The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-02-09
1000 PERSONS PER SHED.
SOCIETY ISLANDS SWEPT BY A
FEARFUL STORM.

frees and Some save Their Lives by
Later swimming Several Miles to
Vessels-Many Destitute.
San Francisco, Feb. S.-News of a
fearful loss of life in a destructive
storm that swept over the South sea
Islands last month, reached here to-day
by the steamer Mariposa direct from
Tahiti. The loss of life is estimated at
1000 persons. On Jan. Is huge tidal
wave, accompanied by terrific hurri-
cane, attacked the Society Islands and
the Tuomoti group with fearful force,
causing death and devastation never
before equalled in land of dreaded
storms.
The storm ragged several days, reach
ing it's maximum strength between jan
uary IA and January 16 From the
meagre news received at Tahiti up to
the time of the sailing of the Mariposa
1t is estimated that 1000 of the islanders
lost their lives. 1t is feared that later
advices will increase this number.
The first news of the disaster reached
Papeeta, Tahiti, January 26, by the
schooner Eimeo. The captain of the
schooner placed the fatalities at 500.
The steamer Excelsior arrived at Pa
peeta the following day with 400 desti-
tute survivors. The captain of the Ex-
celsior estimated the total loss of life
to be 800. These figures comprised on
ly the deaths on the three islands Of
dinary population is 1900 On Hikuera
Island, where 1000 inhabitants were
engaged in pearl diving nearly one-haif
were drowned. On an adjacent island
one hundred more were washed out to
sea.
Makeno and Hao are depopulated.
Conservative estimates at Tihiti place
the number of islands visited by the
tidal wave and hurricane at eighty.
All Of them are under the control Of
the French governor at Tahiti
The surviving inhabitants are left
destitute of food, shelter and clothing,
all having been swept away by the
storm.
The French government, upon receipt
of news Of the disaster, took prompt
measures to relieve the distressed dis
tricts and despatched two warships
with fresh water and provisions. The
Italian man of war Calabria accompa-
MED the French vessels on their er-
rand of mercy. AS the supply of fresh
water and provisions was totally ex-
hausted by the storm, it is feared that
many lives will be lost before the re-
lief ships can arrive, AS far as Is
known eight white people were among
the drowned. Included in these were
Alexander Brander, N. P. Plunkett of
Oakland, 7. D. Donnelly, formerly a
fireman on the steamship Australia,
and the local agent Of c. Coppenrath,
a merchant Of Papeeta. Added to this
number was an unknown woman, who
committed suicide from fright.
AS the islands are barely twenty feet
above sea level, and are not surround
ed by coral reefs it was necessary for
all the inhabitants to take to the CO.
coanut trees when the tidal wave be-
gan to cover the land. These trees
grow to an immense height, many
reaching an altitude of one hundred
feet. All Of the lower trees were COW
cred by the raging seas, which swept
with pitiless force above and over them.
The natives in the taller trees were safe
until the cecoanut roots gave way and
then they, too, were swept out into the
sea.
The four hundred survivors brought
by the Excelsior to Papeeta gained the
ships side by swimming three and four
miles from the tops of the cocoanut
trees. The Eirneo, though badly dam
aged by the storm, also brought off as
many persons as could swim to her
sides, she, like the Excelsior, being un-
able to run close to the shores because
of the violence of the ocean swells
which continued to run abnormally
high for week after the idtal disturb
ances. Another schooner, the Gaulois
from the Maquesas island, 800 miles
from Tahiti, encountered the hurricane
while on the way to the latter place
and only the timely action of the cap
tain in having the cargo, consisting of
thirty head of cattle, thirty-five pigs
and thirty 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.
Among the passengers on the Mari
posa to-day was G. w. Waterbury, for
merly of Chicago, who was in that por-
ton of the storm which visited the
island of Raiatea, one of the Leeward
Islands, located some distance to the
west of the i'll fated Puamotu. Here
much damage was done, although no
lives were lost. A we'll built road, con-
structed by the French government,
was demolished, bridges were carried
away, buildings overturned and shat
tered, and pieces of big ships, old
wreckage and cocoanut trees were
heaped high along the coast line. Re-
turning to Tahiti the little schooner
ppon which he sailed was almost
swamped by the high seas and water
spout came near to the boat at one
time.
The Society Islands owned by France
are situated in the Pacific ocean about
midway between Australia and South
America.
NiImer to stay.
Bloemfontein, Feb. S.-Mr. Chamber
lain, speaking at a banquet here to-
Sav exnressed the belief that the high