Smyrna times., 1878-10-30

no knowledge of its effects, except what {
transpired in our immediate vicinity, we I
could have but a very inadequate idea of l
the destruction accompanying it. Nothing s
will convey more accurately the force of its !
devastating power than the fact that the '
Philadelphia papers occupied six and eight I
columns of close print in narratlng its
casualties. Taking the Delaware River as
its centre, it stretched out its wings until
grasped from the Alleghanies to New
England in a broad tract across the Nation
into Canada. The velocity of the wind, GO
and at one time for few minutes, u miles
an hour, was nearly double our usual
severest storms.
We gave in our last issue a narrative OF
the happenings in our town and immediate
vicinity. Before our edition was off intel
ligence of disaster and personal loss came |
in from all sides.
COLLINS BEACH
perhaps received the severest shock from |
the wind and waves Of any other place |
along the coast. Shortly after daylight, |
while Mr.. Collins was looking out upon the
driving tempest, he saw as it were huge
wave lifted up out in the Bay, which came
with flying speed breaking over the top Of
the beach in a mighty billow, bursting open
the doors of the hotel, sweeping the ball
room, stables, pavilion, bath houses-every
thing but the hotel property, before it and
carrying them out of sight. The mighty
tide rolled on inland submerging the
country for distance of one or two miles.
In addition to the loss of his buildings and
the demolition of the new pier, Mr.. Collins
lost several cattle and a pen of fattening
hogs. Many of the shade trees were blown
down and the large stones that formed the
bluff to prevent washing, weighing three or
four hundred pounds, were thrown up and
scattered over the yard and even up in the
veranda. For two days, no access was had
to the "Hygenia House," and then 10y a
boat from the shore in response to signal
of distress. At one time the water was a foot
deep in the house, which was six feet above
the usual high tide mark. In the midst of
the storm a large steam collier, the Ratle-
snake, was driven in upon the fast land about
600 yards above the house, and if gotten off
at all must be with great difficulty. The loss
) of Mr. Collins will be between $4,000 and
$4,000, and falls heavily upon him, having
suffered considerable losses by storms the
two preceding years. In addition to his
other property Mr.. Collins had 80 tons OF
= hay, two carriages, one cart, one wagon and
! all his farm implements carried out OF
sight. VIM. II. Carr, of this town, also
had horse drowned. The low grounds all
along the river front was flooded, and re
$ suited in much destruction of cattle, hay
IS corn, &c.
n Mr.. Collins hostler, John Waltham wa.
It reported drowned, as for nearly two day.
he was missing Mr.. C. called him before
it was light to secure the stock, which were
running about lake mad, and wild will
. fright. He had got q few feet from th
= kitchen door when hathhouse flew
-e between him and the dwelling and had h
been in the direct line of its flight mus
re have been killed. The horses were gottel
Ye to a high knoll but the cattle were unman
q ageable and carried Off by the current
M In the meantime finding it was imposslbl
to return in the face of the tempest c
wind and water, he fed in the other diret
:, ton to a high point of land where he II
~ mained, as before stated, for nearly tw
~ days surrounded by water, before bein
= discovered.
O' There are four breaches in the bank
40 or so feet in length and constant
or widening, through which the tides, ebb an
as flow, forming a little bay Of the marsh
of the rear of the "Hygenia House." whic
an must remain unless these breaches al
er filled and the losses are SO great that NJ
c. is uncertain as to the future of tt
~ property. Cedar Swamp is filled wit
W. floating property, from houses furnishC
iDo supposed to be from Fort Delaware) dow
~ to chicken coops.
~ The" Hygenian House has been erect'
~ ~ 2S years, and the losses have been incons
nv quential until the three last years, VIII
'00 they have been several thousand each
these years.
les IN THORoUGHFARE NECK,
gu near this place, we hear of the followi
oL losses: John P. Collins, seven head
gu' cattle and cow-sheds blown down; Jose
re M Lightcap, head Of cattle; Robt. n. HI
VII gins, one COW and about 500 bushels of cor
on lj George Warren, on the " Listen High Ire
'hu farm, 500 bushels of corn Thos. Nicola
eet on an adjoining farm, had most of his co
hoated out of his field, but fortunat,
pie lodged on an island where lie can get
ms, Mr.. McCan is emphatic in the opini
hoe that water stood in his field where it
d. not stood before since the flood. !
ket stable on the " Atherly" farm, tenanted
rof. Isaac Macy was blown down injuring evt
the horse also the stable and cow-house on
r. farm Of Andrew Spear, tenanted by j
nth Saxton Samuel r. Warren, new CO
one house and stable 40 feet long.
Will One of the heaviest items of loss was
ard, destruction of the banks which were da
age much more by the receding than
o; incoming tide. The body Of land in
- nc ~ section overAown covers about 5000 acl
~, ~ including the Cedar Swamp Of 5000 ac
Ty 80, The tide rose three feet higher than
,S9 over been known before.
s in =, IN -, olo 80 9Ij -l'-9 -, - 80
house was washed away, but the proceed
q in go -, w. ot
1rno 1'1lo and wended her way through the darl
i Iuoei a house on the high land and thus sa
80 90 her life. A colored man living on
t' =. II property Of John 2. Collins came I
iie-n losing his family of five children. I
saw the wall of water sweeping across
n in Marsh and had scarcely left the h,
e no before it was filled four feet deep.
ught BOMBAY HOOK
i. ne &c was swept from end to end and for
u ~ past week has presented the appearance
a vast lake, the beach and banks servir
80 ~ a rim of basin to hold the water in.
oaas,,; only communication with the Island
tLIot been by boats. Persons on the west of
49, Island saw the big wave when it mou
- the beach and noted its rapid appr
'.,,oJ thinking it was fog bank, and it was
,,',oI; until they heard the angry roar of sp
n 10 ing waters that they realized the des
VI 'o ton in its wake, and fed for the main
as in a colored man varo drowned agad 2 a.
/ the vaars and hn at ono time yos ;n wat,
until 70 b;s necL This ,vas ohont three
nshed inland from tho beach Search was ,
If the ali the latter mart Of Iost week for the
ed by drowned children and On Sunday
"big eldest was found and hurried ON Mo
ected after Coroner's inquest. The body o
away youngest has not yet been found. Dur
TSs | MIL nd Of hn oh
akinp | IJ :: -: - a.,oI,