The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-06-15
STORM COD RACES.
Hurricane Thursday Morning Blows
Down Trees, Electric Light Poles
and Wires, and Otherwise Dam
ages Property-West Kentucky
Company Heavy Loser.


Company a Heavy Loser.
One of the worst storms with
which this section has been visited
:ince the destructive hurricane of
September 20, 1909, ragged here
Thursday morning from to $50
a'clock, resulting in the uprooting OF
trees, the blowing down OF telephone
and electric light poles and wires,
and other damage to property. The
wind blew with terrific force, and
between the gusts rain fell in torrents,
causing even the highest roofs to
leak. The tempest was the culmina-
ton of an atmospheric disturbance
which had been brewing since Sun
day, as indicated by unseasonably low
temperatures on that day and Mon
day, followed by high winds and oc-
oasional flurries of rain.
Two very large sycamore trees
in front of the premises Of Edward
y. Pugh, in Nichols avenue, were
flown down, and one Of them fell
On top of Mr.. Pugh's residence, in
slicting some damage to the roof
and front porch. A big pecan tree
in a yard in Faubourg Ia Pipe was
snapped off at the roots and fell
across the public road, impeding
traffic.
Electric light poles and wires We're
blown down in various sections of
The city, and the electric light SER
vice was interrupted for several
hours
The water in Bayou Lafourche,
which has been rising very rapidly
the past few days, was backed up
by the high wind and a rise Of sew
5ral feet occurred during the night
Thursday morning the stream was
nearly half-full, and the water had
head of the bayou.
Corn was blown flat wherever ex-
POSED to the sweep Of the wind, and,
! other crops were similarly damaged.
The fields were flooded by the
heavy rain and pumping was neces-
5ary to remove the water, since all
| drainage bitches have been closed
| by the construction of protection le-
| tees. The damage to the agricultural
industry will total a large sum, es-
oecially if any of the factories were
denuded of their smokestacks, as is
| very likely.
The largest individual item of loss
resulting from the storm was that
sustained by the West Kentucky
Coal Company, of Which r. N. Sims,
Of this city, is state manager. Thirty
loaded barges of coal and one empty
barge, which were being brought
| Gown the river to this place by the
towboat Cleaner, were swept from
| their mornings and sank at Plaque
| mine, where the fleet had been wind
bound since Monday. Some of the
barges went down near the shore
and it will be practicable to recover
| a portion of their contents by. dredg-
| ing, but many others were. swept
suit into the middle of the river and
sank in deep water. These will
prove a total loss. The Cleaner
&eathered the storm safely.
| The Monongahela River Coal and
Coke Company had two fleets of
loaded barges en- route down the
| river in charge of the steamers Pitts
burg and Duquesne, but both of
these tows were saved with little
damage. One tied uE at the lower
end of the island near Bayou Goula
and the other opposite the leper
| home.
The hurricane played havoc with
| protection leVees in this section,
/ And reports are current to the Ell
feet that many Of these barriers
| lave collapsed and a large acreage
| Las been inundated.