Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1889 — AN AWFUL COAST STORM [ARTICLE]

AN AWFUL COAST STORM

TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION TO BEACH HOTELS AND SHIPPING. Atlantic Summer Resorts Flooded—Hotels aud Pavilions Washed Away—Fifty Lives Reported Lost from Vessels Off Lewes Del.—Work of Devastating Waves. A New York dispatch of the 11th inst. says: The great storm which has been raging along the coast continues, aud word comes from Coney island that the tide this morning was higher than last night. The guests of the Manhattan Beach and Oriental hotels were Imprisoned by water, and the West End hotel was submerged. The beach at Manhattan has been washed away. The mammouth bathing pavilion belonging to Manhattan Beach is going down before the thundering waves. The old marine railway structure was carried away early to-day and taken with an awful crash over the new marine railway fully 300 feet inland, carrying the latter away bodily and overturning and smashing cars like kindling-wood. The old Brighton Beach bathing pavilion followed it with a deafening crash and then drifted with lightning rapidity and herculeau force against the new bath house, tearing part of that away. The .Brighton Beach hotel is surrounded by over two feet of water. Fully 100 feet of the lawn in front of the hotel has been eaten away since last night and from indications early to-day it will all be gone before night. The Brighton Beach railroad is submerged. In this city spiers usually twelve feet above high-water mark have their decks washed, and East river front buildings from Fiftieth to Fourteenth street are flooded. The storm has caused great damage along the coast of Long island. At Rookaway Beach the tide reached an unparalleled height. Bathing houses were washed away and the waves broke in on the verandas of the hotels. The short stretch of railroad running between Rockaway Beach, Arverne, and Far Rockaway was submerged, a portion of it was undermined, and the trains had to lie discontinued. A bridge between Arverne and Rockaway Beach was carried away. All the small islands In Jamaica bay were coverod with water. Scarcely anything could be seen of Hog island to-day at high tide. All the buildings on the Island had been washed away. Fire Island and Oak island were cut off from all communication with the mainland by boat or telegraph. From the Babylon Bhore great waves could be seen breaking over both islands. The new Morgan line steamer Elmar has arrived from New Orleans. The storm struck her on Monday night about ona mile north of Cape Hatteras. From that time till she almost reached Sandy Hook she steamed in the teeth of a most terriflo storm. Heavy waves lashed the sides of the steamer and broke clear over her deck. At one time the waves arose clear to the top of her smokestacks, which stftgd 1 forty-five feet out of ihe water. The" smokestacks looked like gigantic frosted cakes as she came into the harbor. They were covered with salt. Capt. E. A. Hor-' tor and First Officer B. A. Benson said that the storm was the most terrible ona they have witnessed during the last fourteen years. At times they could not see the ship’s length. It was impossible to take any observations from the time Cape Hatteras was reached until the vessel arrived near the bar. The officers had to depend upon their knowledge of the course and the soundings made.

The Wisconsin and the California had similar experiences. Both secured pilot* with the greatest difficulty. The California’s lifeboat was upset and Chief Officer Knuth, two seamen, and the pilot were saved by life lines. Postmaster Chester of Sea Isle City made bis way to the mainland and reports things in very bad shape there. The sea wall which was built to protect the place from the sea has been destroyed. About fifteen houses have been washed awav, including the Hewland house, the ’ Star house, and the Shakespeare hotel. The Continental hotel, which is the largest and most important hotel there, is all right.! The Excursion house, which is directly on. the sea front, and the Surf house are said' by Mr. Chester to be in danger of destruction. He does not report any loss of life. The Townsend inlet bridge, which is a very important structure and one that it will be hard to replace, is reported to have been washed away. Many miles of railroad track have been carried away and weeks will be required to place the line* where they were before the storm. Lewes (DeL) dispatch: The loss of lifo In Delaware bay by the storm has been' almost as heavy as during the great blizzard of March, 1888. Three coal-laden schooners, the J. & L. Bryan, the Walter F. Parker, and Kate F. Morse, have sunk at Fourteen-Foot bank, and of thirty-three persons on board only two are known to bo saved. It is reported that two other schooners have gone down at the buoy, a short distance above Fourteen-Foot bunk, with all hands, on board, and if this rumor should prove true it would swell the loss of life to thirty-five. The two survivors of the wrecks are Mate Jacobson and Steward Hunter of the J. & L. Bryan, whoso experience in battling for life has probably been the most thrilling of any shipwreck that has ever occurred in Delaware bay. The men were tossed upon the angry waters all night long and drifted ashore on a hatch seventeen miles from the scene of the wreck. Advices from the Delaware breakwater say that at least two-score vessels are now beached. Both wooden piers were washed away. The beach from Rehoboth to Lewes is strewn with wrecks. It is thought at least fifty lives were lost. Men were seen clinging to the rigging of the fast sinking vessels frantically yelling for help. The life saving crew were po *erless to render assistance owning to the fury of the gale. It was a terrible sight to witness, but no human power could save them. Theirbodies were washed ashore this morning and were buried in the sand along the water. The loss to vessel property at the breakwater will reach, it is thought. $5,000,000. 8 *