Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi Hurricane, Sept 1860 - Plaquemines, The Passes

The Daily Picayune
Wednesday morning, September 19, 1860

Letter from Plaquemines
[Correspondence of the Picayune]
Parish of Plaquemines Sept. 17, 1860

From Friday night until noon on Saturday last the wind blew a perfect hurricane over this parish. The rain fell in torrents; but happily the waters of the sea did not rise at Pointe-a-la-Hache nor at Grand Prairie. It is rumored here that the village at Pass-a-l’Outre was completely inundated, all the houses swept away, and several lives lost. Near the Salt Works, a Frenchman by the name of Claude, and his family, were drowned - so it is reported in the upper part of this community. The cane fields, of course, are prostrated to the ground all over this locality, trees uprooted, fences blown down, etc.

After careful inquiries, I have arrived at the conclusion that no less than 4000 or 5000 barrels of superior rice will be shipped to your market this season. While on this subject, allow me to recommend to your grocers, and others filling country orders, my young friend Firmin Martin, who keeps his office at G. Terle’s store, No. 123 Old Levee street, between St. Louis and Toulouse. Though Mr. Martin commenced business a few months ago, he already receives on commission three-fourths of the rice raised in this parish. Mr. Martin is an active, honest, affable and gentlemanly young man, well acquainted with his branch of business. Your grocers will always buy cheaper from him than from any of the down town rice dealers, as he receives the rice directly from the farmers. Let them try him.

P. S. – I learn at this moment that, at the foot of the back levee at Pointe-a-la-Hache, the waters of the river rose about two feet, and in the vicinity of Grand Prairie about two and a half, but little or no damage was done

The Late Destructive Gale
Disasters at the Passes and Along the Coast

Mr. Jas. Burrows, the clerk of the steamer Ranger, is kind enough to furnish to us the following interesting intelligence of the late disasters to shipping at the Passes and along the coast, which have been attended by such a fearful loss of life:
On Monday morning, at 3 o’clock, we arrived at the Southwest Pass, and were informed there that the Association pilot boat Nelson had been blown off the bar, and had not since been heard of. Mr. Luke Higgins and Samuel Hill were the pilots on board of her, with one cook and two men.

Continued