
BURIAL OF THE VICTIMS
The
Destruction Of Lockport

Lockport La., Sept. 8.-{Special}— Waste, desolation and
harrowing sights met your correspondent's gaze as he arrived
on the. scene of the disaster occasioned by yesterday's
storm. Lockport, as formerly known, no longer exists. The
merciless elements have swept the principal buildings into,
fragments, scattered over adjoining fields. Everything In
the path of the storm is chaos and confusion. Dwellings,
stores, hotels, outhouses, fences, crops, have been swept
away. Add to this the dead and dying, and those rescued from
appalling danger, amidst the debris, and the sights become
unbearable. One instance out of many of the heroic deeds
accomplished, needs mention, as the hero sacrificed his life
in trying to save that of a child. Mr. Levy Rivet, a barber
by occupation, seeing a child tossed about in the streets,
rushed to its rescue, and ere ho could lay his hand on him,
a flying timber struck the hero on the head, killing him
instantly. The child was saved unhurt.
Of those
seriously wounded, Gustave Abribat, the assessor; Camilla
Richard, and Edgard Barrios, arc not expected to survive.
About ten others are painfully, although not seriously,
injured. Mr. Edgard Barrios still lives, although in a
critical condition, to relate the horrors of suffocation. He
was thrown In the middle of the street, his face downward,
when heavy rafters pinioned him In the slush and mud, where
ho was with the greatest difficulty extricated, but with
only a spark of life. His Injuries are internal. The
principal buildings destroyed were the hotel, stable,
barroom, store and residence of D. G. Barrios, whose loss is
estimated at $30,000. Also Lockport's convent, Gustavo
Abribat's residence and the store of Mr. Leville. The path
of the cyclone was In a south- southwesterly direction, and
the first indication of the approaching danger was felt when
the roar of the wind through the swamp immediately
back of Lockport was heard and cypress tops seen flying in
all directions. The ferryman's little home, built on the
crest of the levee, was lifted off Us foundation, carried
across the bayou and landed In Mr. Bourg's cane field. The
ferryman, always hugging the rafters of his shanty, took an
aerial ride and escaped with a few bruises. The damage to
the cane crop is considered very great, as In some
instances, notably at Mr. Bourg's Ravenswood Plantation, the
cane leaves were torn into shreds and the stalks uprooted.
Further up the bayou the damage was not so great, but nil
crops between Lockport and Lafourche Crossing have been
blown down. The five victims of yesterday's death- dealing
cyclone were buried today in St. Sauveous cemetery. A large
throng of sympathizing people followed the remains to their
last resting place All the wounded ones are doing well and
no further deaths are apprehended. Drs. Gazzo and
Knobloch are still on the scene attending to the wants of
the suffering ones. Several plantation gangs since early
morning are at work clearing the debris. All business is on
a dead still and a gloom hangs over the once flourishing
little town like a black pall, which time alone can push
aside.
Schriever, La., Sept. 8.—(Special.)—The damage resulting
from yesterday's storm was principally at and near the town
of Lockport, situated on the east bank of bayou lafourche In
Lafourche parish, about six miles from Raceland, this
prosperous little town being partially destroyed by the
furious winds that have been raging with increasing severity
from early Wednesday night untill yesterday at 3 o'clock in
the afternoon, and which at times increased to a hurricane.
Very slight damage has been done outside the vicinity of
Lockport, except on the lower Lafourche and on the coast. It
will be several days before the full ex- tent of the dam 11
go done in these out of the way localities is known, as the
means of communication Is at the best poor. At Thlbodaux,
Houma and Schriever the Wind blew furiously all day, but did
little damage, except to small outhouses and fences, which
were blown down. Sugar cane and rice was damaged to some
extent through out the parishes of Lafourche and Terrebonne.
The fury of the storm seems to have been spent upon Lockport
and vicinity, wrecking many beautiful dwellings and
business houses in that little town and dealing out death to
some of its people. The death list as published in
yesterday's picayune is correct as far as known. No deaths
are reported among the injured as yet. Miss Mabel Gautreaux
, who was killed by the destruction of the Convent of the
Immaculate Conception, near Lockport, by the storm where she
was attending school, was buried here this evening.
THE SAINTED SISTERS

Who Were Sacrificed to the
Cyclone at Lockport. Sisters Pulcharie and Lucie, who were
killed Thursday in the terrible cyclone at Lockport, were
well-known In New Orleans, having both been, formerly
stationed at the Convent of Our Lady of Lourdes, Third
district. The order is known as the Sisters of the
Immaculate Conception, and the branch in this city have
charge of the convent and parochial schools attached to St.
Vincent de Paul's church. The order was introduced Into New
Orleans in 1881 by the late Rev. Father Chapuis, who invited
the sisters to come from Labadieville, La where the mother
house of the order exists, and take charge of St. Vincent's
de Paul's schools for girls and boys. The Rev. Mother Agnes
was made superioress of the community that came to the city,
bringing with her eight nuns, among whom was Sister
Pulcharie. She remained at the New
Orleans mission until 1880, a period or eight years, during
which she endeared herself, not only to her sister
religueses, but to the pupils and parishioners of St.
Vincent de Paul's schools and church. She was a tall and
graceful lady, very beautiful in person, and of a singularly
magnetic character. She was idolized by her pupils, who were
at once drawn to the lovely, gentle- nun, who yielded such
quick, intuitive sympathy in all their childish troubles or
pleasures. For seven years she made it her duty to prepare
the children annually for the retreat and first communion
at St. Vincent de Paul's church, and many owe the foundation
of their piety to her tender, watchful care. She was also a
fine teacher of the French und English languages and
accomplished In many ways. _ In 1889 she was sent to
Lockport, where she became superioress of the order. This
position she occupied at the time of the fateful tragedy
which closed her pure and useful life. Sister Pulcharie was
known to the world as Miss Aurelle Lajaunie, and was born in
Chacahoula, La., about thirty-five years ago. She entered
the convent in Labadieville in 1880 and was professed In
1881. Immediately after her profession she was sent to New
Orleans, where the best years of her life labor was spent,
and where the hundreds of pupils she instructed read with sorrow
and dismay the news of her untimely
and terrible death. Sister Lucie, though not so well known
in this city as Sister Pulcharie, nevertheless numbered many
friends. She was known in the world as Miss Emma Rodrigue
and was about 26 years of age at the time of her death. She
was born in Paincourtvllle, an entered the Convent of the
Immaculate Conception in Labadieville, in September, 1883,
and was professed in September, 1884. Thence a he was sent
to Now Orleans, where she remained several years, teaching
music in St. Vincent de Paul's Schools. From New Orleans she
was recalled to Labadieville, and sent thence to Lockport.
She was a most accomplished musician, and was called, for
her great devotion to music, the
"St. Cecilia" of the order. She was possessed of a
gentle, amiable nature, and made friends wherever she went-
The loss of these two useful and accomplished religeuses
Is deeply deplored In the order in which they were such
earnest and zealous workers. Nowhere did the news of their
sudden and awful death produce such profound sorrow as In
the Convent of Our Lady of Lourdes, in this city. A visit
was paid to the institution on yesterday; a solumn, awful
sorrow hung over It; the tear- stained cheeks and quivering
lips of the nuns attested their grief at the death of two
such noble companions, under such tragic circumstances. Rev.
Mother Agnes, superioress of the order in this city, had
left for Lockport on the morning train, accompanied by
Sister Gabrielle, whose younger sister, Miss Mamie Ayo, was
among the pupils of the convent who were seriously injured
in the cyclone. The Daily
Picayune,
(New Orleans, LA) Saturday, September 09, 1893; Issue 228;
col B
CONTINUED

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