the west of the hotel was the settlement known as Last Island Village which consisted of approximately 100 beach homes, some "fine" houses and other temporary summer houses. Regular steamer service to the island was provided by the Star from Bayou Boeuf. The New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad provided a connection to Bayou Boeuf from Algiers, La., a short ride on the Algiers Train Ferry across the Mississippi River from the French Quarter landing at St. Ann Street. Regular railroad fare was $3.50 with half-fare for children and servants. New Orleanians could take the Algiers passenger ferry. Of the approximately 400 vacationers on the island at the time the hurricane hit it, 198 were known or presumed dead and 203 were known survivors. Several of the victims were enslaved people, some of whom were credited with rescuing others, including several children. Every structure on the island including the hotel, a large, two-story wooden structure of considerable strength, was destroyed, and the island was left void of crops and other vegetation. Isles Dernieres Barrier Island Refuge The Isles Dernieres Barrier Islands Refuge encompasses four islands: from east to west, Wine, Trinity/East, Whiskey, and Raccoon, as well as several thousand acres of associated water. There is a public use area for bird-watching, picnicking, fishing, and overnight camping on Trinity Island; any other use of the islands requires a permit from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which owns the islands and has managed them since 1992, when they were initially leased from the Louisiana Land and Exploration Company. Today, the islands protect the mainland to the north from erosion and damage from hurricanes, but their primary purpose is to provide protected habitat for nesting waterbirds, such as pelicans. Raccoon Island in particular is one of the most important waterbird nesting areas on the Louisiana Gulf Coast. References Notes Bibliography NOTE: The book title is incorrectly indexed in Google books Sallenger, Abby (2009) Island in a Storm: A Rising Sea, a Vanishing Coast, and a Nineteenth-Century Disaster that Warns of a Warmer World. New York: Public Affairs , History of Louisiana Landforms of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana Barrier islands of Louisiana