The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-17
NARROWING STORY
OF BAD HURRICANE
Believed Number of Deaths Not
Less Than 1000
EXPERIENCE OF AMERICANS
Cocoanut Trees Climbed and High
Waves Seek Them There-Ghastly
Sights Were the MutiIated
Bodies of the Victims.
EXPERIENCE OF AMERICANS

Papete, March 4.-Via San Francisco,
March 16.-The latest intelligence rela-
tive to the hurricane In the Tuametu, or
low archipelago, indicates that the fatal
tiles number 6OO The loss of property will
be $500 600 Relief measures have been in
stituted The hurricane and high water
| lasted during January IA, 10 and 16. AT
llKuera, s77 deaths acearred, in most in
stances among visitors from other
Islands. From six other small islands 142
deaths are reported. 1t is believed the
total number of fatalities in the entire
archipelago was not less than 1000.
On an isle south of Pikuera 272 natives
perished. On the night of January l6, In
the darkness and under a driving down
pour of rain that stung faces and naked
bodies, parents on Pikuera island tied
their children to their backs and sought
safety But over their heads rolled t"e
mighty waves and when the surges re-
treated the Infants and hali-drowned
bows and girls succumbed. Fathers and
mothers vainly endeavored to retain the
corpses of their dead, but at length had to
abandon them. They tied themselves to
cocoanut trees, some of which at last fell
with them. others escaped clinging to
trees or other floating debris, until picked
up after many hours.
Natives Battle With Waves.
About twenty natives. including a girl,
swan across a lagoon. and after five or
six hours battling with the waves, sue
ceeded in landing safely on the leeward
side of Hikuera. The depth of the water
in most parts of the island was from 10
to 20 feet, but the meeting OF the waves
from the outside and those forced across
the lagoon frequently made the food
much greater in places. The gale found
the natives weakened from a virulent
form of measles. Those who survived
were the ones able to leave the main vii
lage and cross several dangerous low
stretches, where the waves washed into
the lagoon, wading neck deep aiding
one another and holding to debris and
gradually withdrawing from the danger
to a slightly more elevated section on
the north shore. Messrs. Sheffield and
Allen, elders of the Mormon church, and
Mr.. and MIS-. Gilbert OF the Latter Day
Saints mission, In report to the United
States consul give gruesome details Of
the disaster. The Gilberts lost one shell
ter when a oocoanut tree fell but secured
another In a high stump OF a booran tree
them, now reached only their feet. The
wind threatened to tear them from their
position again and again, and these
Americans passed that awful night. In the
morning the scene OF horrors that met
their eyes of those on Hikuera island on
every side was harder 10 endure than
the terrors Of the night. Corpses fright
fully mutulated were strewn about and
there was living beings with unstghtly
and painful wounds, In some instances
only one out of a family had survived.
Upon the barren reef many bodies had
lodged and the brown skin had been
scraped by the coral the appearance Of
these corpses was CHASTITY. Out on the
surface of the deep the sharks were seen
to devour many dead bodies, while in the
lagoon bodies were floating upon the
debris
A Crude DistlIery.
The story Of fatality I'm Makokau, where
95 out of every 100 inhabitants perished
is likewise extremely narrowing and so
also with regard to other islands where
deaths occurred. 1t is probable that one
NTH OF the entire population of the Tua-
motu group succumbed To aid the in
jured a temporary hospital was con-
structed. and DIR. Brunati, acting admin
istrator OF the group. rendered medical
aid. About 1000 survivors were in danger
OF starvation or perishing from thirst or
disease. However, the order maintained
was commendable. 1t Is to the credit OF
the Americans that the relief from thirst
came In the form Of distilled water. Mr..
Gilbert secured the consent OF DIR. Bru-
natl to distill water. A plant made of two
tanks and tubes from the frame of an
iron bed was erected. With this priml-
tive machinery 200 gallons of fresh water
were distilled daily for several days.
nufv m Cudar