The daily gazette., 1878-10-29
FOURTH EDITION
League Island Overaewed.
DAMAGE DONE TO THE NAVAL STATION
By THE RECENT STORM
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PHILADELPHIA, Oct. %.
The United States naval station at
LEAGUE Island, near Philadelphia, suf-
fered very severely by the terrible storm
of Wednesday last. LEAGUE Island is
low and m rshy piece of malarlal
made ground at the junctl on of the
Schuylkill and the Delaware rivers, about
two miles below the built-up portion of
Philadelphia, and separated from the
city by an outskirt known as"the Neck"
occupied by small market-gardners,
truckers and fishermen. The Neck is all
low ground, and during Wednesdays
freshet was completely covered with
water. Many of the residents here were
rescued with difficulty from their second
story windows by men in boats. Large
amounts of property were swept away,
dwelling houses and furniture destroyed,
crops ruined, and pig-, cows. goats aad
other hive stock were killed by the score.
The water is only ju st sub iding now,
leaving behind it a scene of ruin and
desolation which will entail much suffer-
ing among the poor population of the
| Neck.
DAMAGE ON THE ISLAND.
/ The causeway connecting League Is
| land with this part of the city on the
south wat entirely submerged, and even
As late as Saturday last II was still und"r
water. The island is surrounded by the
embankment or sea wal faced with stone
and about eight feet in height. On the
Delaware front. near the mouth of the
| Schuylkill, are two large breaks in this
wall, each about fifty feet long. On the
| Schuylkill front are four or five other
breaks OF about forty feet each on the
Back Channel, between the neck and
the island seventy-ive feet of wall is
washed away, and on the upper end of
the island are several more bad wash
outs These embankments were torn
away by surf that Is described as bling
magnificent and altogether unprecedent-
ed IN This part of the river, removed, as
II is, 100 mills from the ocean. Nearly
the whole island was delugt d by the flood
of waters which broke down the wall.
! The force ufthe wind on the island be-
tween seven and eight o'clock in the
morning is described as simply terrific.
A bout half-past seven O'clock the large
| shiphouse, which was formerly AT the old
navy yard, was blown down falling with
tremendous crash and with such force
that there is hardly a solid piece of tim
Der left. Fortunately no one was in or
near the building at he time, and no one
was hurt. Several boats which were
slowed away there were of course COM
pletely demolished Several of the other
temporary buildings were somewhat
udmaBcu, put uOJ 10 anV serious extent
All the permanent buildings are unin.
Jured. None OF the shipping at the yal d
was damaged, hut the strain on the
wharves was very heavy.
The break in the wall which resulted In
the freshest did not take place until after
ten o'clock when the gale had begun tC
ahate. Scattered about the island are
number OF houses teDanted by officers
subordinates, clerks, foreman, gardeners
lab"rer., and watchmen employed at the
yard. When it became evident that til,
sea wall must give way there was little
time to rescue TIE women and children
n these houses from their grt at danger
| for the island was then covered wifi
! water, and boats had TO be resorted to
Fortunately everybody was got out il
safety-in some cases not until the lowe
floors Of the houses were submerged
The only one of the buildings on tn,
island that se' ms to have escaped iniur,
IS the house of the range-light keeper a
the west end
1 The losses at the island by the win,
1 and the water will reach over $50, ,OOO
5 The ship house blown down will cost owe
, $4,000 to replace; the embankmeut |.
damaged TO the extent of SIS, 900, and tn,
other buildings and furniture are in
jured fully $4,000.
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