The Recent Storm Compared with the Last Island Disaster
submitted by Larie Tedesco
Daily Picayune 10-05-1893; pg 4, Issue 254, col C


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 As the reports of the extensive loss of life which accompanied the recent storm
in that section of the coast of which Grande Island is the center came to be in a
measure appreciated by the community yesterday, there was a disposition on all
hands to make comparisons between the ravages of this latest hurricane and that
memorable storm in 1856, which destroyed Last Island and several hundreds of the
guests assembled at the olden time summer resort.

 The accounts of the disasters attending Sunday night's hurricane naturally drew
public attention back to the great Last Island disaster, because that event has
stood prominently out in the annals of this State for the past forty years as the
most harrowing of occurrences in the memory of our citizens. The loss of life
attending the storm of Sunday night was definitely greater that that resulting
from the destruction of Last Island, and for that reason it must be considered by
far the most serious catastrophe; but it is a question if the story of Last Island
will not survive longer than even that of last Sunday, for the reason that the
accompaniments were of the most tragic nature, and the victims were among the most
prominent people of the State, including members of families still holding high
station in our social life.

 For the purpose of furnishing a basis for comparison, we repablish in this
morning's edition a brief account of the Last Island disaster which appeared in
the Picayune Aug. 16, 1856, just six days after the destruction of the island.
According to that account, the total number of persons lost on Last Island was a
few more than 200. This did not represent the total loss of life, as there were
persons lost on another island in the neighborhood.

 Although no complete estimate can yet be made of the loss of life in the
neighborhood of Cheniere and in Barataria Bay as a result of Sunday night's storm,
it is known that the number of people lost at Cheniere alone amounted to fully
800, while the losses on the neighboring islands and at the various fishing camps
will swell the total death list in that locality along close on to 1500 persons.
In destructivences to life in this State, the storm of Sunday night was,
therefore, infinately more serious than that which destroyed Last Island, and when
the loss of life and destruction of property in other States are taken into
consideration it deserves to rank amoung the great catastrophes of the age.

 A more just parallel for the recent hurricane was the storm which swept the
coasts of South Carolina and Georgia during the last days of August of the present
year. The loss of life and destruction of property then assumed very much the same
proportions as are likely to be reached by Sunday's event. Two such disasters
following each other in rapid succession form a rather melancholy record for the
South, and will serve to make the year 1893 a memorable perion in storm annals in
this section.