Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-09
LOSS Of LIE
One Thousand South Sea Island
ers Swept Away by Terri
BILE Tidal Wave
LOSS OF PEARL SHELLS
Two Hundred Tons, Valued at $1,000, a
Ton Known to Be Lost-Freneh Gov.
eminent Takes Prompt Measures for
Relieving Distress, Dispatchins Two
Warships With Water and Provisions

San Francisco, Feb. 9.-News of a
fearful loss of life in destructive storm
that swept over the South Sea Islands
last month, reached here Sunday on
the steamer Mariposa. direct from Ia
hiti. The loss of life is estimated at
one thousand souls. On January IS,
last, a huge tidal wave, accompanied
by terrific hurricane, attacked the So
ciety Islands and the Puamoto group
with fearful force, causing death and
devastation never before equalled In
that land of dreaded storms.
The storm reigned several days,
reaching its maximum strength be-
meager news received at Tahita, up to
the time of the sailing of the Mariposa.
1t is estimated that one thousand of thu
islanders lost their lives. 1t is feared
that later advices will add to the list.
The first news of the disaster arrived
at Pepeete. Tahita, Jan. 26, on the
schooner Eimea. The captain of the
The steamer Excelsior arrived at Pap
eete the following day with 400 desti-
tute survivors. The captain of the Ex-
celsior estimated the total loss of life
at 500. These figures comprise only the
deaths on the three islands of Hao.
Hikuera and Makokon. whose ordinary
population is 1880. On Hikuera is
land, where 1000 Inhabitants were en-
gagged in pearl diving. nearly one-half
were drowned. 0 nan adjacent island
100 more were washed out to sea. Ma
kokan and Hao We're depopulated. Con-
servatives estimates at Tahiti 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 receip.
of news of the disaster took prompt
trict and dispatched two warships, the
Duranee and Zelee. with fresh water
and provisions. The Italian war vessel
Calabria accompanied the two French
vessels on their errand OF mercy. AS
the supply of fresh water and provis-
ions was totally exhausted by the storm
is feared that many lives will be lost
Before the relief SHIPS arrive. AS far
as is known eight white people We're
among the drowned. Included in these
were Alexander Branier. N. p. Punk
EFT, of Oakland; T. D. Donnelly. for
merly fireman on the steamship Aus
tralia, and the local agent of c. Coppen-
rath. a merchant of Papeete. Added to
this number was an unknown woman.
who committed suicide from fright.
AS the islands We're nearly twenty
feet above sea level ard not surrounded
by coral reefs, 1t was necessary for all
the inhabitants to take to the cocoanut
trees when the ida! wave began to
cover the land. Thase trees grow to an
immense height, many reaching an al
titude of 100 feet. Al. of the lower trees
were covered by the raging seas which
swept about and over them. The ma
tives In the taller trees were safe until
the cocoa roots gave way and they, too,
were swept onward, far out into the sea.
The 400 survivors brought by the
Excelsior to Papeete gained the ships
side by swimming three and four miles
from the tops of the cOcoanut trees. The
Eimeo, tho badly Damaged by the
storm, also brought off as many per-
sons as could swim to her sides, she,
like the Excelsior. being unable to run
close to the shores because of the fear
full violence of the ocean swells, which
continued to run abnormally high for a
week after the tidal disturbances. An
other schooner, the Gaulois, from the
islands. COO miles from Ia
hiti, encountered the hurricane while en-
route 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, jettisoned saved the little
craft from destruction. Even with this
the life OF one man was lost
by waves sweeping the decks.
One Of the many acts of heroism re-
ported is that of 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 soud. There they
staid for ten hours. suffering great tor
ture, until finally rescued.
Thousands of tons Of copra and over
200 tons of mother Of pearl shells are
Known to be lost. TIE pearl shells are
valued at 81, 500 per ton, and mary VAL
liable pearls may now be lost to the
world forever. as these were considered
some of the best pearl islands in the
world.
On the island of Raiatea. one of the
islands. located some distance
TO the west of the i,i-fated Puamoto,
much damage was done, altho no lives
we're lost. A road, constructed by the
French government n, considerable ex-
pense. was demolished, bridges We're
carried away, buildings overturned and
shattered, and pieces of big ships. old
wreckage and cocoanut trees heaped
,iph along the coast line. Old inhabi- !