The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-05
WIND AND WAVES
A Tempest Sweeps Over the
Society Islands.
A Wall of Water So Feet High
Blown In.
800 MILES AN HOUR.
Loss of Life VIII Run Far Into
the Hundreds.
Many Escaped by Climbing
COcoanut Trees.

Papeete. Island of Tahiti Feb. 1s, via
1 San Francisco. Cal. March 5.-A terri
Bile hurricane devastated the Society
and TuamOtu Islands on February and
The low parts of the islands were
completely inundated by great waves
sixty-fve feet high, driven by the force
Of tempest which blew at the rate of
120 miles an hour
! The loss of life on the Tuamotu is
lands may have been heavy. Three
years ago 1000 lives were lost there in
a similar storm. The French gunboat
zelee has gone there with food and
supplies of fresh water, and until it re-
turns the extent of the loss of life can
! only be conjectured. The estimates run
all the way from 800 to LOCO.
Here in Papeete only one life was
lost, but the property loss was enor-
nous. In this city the French govern
ment buildings. the American Consulate
and about seventy-fve business houses
We're demolished.
! The Oceanic Steamship cOmpany's
wharves were destroyed, the custom
/ house, bonded warehouse. the postofffCe
/ the house of the captain of the port, the
! clubhouse. and the police headquarters
/ are wrecked.
Blows 12O Miles an Hour
/ The cyclone or hurricane reached the
! velocity of 12O miles an hour. It struck
4 the Islands about midnight on February
| Z and continued until about o'clock on
/ the next afternoon. The island of Anaa
! TuamOtu group. is believed to have
/ been the center of the storm.
/ At PaDeete about Z o'clock on the
evening of February the sea began 20
/ break heavily over the reef: the waves
/ in the harbOr washed over the quay.
/ There was no perceptible wind. Toward
/ 10 o'clock people dwelling in the vicinity
/ Of TIE water front were compelled 10
abandon their homes, saving as a rule
4 only small portion of their belongings.
I The merchants and clerks went to the
stores and warehouses only to discover
that it was quite impossible to save the
goods on the lower floors.
An hour later high seas broke com
pleteIY demolfshing the government
slip and buildings, beside causing great
/ damage to the coal sheds. The guar
dian of the arsenal, Teffer Adams, an
+ expert swimmer, was in the water for
and rescuing others.
Village Swept Away.
The village of Taunoa near the
! arsenal, was completely swept away.
It consisted of the mission buildings
and home of native converts of the Re
/ organized Latter Day Saints mission
/ formerly under the direction of Capt
4 Joseph Burton of California. The mis-
/ sion mouse ana q great many houses
were carried off to a distance Of many
/ hundreds Of yards and demolished.
OF the church edif1ce not a vestige
remains. A settlement about an eighth
\ of a mile distant comprised of dwell
4 lings Of several hundred Cook islanders
/ British subjects), was completely de-
4 strOyed One American, named See
/ feldt living near that community, had
4 to take to an adjacent swamp, which
/ became inundated, and he was COM
/ PEELED to battle with the waves during
/ many hours. Farther east on the
/ beach road all the houses were swept
away for about a half mile.
The fine establishment of v L.
I RaOux, a stone structure, suffered
much damage. COpra and other pro-
/ duce and merchandise were badly
jumbled together. The loss may reach
/ 100000.
At Taunoa the family of Herman Me-
nell had a thrilling experience. Their
+ fine residence, probably worth $4,000,
/ was damaged badly by strong waves.
/ which compelled the family to flee for
i their lives to a native house. Frequent
! " the water was up to their necks and
/ they We're Obliged to cling to trees for
! safety and support. Where before the
/ storm there was a frontage of $50 yards
/ to the sea, the waves cut off the lawn,
so that the water now is within ten
4 yards of the veranda. The damage to
! the house amounts to about $4,000.
/ Other fine homes were badly damaged
I Matters were worse in the city OF IA
/ peete than in the suburbs. To the west
of the arsenal along the water front
dwelling houses and commercial estab-
Iishnents were invaded by the water,
which broke at the quay about ten feet
high. but rushed through the narrow
streets many feet higher
The shiDbuilding yards of Capt. Peter
son. Brown & Benchahman were de-
stroyed.
Mrs. Godding, an aged American, mar
rov-ly escaped death. being caught by
debris in her home when it collapsed.
The lumber sheds of /. Martin were
DESTROYED. the lumber floating far and
wide. acting like battering rams against
warehouses and dwellings.
Donald & Edenburg sustained an equal
loss while the Society Commercial del
/ Oceania. the largest mercantile estab-
lishment in French Oceanica, loses about
SEQ 900. It's frame store and ware
/ houses were greatly injured and Yalu-
/ able goods swept away Smaller com
4 mercfal ablishments, including three
or four Chinese firms. lost heavily. while
/ the telephone station was washed out
I but with less serious results.
+ About 8 o'clock in tie morning the
American consulate, the Oldest struc-
I ture in Papeete. having been built
about 1896 collapsed. In the abserce
/ Of the American consul his mother,
/ Mrs. Dcty. supervised the removal #
the archives. aided by several mission
/ aries. Mrs. Doty was in serious Jeop-
+ ardy several times in the waves. The
records temporarily were stored a the
Latter Day Saints mission house. Mr.
Doty's family also accepted their hos
pitality Beyond the American consul
/ late several government buildings. IN
Guiding the treasury and storehouses,
/ sustained great damage
Deputy Mayor NJ I.orgamayino Of
i Papeete lost not only his own house
but six others. NJ. Peroe lost many of
his buildings. All the dwelling houses
near the Protestsnt church were
/ wrecked