The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-09-23
FIVE THOUSAND
MAY Be KILLED
Late Reports Of the Storm Bring
Alarming Details.
TEN MILLIONS DAMAGE DONE
Property Loss at New Orleans and
All Along the Coast Is Severe
Militia Called Out to Pre-
vent Looting.

New Orleans, Sept. 22-Refugees
reaching here today from the south.
west Louisiana coast declared the til
dial wave of Monday night swept the
cost from Grand Island west to Yer
million parish and drowned fully 300
people. An estimate of 5000 dead in
the territory devastated by the storm
is regarded as conservative. The IT,
dial wave rose suddenly and inundat-
ed the coast for % miles. 1t reached
two miles inland Three hundred
city squares in this city are flooded
The flooded Louisiana coast is
swampy country inhabited by plant
ers and fishermen. 1t is believed the
wave has destroyed all the fisher
mems huts. Towns located farther
inland are believed to be unaffected
by the wave. 1t Is probable, however,
that the gale wrecked the towns, caus-
ing heavy loss of life.
The property loss along the Louis
lana and Alabama coast will run over
ten million dollars. ALI telegraph
lines into New ORLEANS are prostrat-
ed, and it will be several days before
The true situation is known.
Four hundred refugees held upon
Louisville & Nashville trains as a re-
suit of the washout, arrived in New
Orleans this afternoon. Some were
nearly exhausted from starvation.
The state militia has been called here
to prevent looing
The French section of he city sur
fered the greatest dmage.
inland Devastation Severe.
Louisville, Sept. 22-The storm that
swept the Gulf and the Mississippi
river Monday night continued north at
high rate for 200 miles, leaving a
train of wreck and ruin through -FOUR
states.
From the little summer colonies on
the Louisville and Mississippi gn.f
coast come vague tales of frigntful de-
vastation and fears that many lives
have been lost. The wealthy summer
tourists who own pleasure craft are
wont to spend much time upon them
and it is possible that many have been
lost.
Jackson, Miss, the capitol of the
state, is still cut off from the coast
points. The dome of the capitol at
Jackson was wrecked and the old
capitol unroofed. The streets were a
tangle of live wires and the fall OF
trees and debris made the highways
impossible
AT Vickburg two vessels were sunk
and third was driven ashore. Their
passengers were rescued. One ves-
sci lies across the channel and has
blocked navigation. From Mobile
comes the tidings that the steamer
Pleasure Bay is missing and the peo-
pie hope that 1t has been driven
ashore and its passengers saved. How
many there are on board is not known.
In the pretty harbors of Pascagou-
la and Bayou st. Louis many slips are
empty and the torn moorings tell OF
the fury of the wind and waves. Bath
houses, pavillions, yacht slips and
pleasure resorts that were nightly
brilliantly illuminated and the rendez-
vous for those who sought relaxation
and amusement. upon the famous gulf
coast, are washed away and not a
timber remains to mark their ioca-
tons. And the story has not yet been
completed.
No Fire at Natchez.
Memphis, sept. 22.--It was denied
today that fire had attacked Natcnez.
Natchez suffered severely, however,
from wind and it is believed a large
part of the city is wrecked. No trains
are running north from New Orleans.
Cars were lifted from the track as
far north as Vicksburg by the wind.
Late details indicate that the havoc
was wider than first reported. 1t is
now believed the total damage will
reach from five to ten millions and the
loss of life will total thousands.