tidal wave
and hurricane at eighty. All Of them are
under the control of the French governor
at Tahiti.
The surviving inhabitants are left desti-
tute Of food. shelter and clothing, all hav-
ing been swept away by the storm.
The French governor took prompt meas
ures to relieve the distressed districts,
sending two warships with fresh water and
provisions. The Italian man-of-war Gala
bria accompanied the French vessels on
their errand Of mercy AS the supply Of
fresh water and food was exhausted by the
storm 1t is feared that many more lives
will be lost before the relief ships can ar
rive.
As far as is known eight white persons
were among the drowned. Included in these
were Alexander Brander. N. P. Plunkett
of Oakland, Cal. T. D. Donnelly, formerly
q fireman on the steamship Australia. and
the local agent of c. Coppenrath, mer-
chant of Papeete. An unknown white
woman committed suicide from fright.
Sought Safety in Trees.
AS the islands were barely twenty feet
above sea level and were not surrounded by
coral reefs 1t was necessary for all the in
habitants to take to the cocoanut trees when
the uUal wave began TO cover tue ldHu.
These trees grow to an immense height,
many reaching altitude Of 100 feet
All Of the lower trees were covered by
the raging seas, which swept with pitiless
force about them. The natives in the taller
trees were safe, until the cocoanut roots
gave way, and then they, too, persisted.
The 400 survivors brought by the Excel
slor to Papeete gained the ships side by
swimming three and four miles from the
tops Of the trees. The Eimeo. though badly
damaged by the storm, alsS brought off as
many persons as could swim to her sides;
she, like the Excelsior, beirg unable to run
close to the shores, because of the violence
of the ocean swells, which continued to run
abnormally high for a week after the dis
turbances.
Another schooner, the Gaulois, from the
MarQuesan Islands, 600 miles from Tahiti
encountered the hurricane while on the way
to the latter place, and only the timely
action of the captain in having the cargo
consisting Of thirty head of cattle, thirty
five pigs and thirty tons of cotton-jetti-
soned saved the little craft from destruc-
one man was lost by waves sweeping the
decks.
Heroic Act Of Mother.
One Of the many acts Of heroism reported
Is that of woman who climbed one Of the
tall trees and dashed her babe to the
branches. hanging to the body of the tree
beneath the little one as best she could.
torture, until finally rescued.
Thousands Of tons Of copra and more
than 200 tons Of mother-of-pearl shells are
known to have been lost. The pearl shells
are valued at 81. 800 ton.
G. w. Waterbury, formerly Of Chicago,
was In that part OF the storm which WIS.,
tied the Island Of Raitea, some distance to
the west Of the Inflated Tuamotu. Much
damage was done there, although no lives
were lost. well-built road constructed
by the French government, was demol-
ished, bridges were carried away and build
ings shattered. Pieces of big ships and CO.
coanut trees were heaped high along the
coast line.
Returning to Tahiti the little schooner
which he sailed was almost swamped
by the high seas and waterspout came
near the boat at one place.
Description of the Islands.
The French possessions In the South Pa
citic ocean comprise the MarQuesas, Tua-
motu, Gambler and Tabuai groups and
Rapa Island.
These groups are all archipelagoes the
largest island giving the name to the group
and being surrounded by almost innumer-
able small Islands, nearly all Of which are
Inhabited.
The Society Islands. part Of the Tua-
motu. or Low Archipelago. are the best
known. and are type of the rest. They
comprise the Windward and Leeward
Islands.
Tahiti and Ernieo are the largest of the
Wtndward group. and Raiatea. Tahaa Hua-
him, Tubwai Bora Bora and Lord Howe's
lisa OF the Leeward.
They are Of volcanic origin, and are all
made up of ridge OF mountains some
times as high as 5000 feet, surrounded by
low and wellwatered ground
The soil Is singularly productive and
many European fruits which have been In
troduced thrive well.
While perhaps too moist, the climate Is
mild and very healthful Originally the IN
habitants were Polynesians. but since 1872
when the French established a protectorate
there. they have become mixed. About one
eighth of the entire population are foreign
ers.
Nearly All Are Christians.
Missionaries have been very successful,
and nearly all the people are Christians
and profess the Protestant religion Ia
hiti Is the largest island of the entire group.
IL has an area of about 636 square miles and
total population of 10000. Papeete is the
chief town and port, and Is the capital OF
the colony.
Its chief exports are mother of pearl CO.
pra, cotton and vanilla Sugar and coffoe