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I the MOnVIN’n J
1 IMABUiniIIWO. INCORPOFATKB)BBt>. -
j J.H. ESTILL, President. I
ID 11
[ IIII*
Savannah Swept by a
Terrible Hurricane.
Iffly LIVES BELIEVED 10 HAVE
BEEN 10S1.
The Daiage Beyond Estimate
Hundreds of Buildings
Unroofed.
and MM \mm KILLED.
Hutchinson’s Island
Inundated.
VESSELS WRECKED AT TYBEE.
Anxiety on the Rail
roads.
S nil oi Terror u k Cily.
Almost on the anniversary of tho great
hurricane of 1881, Savannah was swept
last night by one of the severest storms
it has ever known. An estimate of the
damage is yet impossible.
Many lives, it is believed, have been
lost on Hutchinson island, and on the
lowlands along the river. The number,
however, will probably never be known.
Many of those lost were negroes who
lived on the rice plantations and along the
river banks.
KILLED BY A LIVE WIBE.
The only fatality reported in the city
was a negro who was struck by a live
wire at Bryan and Aborcorn streets and
instantly killed.
The storm was at its highest pitch be
tween 10 and 11 o’clock when the wind
reached a velocity of 70 miles an hour,
the greatest ever reccorded by the weather
bureau, that of the hurricane of 1881 being
estimated at 75 or 80 miles, but no record
was possible, the instruments having been
blown away.
lhe rain fell in torrents and was blown
like mist, beating against walls and build
ings in sheets, Hooding the streets and
penetrating every crevice, beating its way
UrU r roofs, smashing window panes and
pouring in streams into residences and
business houses, deluging everything.
STARTINO OF THE STORM.
I lie storm which had been predicted by
the weather bureau for several days, be
gan early in the afternoon
ami increased from then on
until it, reached the climax between 11
a, nl 12 o'clock last night having blown
for eight hours in a terriffic hurricane.
It began raining early in tho morning, but
°ly in gusts. After the first fall it
‘eased entirely for several hours and did
nor begin again until afternoon. Then
■he work of destruction began and lasted
U ! 'iil the storm had spent its force.
A, midnight all thewharves along the
ru 'T front and tho Ocean Steamship
I ’’ n Pauy and Savannah, Florida and Wes
leiQ Railway wharves were under water
ail| l Hie tide was still rising rapidly.
■ • hinson Island was inundated and
"ho diil not leave were probably
i"''u>d. Cries for help were heard to
“ across the river and several
were made to send rescuing par
v out * u the storm and heavy current
"as impossible in thedarkness to reach
them.
A number was rescued before the
a ' "as covered, and many who went
Sack river into South Carolina are
he'ed to have been lost.
SWEPT PBOM THEIK MOORINGS.
1 the small craft along the rive- wops
gtp JfltofMug lfcto&
swept away and larger vessels lay heeled
over on their sides. A number of the
wharves floated away. The loss, of which
it is impossible yet to obtain any approxi
mate estimate even, is very heavy.
All the lands adjacent to the river
for miles above and below the city
are under water and the inundation ex
tends back to the farms, washing, away
the crops and flooding everything, driv
highlands.
THE TYBEE ROAD UNDER WATER.
Long before nightfall, all communica
tion with Tybee, both by telephone and
telegraph had been cut off.
The latest reports received
about 5 o'clock stated that the
wind velocity there had reached 70 miles
per hour. When the storm reached its
heigth, about 11 o’clock the wind must
have attained the velocity of something
over 80 miles.
The Tybee road between Lazaretto
creek and Bilbo canal near the city was
under water over the entire distance ex
cept beyond LePaigeville and the bluff.
When tho last train came up at 5 o’clock,
the bridge over Laxaretto creek was only
three feet from the tide and the tide was
rising then at the rate of three feet per
hour.
NEARLY EVERYONE SAFE.
No trains left the city for Tybee after
2:30 o’clock, and none of the trains during
the day could go any further than the
Point house, on account of the immense
quantities of sand which were blown
across the track. It would have required
more than a hundred hands to have kept
the track clear. The 2:30 train brought
the passengers who would have taken
the 2:55 train, back to tho city.
Among them were a large num
ber of Augusta excursionists who
had come down to take in Tybee
and they were all brought back safely.
This train was about an hour or more
late, arriving shortly before 5 o'clock, and
was the last train which came up from
the island. It made its way up slowly,
being on the lookout all the time for
washouts. 'The track, however, was
found to be in a fair condition with the
exception of the bridge, which was across
the Bilbo canal, and that was in a very
shaky condition, and expected to go down
at any time. The 5:15 train from Tybee
did not reach the city last night.
TO LOOK AFTER TUE ROAD.
Mr. T. C. MoNeely, superintendent,
went down the road about 9 o’clock last
night to look out for any washouts or ac
cidents that might have occurred, but up
to 2 o'clock this morning he had not re
turned and nothing had Been heard from
him. In fact the only way in which he
could have gotten back would have been
by swimming as the entire marsh from the
Lazaretto creek clear up to the Tybee
depot was submerged. When
the height of the storm was
reached the water blew up into the
Tybee depot, and was way up over the
platform. Below the depot the water
was almost deep enough to have sailed a
small boat clear across to the river.
Knrly in the afternoon all the people
who had gone up to the Hotel Tybee,
walked down to the Point house to get
shelter for the night. It was reported
that the water came up within ten feet of
the hotel Saturday afternoon, and if this
was the case it is probable that every
thing was flooded when the storm came
ou.
The last report from Tybee stated that
there were two vessels anchored off the
island, and they were in deep water and
apparently safe. What became of them
when the heavy blow came on however is
unknown.
A late report from quarantine stated
that one of the barks anchored in the
channel there had turned completely over
and sunk.
ANXIETM FOR THE BELLEVUE.
Much anxiety is felt on account of the
steamer Bellevue, which left the city
yesterday morning at 11 o’clock for War
saw witii a party of excursionists aboard.
There were a number of women and
children aboard, and many anxious in
quiries were being made last night.
It was impossible for the steamer to
have returned from Warsaw yesterday or
last night. It was not believed that Capt.
Garnett would have made the at
tempt to return in the face of
the storm, the passage across
Warsaw sound being known to be very
dangerous in such weather. The ex
cursionists were probably left at Warsaw,
while the steamer took refuge behind
St. Catherine’s island or some of the
islands in that vincinity.
IN THE TEETH OF THE STORM.
[n the city the storm was the most se
vere along the river and in the business
portion of the city. Hardly a warehouse
on the Bay was left with a roof after the
storm was over.
A view of the city at midnight revealed
the effects of the storm in every quarter
Buildings deroofed, the doors of business
houses blown in, electric wlies of all de
scriptions down at every point, and brok
en and uprooted trees littering the streets
in every direction.
The tin roofing of the large building of
the Savannah Grocery Cos., and M. Ferst's
Sons & Cos., on Bay street, was entirely
torn off and piled up in the street.
THE CITY EXCHANGE DAMAGED.
The windows on the northeast side of
the city exchange were smashed in and
SAVANNAH, GA„ MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 1893.
water had poured in, damaging the pa
pers and records of tho offices, no doubt.
The doors of Fretwell & Nichols’ build
ing, opi>osite the exchange, were smashed
In and the stock evidently damaged.
The awning in front of D. B. Lester’s
grocery, at Bull and York streets,
which had been carelessly left
rolled down was blown entirely down,
iron frame work and all, into the middle
of Bull street.
The smoke stack of the Savannah
Brewing Cos., was blown down and tho
engine house damaged. The smoke stacks
of the Gorrie Ice Cos., and those of the
Brush Electric Light Cos., are also down.
The naval stores sheds near
the cotton warehouse at tho Central
railroad wharves are down and the en
tire Vale Royal tract .covered with wa
ter.
The doors of Smith Bros., and James
M. Dixon & Co.’s places of business on
Bay street were blown open. One of the
large windows of Ludden & Bates’ estab
lshment on Broughton street was smashed
in. The doors of the Falk Clothing Com
pany on Broughton: street were forced in
and considerable damage done. The
members of the company were notified by
the jjolice and the work of repairing tho
damage as far as possible was begun last
night.
TIIE MARKET ROOF LIFTED.
At the height of the storm at 11 o'clock
the tin roofing at the southwestern cor
ner of the market was
tom off. Those who had taken refuge in
the market thought the whole market
was coming down.
About the same time the rooffing was
torn from the Palmotto house on Bryan
street. A little later the steeple of the
First African Baptist church at Bryan
and Montgomery streets foil with a loud
crash.
M. J. Solomon’s, Max Stern’s and S.
Binswanger’s residence, on Charlton
street, between Whitaker and Bull,
were unroofed and flooded with
water.
The doors of Drytus & Rich’s liquor
store, opposite the market, were driven
in.
The police reported that a great num
ber of the business houses all throughout
the city had doors and windows smashed
in. It was a great opportunity
for thieves, if any were willing
to bravo the storm.
Tho gable end and chimneys of the
brick residence northwast corner of Hab
ersham and AHercorn streets Avere blown
down.
Part of theroof ofCol.Estill’s residence,
58 State street, was blown off, and tho
iron fence and capping toppled over. In
the hight of the hurricane, the telephone
wire got crossed with an electric wire,
and for a half an hour there was a dan
gerous display of fireworks about the
house.
THE MORNING NEWS DAMAGED.
Work was conducted with tlie greatest
difficulty at the Morning News lastnight,
Tho windows of the cupola upon the top
of the building were broken in
the afternoon and tho water
poured in in a steady stream
as long as the storm lasted, deluging the
floor of the composing room, and penetra
ting to the lower floors. At midnight ev
ery floor of the building had more nr less
water on it, and the stock of
paper and machinery is considera
bly damaged. It was almost impos
sible for the printers to work,
with the water pouring in on
them and the floor shaking with the wind.
The electric lights went out at 10 o’clock
and the printers had only the gas to de
pend upon.
At the height of the storm, between 10
and 11, the situation became so threaten
ing that the printers wero compelled to
leave the composing room. They re
turned again shortly after 11 o’clock.
The storm began again after midnight
and made work almost impossible. It
was only under the greatest difficulties
that to-day’s paper was gotten out.
The large skylight which gives light to
the newspaper composing room was blown
away, and through it the rain poured
in torrents, and flooded the building to
the business office. To add to the trouble
the electric lights were shut off, and,the
place left in darkness until the gas lights
could be brought into use.
The motors that ran the presses were
burnt out and recourse had to be had to
the old boilders and engines. It was an
hour after midnight before matters got
straight so that the force could get to
work.
BAY STREET SWEPT.
Bay street got the worst part of the
storm in the city, and tho few who ven
tured there during the day and night
were blown almost off their feot. In
passing the custom house, where the side
walk, when wet, is extremely slippery,
passers-by got down on their hands and
knees and crawled the entire distance.
Guests of wind came up the street of
sufficient force, it seemed, to blow away
almost any obstacle. Signs were blown
down, and the watchman on guard around
the banks piled them up in one of tho
stairways. The windows on the north
east corner of the Savannah Bank and
Trust Company’s building were buttered
in and the glass was shattered.
Other glass windows all along the
Bay were similarly destroyed, and break
ing glass could be heard falling in up to
the time the storm abated.
VIVID WITH LIGHTNING.
About 9 o’clock the storm assumed pro
portions betokening the approach of a
climax, and from that hour until the in
terval of decided lull the elements raged
with ferocity. It was at the early stage
of this increased fury that the arc-light
wires, having borne the continuous onset
of some twelve hours, yielded to the
strain upon them, and one after another
went down from their fastenings.
Wherever they fell upon or across other
lines, luminous comiscations and often
resplendent flames bust upon the pe
er,liar gloom which shrouded the
air, instantly shimmering and sparkling
as though spanned by intense lightnings.
Near the Pulaski House two/wires
came in contact, and at once that vicinity
becaino vivid with light, tho display
being repeated from time to time until
one or both the cables had apparently
been burned out. Like exhibitions, from
similar cause, were frequent, on an un
usual scale at Whitaker and Bay streets,
where, however, the electrical flashes
were at times attended by detonations
more or less loud.
Throughout the area of the arc light
and electric car systems
continuous jets of illumina
tion, piercing the haze overhanging the
city, told of the tmequal struggle in
which numbers of bisecting wires had
gone down.
THE CITY IN DARKNESS.
The incandescent lights of course,
succumbed, though a manful effort was
made to prolong their service. Early in
the evening they hud ceased to shine, but
later they again, but fitfully, responded.
At, 10 o’clock they went into eclipse for
the night.
The clang of the fire bells also punc
tuated the event of the contact and proba
ble burning out of tho electric cables.
Taking the account of these mishaps as
told in the weird toll of the bells and the
rattle of tho telephone, it is con
clusive that the damage and
losses to the varied systems in the
city must have been very great. Noth
ing can bo told as yet of the injuries to
tho general telegraph lines, since tho area
of the storm is unascertained. That tho
losses will foot up largely as to the item
of wires alone, may be inferred from the
severity and duration of the hurricane at
this point, and which probably fell with
equal force upon other near by cities.
KILLED BY A FALLEN WIIiE.
A colored barber named Louis Gagnett)
was instantly killed last night about 10
o’clock by coming in contact with a live
wire of the City and Suburban’s Hue at
Abercorn and Bryan streets, which had
fallen within a few feet of the ground.
He was walking down Bryan street
with a companion, William Mulherin, to
wards his home about that time, and
those who saw them say that both were
intoxicated.
A man who was standing at Bryan and
Abercorn streets, near Peacock, Hunt A
Co.'s warehouse, said he saw tho men as
they passed him, and he warned them not
to attempt to cross the street, as the
wires were down, and electric sparks and
fire were playing about tho fuffen wires
with unusual frequency and intensity.
BURNED TO DEATH BY THE CUHRENT.
The men, howover, did not heed the
warning, or at least Gagnett did not, but
went straight ahead across the street un
til ho met the wire which dealt him
death. Mulherin avoided the wires and
got across all right.
Gagnett, the man who was killed, un
mindful of the warning tottered on across
the street. The wire was down within
two or three feet of the street
and the man who witnessed the
accident said that Gagnett stumbled on
the first rail of the car track and in fall
ing forward his chin struck the wire, and
he carried it down with him as he fell.
Gagnetfs chin was burned almost to a
crisp. In striking the wire he had turned
a little to one side and the wire crossed
both his chin and his left shoulder, burn
ing down into his shoulder for an inch or
more. The lower half of his face was un
recognizable. He had evidently been in
stantly killed by the current, which was
something over 500 volts strong.
THE BODY REMOVED.
The coroner was at once notified of
Gugnett's death, and came down svith his
wagon to get the body. Gagnett’s body
was placed in the wagon and was about
to be removed, when Wm. Mulherin, ivho
was with him at the time he met death,
came up and said that he would take
charge of the body. It was then removed
to Mulheriu's house at Bryan and Aber
corn streets, which is near where the acci
dent occurred. Gagnett was a barber who
worked on Jcffersou street.
THE STREET C AH LINES.
The street ear lines held up well dur
ing the day l and a portion of the night.
The Belt Line was the first to suspend op
erations, which it did at 3 o’clock in the
afternoon. The City and Suburban rail
way’s schedule was interrupted in the
afternoon, but it resumed and continued
to. operate its cars until after 9 o’clock.
The Electric railway ran an almost unin
terrupted sehedulo during the day and up
to 10 o’clock, when it was compelled to
stop on account of the trees across the
track on Price and Duffy streets and in
other portions of the city.
Traffic on the suburban lines was in
terrupted late in the afternoon. A tree
that was blown down across the Coast Line
to Isle of Hope at Thunderbolt inter
rupted traffic on that line. The City and
Suburban Short Line from Whitaker
street to Isle of Hoi>e was also cut off in
the afternoon.
Traffic on the Thunderbolt lines was
put a stop to early in the night by trees
across the tracks. Several parties who
had gone out iu the afternoon were com
pelled to spend tlie night at Thunderbolt.
A CYCLONE TOWARDS CHARLESTON.
The passenger train on the Charleston
n and Savannah railroad arrived about an
hour and a half late last night. The
trainmen reported that at the railroad
crossing four miles out of Charleston
they encountered the debris of a cyclone
that had passed that point earlier in the
morning. Telegraph joies and fragments
of box cars littered the track and had to
be removed before the train could pro
ceed. A number of box cars that bad
been standing on a siding at
the crossing were blown some
distance from the track
and were entirely demolished. A num
ber of negroes had taken refuge from the
storm in what was left of those that were
not destroyed.
It was said that several had been killed.
but the trainmen and passengers could
not ascertain how many. It was certain,
however, that a number bad been injured,
From the evidences of the destructive
ness of tlie cyclone, the trainmen did not
doubt the truth of the report that several
deaths hud occurred.
NO TRAINS FROM TIIE WEST.
No grains came in by the Central or
South Bound railroads last night. It
was supposed that they were held up on
the roads by washouts, but all wires
were down and no information could be
obtained as to the position of tlio trains.
Much anxiety was felt by the railroad
officials. Being Sunday, however, there
were hardly any freight trains on the
lines, and only tho regular
phssenger trains were out.
Asjlieso do not proceed without or
ders it was taken for granted they had
stopped as soon as communication with tho
trainmaster’s office ceased, and arc now
laid up at tho stations along the lines
awaiting orders.
The police had a hard time of it during
the day, and a harder time last night.
The men on foot could get in the shelter
of the Avails aud houses, but the
mounted men had no choice,
except to take the full brunt
of the storm. Tho mounted men
on quarantine duty at Southover had a
particularly hard time of it.
The police reported falling trees, flying
pieces of tin rooting and falling chimneys
in every direction last night. Few ar
rests were made, only two prisoners being
brought to the barracks. Tho police
were equipped in rubber coats mid boots,
but even these could not prevent tlie
penetration of the rain forced
in by tho driving wind.
TELEPHONE WIRES ALL DOWN.
It was itnpossiblo to got a telephono
connection last night.
The telephone system was almost en
tirely disabled. Numbers of Aviros were
broken down, and still further damago
was caused by tlie burning out of cir
cuits by wires thut fell across the trolley
and electric light lines, it was a common
sight to see telephone Avires burning and
throwing out bright flashes of light,
where they had come in contact with
larger wires of the other electric compa
nies.
At Abercorn and Now Houston streets
a large tree blew down across tho wires,
breaking them from their fastenings and
throwing them across tho trolley wires.
For a few minutes electric sparks danced
around at a lively rate, the blaze being
almost as brilliant as an arc light. The
resuit of this accident was tho burning
out of two dozen or more telephones iu
the southeastern part of the city.
Tlie wires were crossed in every direc
tion aud telephonic communication south
of Liberty street was cut off as early ns
0 o’clock. Telephone wires were broken
and blown down by the wind all over tho
city. One of the telephone poles near the
gas house, carrying over fifty wires, was
broken square off in the middle, but was
supported by the wires, which remained
unbroken. After 7 o’clock it was impos
sible to get any connection whatever, the
wires being so broken down and crossed
that they were entirely unmanageable.
NOT AN INSTRUMENT WOUKINO.
Telegraphic communication from every
point was entirely cut off. Late in the
afternoon there was a connection with
Macon, Waycross and Jacksonville, but
late last night, Chief Operator Rivers
said that the only thing he could get was
an occasional tick from Brunswick. A
number of newspaper reporters were
there trying to get in yellow fever
specials, but the wind blew wires to
gether to such an extent that it was im
possible to communicate with them. La
ter on all communication was cutoff and
there was not an instrument working in
the office. The Associated Press wire
was down, it being impossible to get news
reports from any point.
The Central and S., F. and W railroad
wires were down at various points, which
greatly interfered with their train ser
vice.
FOUR BARKS ASHORE.
Tlie wind and waves played havoc with
tho Ships at quarantine. There wpre
nine barks and barkentines there last
night. Most of them wero tied up at the
wharves. Others, however, were an
chored out to one side of the channel, and
they got the worst of it.
During the afternoon the Norwegian
barks Loyal and Linden, Captains Gre
gerson and Aaronson. the British barken
tine, Capt. IJavies, and the Italian bark,
ErcoLe, Capt. Califano, which were an
chored near the upper quarantine
station, were blown and washed up
into tlie marsh. They were lying there
late in the afternoon floundering and en
tirely helpless. They were in waiter, and
of course partially afloat, but when the
heavy tide subsides they will be high and
dry in the marsh.
Just exactly where they were located
could not be ascertained la3tnight. as the
telephone line to tho quarantine station
was blown down before 0 o'clock in the
afternoon. Twelve years ago the reve
nue cutter Boutwell, during the storm of
1881, was blown up in tlie marsh, and it
cost the government $3,000 to get her out.
The occupants of the vessel did what
they could to secure and anchor them and
then went down to the quarantine sta
tion, where Dr. Graham took care of them
during the remainder of the storm.
BAILING OUT THE WATER.
Late in the afternoon before the storm
had reached its highest pitch Dr. Gra
ham reported that the water was |>our
ing into his house and office at every con
ceivable creiice. Everybody was kept
at work bailing it out as fact as it came
in.
The water was up over the quarantine
wharves and they were almost afloat.
Everything was drenched and tho other
vessels anchored there were in imminent
danger of being torn from their fasten
ings. Everything possible was done to
make them secure, bet whether any of
them wore blown ashore or damaged at a
later hour than 0 o'clock in the afternoon
could not be ascertained, as tlie quaran
tine telephone wire had blown down and
there was no possible way of getting
communication with tlie officials. So fur
ns could be learned, however, no ono
there received any injury.
SMALL CRAFT LIKELY LOST.
Whether any of the fishing smacks or
small craft that wont out in the morning
were blown ashore or lost could not be as
certained. Dr. Graham telephoned that
his honse was shaking as if it were a leaf,
and that the water was pouring in
though the roof.
There were nine vessels in all at the
quarantine station yesterday. The Por
tugese bark Audacia, Capt. Ferreira; the
British bark Mexico, Capt. Moncrief, aud
the British barkentine Gencsta, Captain
Davies, were tied up to the wharf, the
others being anchored in tlie stream. The
following are the names of other vessels
anchored in the stream, no further re
ports being received as to their positions:
Norwegian bark Harold, Capt. Christen
sen, and the Norwegian bark Elma, Capt.
Tonnesen.
MOVEMENTS OF TnE VESSELS
There urea number of vessels due at
this port, all of which have been in the
storm. The City of Savannah, Captain
Savage, sailed from Boston Thursday,
and was due to arrivo last night, hut no
rojiort of her was recelvod.
The Wm. Crane, Captain Peters, sailel
from Baltimore on Friday and was also
due last night. Shp was in the tnidst of
the hurricane. No roport of her was re
ceived.
The sohooner Island City, Captain Voor
hoea, sailed with a cargo of lumber for
Baltimore last Monday and has not been
reported arrived. The schooner Harry
B. Ritter, Captain Peterson, also sailed
for New York on Monday.
The Norwegian bark Mod, Captain
Gabrielsen, sailed last Tuesday for Ham
burg with a cargo of naval stores. She
probably escaped tho storm.
The schooner Three Sisters, Captain
Simpkins, sailed for Philadelphia Tues
day witii u cargo of lumbor, und has no
doubt encountered the storm.
The schooner Ida Lawrence, Captain
Campbell, sailed Tuesday with a cargo of
lumber for Philadelphia iu company with
tho Three Sisters.
The Norwegian bark Mod, Captain
Nielson, sailed for London, on Thursday
with a cargo of naval stores.
The schooner, Jennie Thomas, Captain
Young, sailed Thursday, for Baltimore.
Her cargo consisted of lumbor.
The schooner Leonard A. Burnham
cleared with a cargo of lumber on last
Thursday for Portland, Me., und wont to
Tybee and anchored until Friday after
noon, when she put to sea.
The schooner Lelia Smith cleared
Thursday Avith a cargo of lumber for
New berg. She went as far as Tybee,
where she anchored and has remained
there awaiting the storm to pass.
The steamship Decatur H. Miller,
Capt. Billups, was apjwinted to sail for
New York yesterday morning, but re
mained at her wharf on account of tho
storm.
The tug Theckla came up from the
quarautlne station about noon to get out
of the storm.
The tug Leon broke away from her
moorings at Jones’ wharf on the opposite
side of the river about 4 o’clock, and
drifted across the river against Murphy's
wharf, foot of Houston street, where she
was made fast.
The steamer Ethel arrived from Au
gusta about 1 o'clock and lay at her
wharf during the storm.
The steamship Tallahassee, Capt. As
king, started from this port on last Fri
day aud was due at New York yesterday.
The Dessoug, Capt. Edwards, sailed for
Philadelphia on Friday, and was due to
arrive at her destination yesterday.
PUT BACK FOR HARBOR.
The Naooochec, which was to have left
yesterday morning ut 5 o’clock for New
York, went down the river and got out to
sea, but Capt. Smith, who has had many an
experience with tlie storm-tossed ocean,
saw the black clouds in the horizon and
knew tnat they presaged a cyclonic dis
turbance. He had just had a lively ex
perience with a storm of a
similar nature on last Wednesday,
an account of Avhicli was gh f en in
Saturday’s Morning News. Rather than
buck tho norther, he turned about and
headed again for the mouth of the Savan
nah river. He came up to Venus Point
where he anchored securely behind one
of the jetties to await the passage of the
vale. He will probably go out this morn
ing when the disturbance has entirely
subsiden.
Tlie Atlantic Contracting Company
dredge boats, which were doing work
upon Tybee knoll, were brought up tho
river at the first warning, of the storm
and anchored at Venus Point.
The William Crane, from Baltimore,
and the City of Savannah, from Boston,
were due late last night. They probably
struck tlie storm somewhere south of Hat
fceras, ar.d like tlie Naroochee and the Mil
ler, which struck last Wednesday’s storm,
hours or more.
At the first warning of the storm early
in the day all the tug bouts and pilot
boats on the river headed direct for the
Central railroad slip, where they went
to seek a safe harbor during the passage
of the flow.
THE STORM RENEWED.
The storm ceased entirely shortly after
midnight and for nearly an hour there
was a period of entire calm. The moon
rose and everything was as bright as day
almost.
Observer Smythe of the weather bu
reau, who was in the Morning News
office at midnight, stated that the barom
eter had fallen and was again rising, and
predicted as a consequence that the wind
I DAILY HO A YEAR I
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would be blowing as heavily as before
within another hour. Observer Stay the’s
prediction was finally realized. The
wind raged furiously from 11:90 o’clock
uutil tlie time of going to press this morn
ing. Tho wind veered around from the
northeast to the south, however. It car
ried away tho last remaining portion of
the Morning News skylight.
RUIN TO THE RICE.
Nobody will suffer heavier losses by the
storm than the rice plantors. The
damage to the planters of Georgia and
South Carolina by the storm will mount
high up into the thousands. The rice
crop of this section was said
to be very fine*and the harvesting had just
begun. Tlie greatest losses will fall upon
tho planters nearest tlie coast, where tho
plantations are undoubtedly flooded by
tho salt water.
The disastrous effect of the salt water
upon the rieo at this season is well known
to every ono having any acquaintance
witii the rice business.
All tho planters will suffer heavy losses
from tlie beating down of tho rice by the
wind and rain aud the shelling out of the
ripe graiu. The new rice would have bogun
to arrive at the mills in considerable quan
tities this iveek had it not been for the
storm. The harvesting of tho crop will
probably be delayed at least a week as
the result of the storm.
IN THE HEART OF THE CITY.
Along Bull street and throughout tho
residence section of tho city from Brough
ton street south, to tho park, the effects
of tho storm were chiefly visible in the
debris, which covered the streets, of the
twigs and limbs of trees, with numerous
large branches *nd every few yards full
grown trees blown across tho streets and
sidewalks. Tho eastern portion of the
park looked as if more than a cyclone had
struck it. Several of tlie largest
trees at tlie northeastern end were
blown flat on the ground.
One large tree was blown over on top of
the summer house, but did not crush it
in. Soveral trees wero blown down along
Drayton street.
Tlie storm just got in its worst work
among the trees late in tho afternoon and
after dark. By 8 o’clock tho north side
of Liberty street from Abercorn to East
Broad was rendered impassable, several
large trees falling directly across the
road way.
The largo tree standing on the corner of
Habersham and Liberty streets broke off
about 15 feet from tlie ground and fell
directly across tho street.
The same tiling occurred in front of
Reid’s drug store on Abercorn street.
IN TIIE SOUTHERN SECTION.
South of the park tho streets were a
mass of debris. Thousands of branches
and limbs of trees littered the sidewalks,
uutil they wore almost impassable. The
storm was not as severe there as it was
in the northern part of the city, nearer the
river, where the wind had full sweep from
the open country, and blew with terrific
force. Up to 9>30 or 10 o’clock the damage
was principally the uprooting and blow
ing down of trees and the demolishing of
fences.
At 10 o’clock, when tlie full force of
the storm came, people wbo, up to
that time had been hoping that the worst
was over, began to fear the end. Nearly
all the houses in the southern section are
frame, and, while they will stand earth
quakes, they ure not like the solid brick
structures in the central part
of tho city and they shook
and rattled like boxes. Roofs were torn
loose, windows were blown iu and thou
sands of dollars’ worth of property was
damaged.
HARDLY A nOUSE ESCAPED.
Hardly a house escaped, and in soma
the loss will foot up hundreds and per
haps thousands. In almost every block
fences were torn down, and in some in
s anees the posts were lifted completely
out of the ground and carried away.
Duffy street along the line of tlie elec
tric railway was strewn with trees, and
although travel was kept up for awhile,
it was with great difficulty. From Gas
ton street to Anderson, and as far out on
the extension as trees are planted the
ground was thick with branches.
In Laurel Grove hundreds of trees were
bereft of their foliage, and in many in
stances the trunks were stripped bare.
Huge oaks were blown in every direction
and the moss was cleaned from the limbs
as if it had never grown there.
TREES UPROOTED EVERY WHERE.
As the storm increased in severity re
ports were brought in that the young
trees in all the eastern section of the city
were twisted up by the
roots. it will be possible to place
many of these in position again, but the
damage from this source alone will cost
the city a considerable sum. The general
estimate of the number of trees down in
the whole city at 8 o’clock was over 400
and between 8 o’clock and midnight fully
as many more fell.
The damage to roofs of houses in the
residence section early in the night was
not so apparent as in the business portion
of the city. The great damage at first
was caused by leaks in
roofs. Many families had to
to contend with flooded bed rooms. The
night was not a comfortable one to many
people in the residence section.
0 BSERVER SMYTH’S REPORT.
He Declares Yecterday’s Storm the
Greatest Savannah Has Ever
Known.
Velocity of the wind, 73 miles an hour;
barometer, 38.31; total raiufall, 5.17
inches. Obser7er Smyth of the weather
bureau says yesterday's storm was, in
his opinion, the greatest Savannah has
ever experienced. The wind reached, a
velocity of 70 miles an hour at 11:45 p. m.
The wind was from the northeast. Dur
ing the day the velocity of the wind was
54 miles an hour.
KiBOMETEB.
Observer Smyth says that the barome
ter fell lower than ever before recorded
in the United Stutes. At Ba. m, it was