The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-02-11
A THOUSAND DEAD.
IMMENSE TIDAL WAVES SWEPT
OVER SOUTH SEA ISLAND.

Taken Refuge in Tall Tree
Tops-Whole Island Cow
cred With mad Wat ,
ere-Other News.
San Francisco, Feb. 9.-News of
fearful loss of life in a destructive
sand storn that swept over South
Sea Islands last month, reached
here today on the steamer Mariposa
direct from Tahiti. The loss of life
is estimated at 1000 souls. S.
On January IS last huge tidal
wave accompanied by aterrific hur-
ricane attacked the Society Islands
and the Taumotu group with fear
ful force causing death and devas-
tation never before equaled in a
land of dreaded storms. The storm
reighed several days reaching its
maximum strength between jan
uary ID and 16. From the meager
advices received at Tahiti up to the
time of the sailing of the Mariposa
tits estimated that at least 1000 Of
the island inhabitants lost their
lives. 1t is feared that later adyi-
ces will add to theIong list.
On Hikuera Island, where 1000
inhabitants were engaged in pearl
diving, nearly one half were drow-
ned.l On an adjacent island FOO
more were washed out to-sea. Make
kau and Hao are depopulated.
Conservative estimates at Tahiti
place the number of islands visited
by the tidal wave and hurricane as
80. AL of them are under control
of the French Governor at Tahiti.
The surviving Inhabitants are left
destitute of food. shelter and cloth
ing, all having been swept away by
the storm.
AS far as was known eight white
people were among the drowned.
| As the islands were barely 20 feet
above sea level and not surrounded
by coral reefs. it was necessary for
all the inhabitants to take to the
cocoanut trees when the tidal wave
began to cover the land. These
trees grow to an immense height,
many reaching an altitude of 100
feet. ALI the lower trees were COW
cred by the raging seas which swept
with pitiIess 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-. s.-.@ - - - -Fssa..
The 400 survivors brought by the
Excelsior to Papeete. gained the
ships side by swimming three to
four miles from the tops of cocoa
nut trees. The Eimeo, though bad
ly disabled 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 ewells,
which continued to run abnormally
high for week after the tidal dis
turbance. -: > s-., y, =1.=s=~. -
Another schooner, the sGauloise,
from the Marquesas Island, 600
miles from Tahiti, encountered the
hurricane, while en- route to. the lat
ter place and only the timelyaction
of the captain in having the cargo,
consisting of 80, head Of cattle, IS
head of pigs and 30 tons of cotton,
jettisoned, saved the little craft
| from destruction, Even with this
precaution the life of one man was
by waves sweeping the decks,y sa-
/ One of the many acts of heroism
reported is that of woman who
climbed one of the tall cocoanut
trees and lashed 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 for ten hours, suffering
great tortue until finally rescued.
Thousands of tons of copra and
over 100 tons of mother-of pearl
shells are known to be lost. The
pearl shells are valued at $ISoo per
ton and many valuable pearls may
be lost to the world forever, as these
were considered some of the best
pearl islands in the world.
Indianapolis, Ind, Feb. g.
There was a promise that there
would be no lack of sensations in
testimony in the trial of DIR. J. c..
Alexander to-day in the grave-rob-
bing case. A parcel in the pos
session Of the detectives was intro
duced as evidence. The parcel