Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-11-14
The storn nj Hatteras Inlet

Tine Se0rn NJ Hattefas Inlet
The great storm and food at Hatteras
Inlet on the 1st and I'd of November was
accompanied by q terrific tempest which
drove the waves from the ocean across the
Island-halfa a mile wide-into the Sound
SO that not a spot Of land was TO be seen.
The rain fell in torrents, and the cores
pondent of the Tribnne gives the following
graphic account Of the terrors and perils
Of The scene, and of the dangers sustained,
in letter on the Sd inst:
All the lower portions of the island,
where Fort Haiteras and Clark are situa-
ted, was under water, and SO sudden was
the. .upheaving and 30 violent the storm,
that all chances of escape were cut off be-
fore the morning lighteame. 1t was ut
terlF impossible for any assistance TO reach
them from our fleet, SO terrible was this
Hatteras storm. And it was not until a
breaker swept across the island, carrying
men, tents, shanties, and every creeping
thing with it, that the soldiers were aware
of the presence of great flood. Men
were suddenly washed out of their beds
and found all their clothes what few had
uudressed) borne by the water to the
Sound. Live stock, such as pigs, chickens,
horses. cattle, dogs, cats. and coking uten-
sils, lumber, drittwood, boxes, barrels,
trunks, shanties, were carried forward, to-
gether with men on them and in them,
some ejuping out of windows, some cutting
their way through the roof, Others jump
ing off into the water, which, in many pla-
ces, was over their heads 10 depth, and
making for a box or barrel in order to reach
the roof of II shanty still stending. Off
GERS on horses were riding or swimming
through this moving mass, giving orders
to this floating army of men, who, with a
gun in one hand and with the other hang
ing on to some kind of an object kept
themselves above water. The most
mournful sight of all, however, was TO wit
ness the moving of the sick, some of whom
were in dying condition before the storm
came. They were carried on cots from
place to place on the shoulders of men
who were wading through water nearly
neck deep. 1t was also sad sigh TO wit
ness such destruction Of property. AT
the wharf where all the Government prop
erty is stored, wholesale destruction took
place. Provisions of every kind were soon
afoat-barrels of crackers, bread, sugar
.teef, molasses, beans, potatoes, fish, soap,
clothing, and in fact everything required
for an army was seen to 90 with the food,
with buildings containing them in very
dilapidated condition. The steamer
Spaulding arrived the evening before with
large load ofprovisions, clothing, lumber
&C.. and as good luck would have it, she
was unable to land but small portion of
her cargo the night she came in. Unfor
tunately there was, however, some clothing
landed for the naked Goth Indiana Reg.
Nearly half of this much-needed freight
was placed on the pier, and went with the
waves of the ocean within view of the SOL
diers who, with fearful eyes and shivering
forms, beheld this, to them, the most mel
aucholy sight of all.
About 6 o'clock this morning tho flood
was, its hight, and for two hours Col
Brown of the goth Indiana Regiment and
officers were in great suspense. 1t was |
very evident that new inlet below Fort |
Clark had been made during the night,
which entirely cut off their escape; and as
the waves were rushing into Fort Clark by |
6 in the morning, it was apparent that all
must meet with watery grave if the wa
ter continued to rise at the same rate for |
two hours to come. Fortunately, people
were spared from hearing of such horrible
,idings as was momentarily threatening
The lives of these ioyal soldiers. The storm
began to abate by a. m. this morning and
by 9 o'clock a narrow ridge of sand d-beach
was discovered above Fort Clark, which
was hailed with Id delight by the goth
Indiana Regiment, who, but few mia
utes before, were making preparations to
save themselves, if possible, from fearfnl
fate. By noon the tide had gone down
and left quite little spot for tie half
drowned and exhausted men TO walk upon
and build some camp-fires, which enabled
them to cook a scanty meal from what few
fragments of provisions had been rescued
from the water. Whata sight TO behold
All was devastation and ruin; the entire
camp was made desolate. Several feet
of sand are taken from the surface of the
island, leaving il in such a condition that
it is sure to be under water as often as the
tide comes up.
Between Fort Clark and Hatteras, n
new inlet, some six feet deep, was formed
during thenight, and now it is vast
sheet of waite! between the two Forts.-
Fort Hatteras now stands isolated from
the land, and will be swept entirely away
in the next severe storm, its sandy walls
having already commenced to crumble--
In fact it is thought that the next severe
storm (which is liable to visit this region
any day., will level both forts, Clark and
Hatteras. understand that the Confed-
crates only built them for summer use, ex-
pecting they would be swept away before
Spring, which accounts for using the cheap
material with which the Forts are con-
structed. This sweeping flood makes good
the prediction of the Confederates when
we took possession of their treacherous and
mysterious peninsula. They said we