The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-12-19
BY STORM AND FIRE.
number Of Oyster Boats Capsizsd On
the Chesapeake Bay, and Forty Sailors
Drowned-Three Young Girls Perish in
Burning Candy Factory at Detroit,

Number of Oyster Boats Capsizsd on
the Chesapeake Bay, and Forty Sailors
Drowned-Three Young Girls Perish in
Burning Candy Factory at Detroit,
Mich.
BALTIMORE, Nd, Dec 13.-The first In
formation of terrible loss IF life during the
storm OF Tuesday night on the Rappahat,
mock River and the lower bay was received
here yesterday upon the arrival of this
steamer Mason L. Weems, whose Off
GERS gave brief particulars Of the
catastrophe. The victims were, for
the most part, colored men, who were
longing for oysters in the Kappa
hammock when the gale burst upon them.
The wind blew hurricane and the waves
quickly rose to a height of twenty or thirty
feet, tossing the small canoes, in which
the men were clinging, like cockle-shells.
The loss is estimated as high as forty, and
seventeen dead bodies have already been
recovered.
Up to noon the weather had been per-
fectly calm, and there was no indications of
the approaching hurricane until about two
O'clock when stiff breeze began blowing,
and before the occupants of the frail boats
could seek ports of safety the gale burst
over them with terrific fury. One after am
other of the canoes was swamped and the
unfortunate occupants swept away
in the turbulent waters. Many of the
men chung to the upturned boats
with desperation that only the knowl-
edge that death was staring them
in the face could give. But one by one
their strength was exhausted, and they were
engulfed. The water was freezing cold.
A few Of them-powerful swimmers man.
aged to breast the waves and swim ashore
but such instances were rare. The feet of
canoes numbered fifteen in all. The men
started from the Lancaster side to sell their
oysters. Among the party were three or
four white men. Two Of the corpses were
found near Mill Point.
The latest reports place the loss of life at
fully forty. The storm ragged f1ercest in
the lower bay and ON the Rappahannock
River. 1t approached from the northwest,
striking the lower portion of the bay. Its
track from the west Shore continued across
the bay and up the Rappahannock River,
sweeping every vessel in its wake. The
greatest loss of life occurred near AIonoskin,
on the Rappahannock River. At the time
several vessels we're hard at work and their
small craft were almost filed with oysters.
The men tried to scud before the wind. and
managed to Go so, but for few minutes
only. Many of the GOATS filed with water
and others capsized. During the storm the
people OF the village gathered along the
shore, but nothing could be done to save
the unfortunate men, and fully twenty-five
were drowned in sight Of the village.
One colored man, whose name is said to
be Hawkins, was saved by clinging to the
sidetof q capsized pungy. He was at first
supposed to be dead, but he recovered
shortly after being found. Four men were
discovered iii the Carbonon branch and
three on the MiddleseX shore of the Kappa
hammock. James Scott, colored, was
drowned by the capsizing of a canoe near
Folks wharf in Cockerill Creek, Virginia.
Incoming steamers report wrecks all
along the shore in the wake of the storm.
Captains who were in say that it was the
most severe storm they have met for many
years The wind blew at the rate of sixty
miles an hour and the waves ran fully tllir-
ty feet high. Captains of the Bay Line of
steamers say that not half the loss Of life or
of the damage done by the storm has been
reported, The tug Ehrman, of this city,
rescued Captain Zeigler and his crew OF five
men from the sloop Augustus. Two min
utes after the rescue the vessel sank
DETROIT, Mich, Dec. 13.--Shortly after
five o'clock last evening the girls em-
ployed in the second story of Gray,
Toynton & Fox's candy factory, COR
ner Of Bates and Woodbridge streets,
were terrified at"the discovery of fire
breaking out in the rear of the room where
they worked. A rush was at once
made for the front of the building for the
fire-escape. In descending the ladder one
girl fell and was slightly hurt Three were
seen standing by the window, but the
flames burst through and drove them back,
and they were not again seen until the
flames were subdued, when their bodies
were discovered lying near the window.
Their faces were burned black, but their
bodies had not been touched.
The names of the girls burned are Fran
ces Messmore, aged fourteen; Annie Lynch,
aged twenty-eight, and Ellen Colgate aged
seventeen. The loss and damage to adjoin-
ing buildings is $4,000, fully covered by in
surance. The fire originated in cellar
where there was quantity of packing ma
terials, but the cause of the fire is unknown.
There had been no fire in the cellar. Tho
Coroner impaneled jury and adjourned
until Wednesday afternoon.