Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1874 — A Fearful Hurricane—How a Famil Was Saved. [ARTICLE]

A Fearful Hurricane—How a Famil Was Saved.

Charleston, S. C.,was recently visited by a very heavy and destructive gale, by which damage to the amount of over $250,000 was done to shipping in the harbor and wharves and buildings on the shore. An entire family came near being swept away, with their home, in the heavy seas caused by the storm. The particulars of their narrow escape is thus described in the Charleston News and Courier: “ At nine o’clock a messenger arrived at the main guard-house with the news that the frail bridge leading to the bathinghouse had been swept away, and that the bathing-house itself, with its owner and his Jamily, who were in it, were in immi. nenx peril. The news spread like .wildfire, and in a short time hundreds of excited spectators had assembled on the battery to satisfy themselves as to the truth of the report. The gale at this time (ten o’clock) was absolutely furious; a terrible hurricane hurling huge masses of water over the high battery and rolling breakers breast-high along the south walk. The garden was fully four feet under water, presenting a clear sheet from East to South Battery. But all eyes were turned from the scene of devastation immediately around them to a point of more thrilling interest. The bathinghouse, cut off' as it was from all communications with the land, was rocking on its foundation, and it was at once seen that every effort must be made, without delay, to rescue the unfortunate inmates. ‘These were Mr. McManmon, his wife and two children, and a young man who occupied one of the rooms. -mr- —- The first attempt was made by a number of colored fishermen and policemen, headed by Mr. H.Nott Parker, the stroke oar of the Palmetto boat crew. A yawl boat was procured from the numbers usually moored around Moreland’s wharf, and with twenty-five or thirty volunteers the leaders dragged the long and anxiously looked for boat through water which was quite sufficient to float her across the garden to the spot immediately opposite the bathing-house on the south walk. The bridge in its fall had torn away a considerable portion of the masonry, and the sea soon increased the rent to a wide gap. This was deemed a favorable point from which to launch the craft, and so, with the hundreds of hands which were now ready and willing to asdaring spirits in their perilous venture, the boat was launched at an opportune moment, and five men, two policemen, two fishermen and Mr. H. N. Parker threw themselves into her, seized the oars and made strenuous efforts to head for the bathing-house. A line had been attached to the stern of the yawl tb draw her into shore in case of swamping, This piece of precaution was the cause of the first failure, for the men intrusted w ith the rope, when it was seen by every one that the boat could not be managed with the strain of the line on her stern, refused to let go until the boat had been borne too far to leeward, and nothing was left for the crew but to keep her bow to the breakers, and let her drift on with the surf and currnet. They effected a landing under the lee of the battery wall without serious difficulty. The situation now began to look desperate. The bathing-house trembled at every fresh gust of w r ind, and the mountain-likebillows were hurled as so many battering-rams with merciless rapidity against the crumbling foundation. Previous to thisthe little tug Relief had hove in sight, and her Captain made heroic efforts to rescue the inmates of the rapidly falling house. The little vessel breasted the storm gallantly, pitching and rolling in the heavy sea to an alarming extent, and every time she made an attempt to round to the gale she was mercilessly beaten back, and in a short time she faded from sight like a phantom ship in the mist and rain, driven at a frightful speed. The failure of the tide to relieve the inmates of the house, and the fruitless effort of the yawl boat crew, tended to increase to a fearful pitch the excitement of the crowd. An unusually heavy blast of wind together with an enormous wave at this time stove in the rear portion of the doomed house; the shattered timbers swayed hesitatingly for a moment, and then came down with a crash, strewing the waters far and wide with the debris. The inmates, who had remained remarkably calm and quiet up to this time, now showed unmistakable signs of alarm. Mrs. McManmon with her two little children presented a heartrending sight as they stood at the open window with arms outstretched, supplicating that relief which it seemed the crowd was powerless to render. The next effort that was made was to heave a line across by means of which the family might be dragged ashore; but this too proved unavailing, and the lead, hurled by an arm inured to the task, was blown aside like a feather by the angry wind. The house now rose and sank with every sw ell, and every one looked with straining eyes, momentarily expecting to see it swept away into, the boiling waters. The crowd hadby this time/ increased nearly: to. 1,000 persons, and it will give an idea of the terrible interest that prevailed when it is recollected that the waves were rolling knee deep over the battery walks. The rain, driven by a perfect hurricane, came dowrn in torrents, bruising th’e hands and face like hailstones, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the strongest could stand up against the gale. Yet, in spite of all this, the crowd constantly grew larger, and men avowed themselves willing and ready to ; swim the seething chasm, but this risk ! was not thought expedient •as yet. Another boat launch was "proposed, and | a boat belonging to Mr. Vanderhorst just refitted and iff thorough repair, was i soon, by the aid of a large crowd of vojj unteers, floated across the garden to the point opposite the bathing-house from 1 which the previous attempt had been I madp The meri’whd offered themselves | for the risky voyage were Mqssrs. H. Nott Parker, John Itoper, D. Todd, a eolj ored • policeman, and a fisherman—name j unknown. The boat was launched, and ! the brave men threw themselves into the 1 seething waves to watch foT ,a favorable

moment to board. Two had succeeded in getting in, when a tremendous swell striking the boat on the broadside immediately filled her with water, ahd the next moment she was seen bottom upward and half crushed, being borne swiftly to leeward on the crest of a wave. At first not a sign could be seen of the crew, but iff amoment more a head appeared, then another, and as the next wave, foaming angrily, came rushing along, it bore the two colored men ana Mr. Todd within reach of the hundreds of hands, umbrellas and sticks which were eagerly held forth for their rescue. In another moment these three were drawn dripping and half suffocated from the water. Mr. John Roper rose next, and appeared to be laboring to keep himself up. A stream of blood from his head soon (explained that he was hurt, and probably half stunned. The next wave fortunately bore him within reach of an umbrella handle, and by the aid of this he was soon dragged on shore. Mr. Parker was now the only remaining one, and all eyes were eagerly fixed upon the water w etching for his appearance. After what seemed an age of suspense he rose, and with a vigorous stroke he, too, managed to get close enough to catch a friendly hand. The crowd, who had hartlly seemed to breathe during this period, were now relieved of one anxiety, and again turned their attention to the tottering house. James McManmon, the son of the proprietor of the bathing-house, came rushing to the scene half-frantic, and declaring that he would swim across to save his mother. He was prevented from doing this only by force. At this moment, however, another hero appeared on the scene, a young man by the name of Harry Hansen, of the United States buoy tender. Without the least hesitation or fear of failure he fastened a line to his waist and jumped over into the flood, and, breasting the waves, he gallantly battled his way across, and safely reached the door of the bathing-house. A rope was then pulled over, together with a number of life-preservers, and the brave fellow started on a return trip with one of the children in his arms. This trip was also made with success, and the little girl, barring the quantity of salt water she had swallowed, was none the worse for it. The wind now, as if by magic, lulled to almost a calm, and just at this auspicious moment two boats were launched, manned and successfully landed at the bathing-house. All the inmates were now safely brought over amid the cheers Of the, multitude. With equal suddenness the wind/; started up again, but now from a quarter directly opposite to that which it had been blowing, and for a half hour continued with fearful force. This sudden change brought down the left wing of the house, and a few minutes later the right wing sank back and settled four or five feet under water.