The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-10-08
400 DEAD IS Toll
Of GULF STORM
TERRITORY BETWEEN NEW on.
lEANo AND MOBILE REPORTS
MANY cAoUAITIgo.
Loss EXCEEDS s2s,ooo,ooo
sadie Rendered Homeleee-ehip-
ping and Railroad Companies
Are Die Propsrty loesrs.

New Orleans.-Eour hundred dead
and property loss variously estimated
1t over $25 900. 900. sums up tho re-
suit OF the storm that swept q big
part Of Louisiana and Mississippi.
Wires have been down ever since tho
nrst billow Of the storm. railroads have
been tied up and the news has been
trickling In slowly because the points
which 81 erred the most have been in
accessid , by boats.
The death toll in New Orleans and
immediate vicinity was "a. Most OF
the others who persisted were In the
unprotected fishing villages In the Bar.
ataria section and In the waters lying
between tho Mississippi and Louisiana
state lines.
Thousands Of persons have been left
homeless by the hurricane, but New
Orleans and the states Of Louisiana
and Mississippi are fully able to af-
ford all the relief needed. More than
Is boats. loaded with food. medicines.
bedding and physicians. have been dis
patched to various points.
The telephone and telegraph wires
leading to the places which suffered
greatest are being gradually restored
and every hour or SO messages are re-
ceived telling Of additions to the death
list. The estimate OF 400 dead is con.
sentative.
Scores Of houses were wrecked and
hundreds damaged at Gulfport. Pass
Christian. Bay st. Louis, Waveland.
Mississippi City, Ocean Springs, Biloxi
and other resorts along the Missis-
sippf coast. Twelve persons were
drowned in the section just behind
these summer colony settlements.
The Peerless shrimp canning fac
tory at Bay st. Louis was destroyed,
entailing a loss OF $780, 900.
Messengers arriving here In motor
boats declare that at least $50 bodies
were floating in the salt marshes on
tiguous to the various bodies Of water
which extend from Chef Menteu to
Rigolets. Most of the victims are
shrimp and oyster men and their fam
lilies.
Word was received here from De la
Croix, % miles from New Orleans,
that Ave prominent planters who had
engaged a small boat to carry them
to safety were helpless witnesses 70
the drowning Of their wives and IL
children. Three of the boats crew
also persisted.
The loss Of the Illinois Central Rail-
road in and around New Orleans Is es-
timated by officials to be So. 900. 900.
The Louisville & Nashville is another
heavy loser. Four of its long bridges
In the Mississippi Sound. one Of three
miles in length, have been wiped away.
Large forces of workmen are at work
restoring the structures.
More than $50 vessels were destroy.
ed. OF this number nine sunk in tho
New Orleans harbor. Several large
ships were blown from their moorings,
but were saved. Two large dry docks,
each containing large boats. wero
blown from one side of the Mississippi
River to the other.
Two members OF the crew Of the
liner City Of Tampico, which arrived
here from Vera Cruz. three days late.
after battling with the hurricane thirty
six hours, were washed overheard.
The ships rev and passengers
donned life ~preservers and awaited
death in the main salon, where there
were prayers. Although the ship was
practically wrecked and scarcely re-
sembled a steamer when she reacehd
port there were only two on board who
persisted.
The greatest loss Of life in any sim
gle place was at Quong's platform. in
the B~arataria section. 60 miles from
New Orleans, where over so were
drowned when q storm house caved
in. The shelter had been built by
Quong, a wealthy Chinaman, who had
built the shelter for just such an emer-
gency. He tied $4,000 in gold around
his belt and when the blow splintered
the haven it is believed the metal
caused his body to sink, as it has not
been found.
At Fernier 140 persons were in a
barn which fioated 35 miles. All were
saved.