Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-17
1900 DE- IN A STORM.
Disaster In Lower Archipelago
OF Pacific Ocean Recalls
That of 1889
TALES OF TERRIBLE SUFFERING

| TALES OF TERRIBLE SUFFERING
The Fatalities Will Probably Number
Six Hundred, and Property Loss
About One Half Million DoIlars-Na-
tives Weakened BY Measles Plague,
Thus Handicapped in Struggle.
| Pareete March A. via San Francisco,
March G-(Correspondence of the AS
ISOLATED Press 1.-The latest intelli-
gence relative to the hurricane in Tua-
| lnotu. or lower archipelago. indicates
that the fatalities will number 600. The
loss of property will be one half mill
ion dollars. Relief measures have been
Instituted. The hurricane and high
water lasted during January IA, Is and
16. AT Kikara, 377 deaths occurred,
in most instances among visitors from
other islands who We're there during the
diving season. One hundred and forty
two deaths are reported from six other
small islands. In this report there is
TO record of the unknown dead, and it
believed that the total number OF ia
talities in the entire archipelago was
not less than 900. On an isle south of
Hikuara, 262 natives persisted, being
swept into the lagoon and again into
the great sea, lacerated terribly by the
contact With rock coral and debris of
all sorts. Upon some unfortunate ones
cocoianut trees fell, manning or killing
them outright, or holding them beneath
the water where they We're drowned.
On the awful night of January Is, when
in the darkness and driving down.
pour of rain that stung their faces and
naked bodies, the parents tied their
children to their backs and sougISOsiafe-
ty. over their heads rolled the mighty
wave and when the surges retreated
the infants and half drowned boys and
girls succunlbed. The father and
mother would vainly endeavor to retain
the corpses of their dead. and at length
had to abandon them. They tied them
selves to cocoanut trees, and some at
last fell with them, others escaped.
clinging to the trees temporarily, and
at other times able to catch hold of
something else, and SO between the
breakers reached safety after many
hours of hardship.
The gale found the natives weakened
from a virulent form of measles that
had become epidemic, otherwise more
might have been spared in the strug-
gle with the water. Those who sur
vived were the ones who were able to
leave the main village and cross several
dangerous low stretches where the
waves washed into the lagoon. wadng
neck deep, aiding one another and hold
ing to debris and gradually withdraw
ing from the danger TO slightly more
elevated section on the north shore.
Messrs Cheffield and Allen, elders of
the Norman church. and Mr.. and Mrs.
Gilbert of the Latter Day Saints mis-
sion, in a report to the United States
consul. gave grewsome accounts of the
disaster. The Gilberts lost one shelter
when a cocoanut tree fell, but secured
another in a high stump of booran
tree.
The water, which had all but drown
ed them completely was now at their
feet. The wind threatened to tear
them from their position again and
again, and SO these Americans passed
this awful night. In the morning the
scene of horror that met their eyes
on every side was harder to endure
than the terrorss of the night. Corpses
frightfully mutilated were strewn about
and there We're living beings with I'M
slightly wounds. In some instances only
one out of a family had survived. Upon
the barren reef many bodies had lodged
and as the brown skind had been
scraped off by the coral, the CHASTITY
appearance of these corpses was hard
to bear. Out on the surface of the
deep the sharks were seen to devour
many bodies, while in the lagoon bod
les were floating upon the debris
The story of fatality in Morakau
where ninety-five out of every 100 in
habitants persisted, is likewise extreme
ly sad. and also with regard to the
other islands where deaths occurred
1t is likely that one-fifth of the en-
tire population of Tuamotu group sue
cumbed. To aid those injured, a tenn
porary hospital was constructed and
Dr. Br,inati, acting administrator Of the
group, rendered medical aid From the
debris were secured cans containing
foodstuff, but naturally there was a
scarcity of such stuff as was not
spoiled.
A small supply had been taken to
the highest ground from q store of a
trader who tpaid the transporters at
the rate of IS per hour The cocoanuts
were soon exhausted. To eat fish out
OF the sea or lagoon would doubtless
have been suicidal, owing to the dan
ger from poison, as there were hun
dreds of corpses floating about in the
water upon which the fish were prey
ing From drinking blackish water the
natives became afflicted with dyson
terry. OF the sixty-six sail boats, all
but one or two had been totally de-
stroyed, and these could not be sent to
Tahiti a distance of nearly 400 miles.
About /, 900 survivors We're in danger of
starvation or perishing from thirst or
disease. Shelterless, nude, weak and
discouraged, 1T is not to be wondered
at that a few of the natives became
hooters of their neighbours goods.
However, on the whole, the order was
commentaries. 1t Is to the lasting
credit of Americans that first relief
from thirst came from them in the sug-
gestion to distill water The French
administrator was at first skeptical
but finally allowed them to proceed
with their experiment.
After a long search Mr.. Gilbert's
Nd