Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-23
Tidal Waves Sweep Clear Across
Some of Them and Destroy Crops
Inhabitants Heed warning
and Make Their Escape.
Total.

NEW CLEANS, La. Sept. 22.-GraduallJ
New Orleans and the surrounding terri
tory is recovering from the first effects
of the tropical hurricane which, starting
Sunday, continued throughout Monday and
Monday night. Sixty-three lives are now
positively known to have been lost, and
forty others are reported to have pershed
in lower Terre Bonne parish but as yet
this report has not been authenticated.
The property loss is far heavier than
was at first believed and instead of run
ming into the hundreds Of thousands will
extend well into the millions by the time
the final details are tailed.
Miles of territory have been lair waste,
an dcrops have been practically ruined.
New Orleans is still sadly crippled In the
way of railroad facilities and telephone and
telegraph communication with the world
1t was not until tonight that the Western
Union Telegraph company was able to get
working wire out of the city. For sew
eral days the citys only communication
was over an improvised long distance tele-
phone circuit OF the Associated Press.
Both the Illinois Central and the Louis
Vile G. Nashville roads have suffered heavy
losses, miles of track being washed away.
Trains are being detoured. 1t will be sew
eral weeks before the Louisville & Nash
Vile will be running trains over It's own
tracks. The other railroads are tonight
moving trains on schedule time, under eau
ton orders.
II is the territory surrounding New Or
leans, especially lower Terro Bonne parish,
which now commands the attention of re-
lief parties which left here Tuesday and
today, and from whom the least bit of
news is seized upon by the anxious people
who have friends and relatives in the
storm-visited area
From early today the death list in the
lower portion of Terrebonne parish in
creased as details were hourly received
until tonight 1t numbers twenty
Fishermen are heavy sufferers. Shipping
of all kinds in the bayou inlets was to-
tally destroyed. Storehouses, sugar mills
and dwellings of every character at Houma
and other villages suffered heavily and
scarcely a structure was untouched by the
hurricane.
Heavy Damage to Crops.
The damage at Grand Island, Chen
ierne and Caminada was very heavy, but
no lives were lost. The crops of these
islands were totally destroyed, as the
water swept across them two or three feet
deep. washing them away and the orange
groves were whipped clean OF fruit and
foliage alike, hundreds OF them being up
rooted.
The first news from these islands was
received today, when the mail steamer,
Grand Isle, commanded by Captain Mike
Sweeney. reached this city. 1t was feared
before the arrival of the boat that hun
dreds had lost their lives. In the tropical
storm Of 1898 no less than 100 people were
drowned in ChenieTe and Caminada
Additional news of the havoc of the
storm along the east gulf coast received
today indicate that the damage was even
heavier than at first reported. A number
of places are yet to be heard from but
1t is not thought probable that any more
loss Of life will be reported.
Railroad Bridge Wrecked.
The railroad bridge at Bay ST. Louis is
completely wrecked and It will be weeks
before It is repaired. When the storm
struck this bridge, George Doherty, a
Western Union lineman working out Of