The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1903-02-09
l|NE THOUSAND LOST
Nearly That Number Drowned and
Killed in Society Group.
TIDAL WAVE CAUSE.
Death and Devastation We're Terrible
and on Some of the Islands Net
Human Being Survived
the Mass of Water.

San Francisco. Cal. Feb. s.-More
than 1000 persons were killed and
eighty islands OF the Society group
la the Southern sea we're devastated on
Jan. is by a huge tidal wave that
swept the island dotted sea- News
of the disaster was brought Sunday
on the steamer Mariposa direct from
Tahiti.
The storm ragged for several days, be-
ing most severe from Jan IA to is. On
Jan. is a tidal wave accompanied by
. terrific hurricane. attacked the So
ciety islands and the Puamotu group
with fearful force. carrying death and
devastation for miles before It's tow.
ering front.
As the news received at Tahiti up to
the time Of the sailing of the Mari
posa was meagre. II is thought that
full returns may swell the death list.
1t is possible that hundreds OF bodies
we're washed out to sea so that they
may never be accounted for.
The islanders who survived are des-
titute Of food. shelter and clothing
Crops have been destroyed and death
threatens the survivors.
The FIRST news Of the disaster arrived
at Papiete. Tahiti. on Jan &c, by the
schooner Eimeo.
The captain OF the schooner placed
the fatalities AZ 600 persons. The
steamer Excelsior arrived at Papiete
the following day with 400 destitute
survivors. The captain OF the Excel.
sior estimated total loss OF life at 500
persons, Those figures comprised only
the deaths on tho three Islands of
Hso. Hikuera and Nakakau. whose to-
tai population Is only 1900 On Hi
kueors island. where 1900 inhabitants
were engaged in pearl diving. nearly
one-half were drowned On an adj
jacent island 100 more were washed
out 10 sea.
Conservative estimates az Tahiti
place the number Of islands visited by
the tidal wave and hurricane at so. All
Of them are under the control Of the
French governor at Tahiti.
The French governor, upon receipt
Of news of the disaster. took prompt
measures to relieve the starving sur
yivors. The government dispatched
two warships. the Durause and Zeelee,
with fresh water and provisions. The
Italian man OF war. Calabria, accom-.
panied the tao French vessels on their
GRAND Of mercy. As the supply of
freeh water and provisions was ex.
hausted by the storm II is feared that
many lives will be lost befo.S the re-
lief ships arrive As far as IL known
eight white people were among the
drowned Included in these were Alex.
ander Brandsr II, p. plunkett Of Oak
land, Cal 7. H. Donnelly. formerly a
fireman on the steamship Australia.
and the local agent Of { Coppenrath.
a merchant OF papie'o. Added TO this
number was a woman. who committed
suicide from fright
One Of the many acts OF heroism re-
ported Is that OF a woman. Who climb
Ell one 81 the tain coae0anut trees and
dashed her baby 20 the branches with
strips Of her clothing The mother
chung 10 the body OF the tree beneath
the little one a. best she could. There
they remained for ten hours suffe-.
ing great torture from wet. cold and
hunger. until finally rescued 5y other
natives. who swan with them TO the
ship.