New-York tribune., 1903-02-09
TIDAL WAVE KILLS 1000.
EIGHTY ISLANDS SWEPT.
Hurricane and Cyclone FIRST Paat
South Sea Group.
FRANK. S. BLACK.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIRuNE.l


San Francisco, Feb. S.-The most destructive
cyclone and tidal wave that have visited the
South Seas for twenty five years swept over part
of the Pacific on January 13, when more than
eight hundred lives were lost by the foodlng OF
the low islands of the Paumotu group, east ana
northeast of Tahiti. The steamer Mariposa,
| which arrived to-day from Tahiti brought the
news of the disaster.
On January 27 a few hours before the Mari
posa sailed from Papeete the French interisland
steamer Excelsior from the Paumotu and
Marquesas Islands, and the schooner Eimeo
reached Papeete. and told of the devastation of
six of the islands-Tikehau. Apataki, Arutua.
Makatea Niau and Hikuero The Excelsior and
Eimeo each brought many destitute SURVIVORS,
about four hundred coming on the Excelsior.
Four hundred and ninety-six natives and Euro
peans were reported drowned on Hikuero, where
the grea test loss of life occurred white man
named Salmond. related to the family of for
ner King of Tahiti was among the lost. The
other Europeans missing Included Alexander
Brander and family a trader named Plunkett'
and Patrick Donnelly formerly Il fireman on the
steamer Australia but who had been trading
among the islands.
Almost without warning the hurricane came
from the south and southeast, levelling the
cocoanut trees and all other vegetatlon' ana
causing panic among the natives OF HlKuero
and the neighboring islands Following the nrst
tremendous blow. the storm became circular III
movement. and the sea rose rapidly. Before the
dav ended a great tidal wave swept over the low
islands to a height which no waves had reached
for a quarter of century On Makatea onlE
one woman of all the scores of natives was left
,rXe She saved herself by taking refuge IN a
stout cocoanut tree.
NO TIME TO SEEK SAFETY
r,.o +bere was no time for the in
,b;+an+s Of the villages 10 try to save them
saI,.es Those who attempted to climb the CO.
coanut trees were caught by the hood ana
drowned The receding water left nothing OF
their ha bitations their stores OF hundreds OF
tons of copra awaiting shipment TO lahlu' Inc
game destruction compassed on the other
Eve islands heard from, though the loss OF iile
was not so great them. The NUMBER OF
,i,ed It is estimated will reach a thousand
Estimates at Tahiti place the number OF lslatlds
visited by the tidal and hurricane at
ih+,. All 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 Govern
ment on receipt of news of the disaster, TOOK
prompt measures to relieve the distressed ois-
tricts dispatching two warships with fresh water
and provisions The Italian man-of-wa Calabrta
ACCOMPANIED the French vessels on their errand
of mercy As the supply of fresh water and
provisions was totally exhausted by the storm.
it is feared that many lives will be lost before
the relief ships arrive.
AS the islands were barely twenty feet above
sea level and were not surrounded by coral
reefs it was necessary for all the inhabitants
10 take to the cocoanut trees when the tidal
wave began to cover the land. Many of these
trees grow TO height of 100 feet All the
lower trees were covered by the raging seas.
which swept with pitiless force about and over
them. The natives in the taller trees were safe
until the roots gave way, when they. too. were
swept into the
SURVIVORS SWIM MILES.
The survivors brought by the Excelsior and
the Fimeo gained the vessels side by swimming
three and four miles from the tops of the
cocoanut trees The Eimeo was badly damaged
nv the storm Neither ship able to run
close to the shores because of the violence of
the seas, which continued to run abnormaly
high for week after the storm.
Another schooner, the Gaulois, from the Mar
ouesas Islands, 600 miles from Tahiti, en-
countered the hurricane while on the way TO
the latter place, and only the action of the
captain in tettisoning the cargo saved the lit
tie craft from destruction. Even with this the
life of one man was lost by waves sweeping
the decks
Among the passengers on the Mariposa to-day
was G. W Waterbury. formerly of Chicago. who
was in that porto of the storm which visited
the island of Raitea, one of the Leeward group
Here much damage done. though no lives
were lost we'll built road constructed by the
French Government demolished, bridges
were carried away. buildings overturned and
shattered and pieces of big ships. old wreckage
and cocoanut trees were heaped high along the
coast Returning to Tahiti, the little schooner
in which hn sailed almost swamped by the
high seas and waterspout came near the boat
al one place.
The officers of the Excelsior said that this
was a worse than that which visited
Apja Samoa nearly score of years ago, when
the warshps of this country Great Britain and
e>errnanv suffered so severely. for. instead of
being a steady gale of hurricane force, this