Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-27
CHARLEST0N'S CYCLONE.
A TOUR IN THE PATH OF THE
WIND AND WAVES.


Along tho WhRrves-vessels Tossed
About Like Cookie shells-Toppling
over OF the steeples-streets Trans
formed into Rivers.
CHARLESTON, Aug. 26.-It was impos.
slble yesterday to telegraph an adequate
description Of the cyclone. 1t proves to
have been the most disastrous storm that
| ever visited Charleston within compar-
/ atvely few minutes.
| The injury to private residences was
very large in the aggregate, though the in.
! dividual losses were comparatively SMALL.
/ consisting chiefly of roofs and fences.
Some of the wholesale dealers, however.
lose heavily by damage to stock.
The news concerning the crops is mea.
/ gre. Rice factors believe that the rice
/ crop is not damaged much as the tide
water would scarcely reach the fields be-
fore the change in the direction OF the
wind would taxed down the river. Theirs
is no doubt, however, but that the cotton
crop on the sea islands is seriously dam
aged. The coastwise steamer st. Helena
Is ashore at Martins point, and canal
will have to be cut to get her of.
WHEN THE STORM BEGAN.
The storm tegan about 5 O'Clock. AZ
/ daylight the wind was blowing from the
southeast at the rate of about 80 milesl
! an hour. with frequent gusts reaching tO
| about 90 miles. This I'm itself was an un.
| usual feature, as most equinoctlal gales
| IN Charleston start from the northeast.
/ AZ" O'Clock the wind was pretty lively.
| The rain, which during the night had.
| fallen in torrents, had almost ceased.
Ine streets we're deserted save by the ice
nd AL 1...
/ siderable difficulty in lodging the flying
states, bricks, tiles and street sfgns,
which were whirled about in every
| direction. Even at that early hour
the streets were pretty we'll
! blockaded with tree limbs,
signs and fences. The wind began the
work OF stripping the roof OF st. Mlchaels
! Church as early as 6 o'clock. The first
states TO give away were those on the por-
! tlco, which were not exposed apparently
| 10 the greatest force OF the wind. The
huge states were ripped up by degrees,
! danced about in the air, and finally
! thrown down in the streets like so many
| profane cards. The roof of the church
| proper and that Of the court house, how
| ever, had remained uniniured.
SHOWER OF STATES AND BRICKS.
There was a shower OF falling slates
and bricks which resembled fusilade Of
| musketrY, and the creaking OF the sway
| ing and swinging tin signs OF the lawyers
| on the street formed a martial accOmpani-
ment which did not require much Of a
| stretch Of the Imagination TO convey the
/ idea Of the trumpets in a cavalry charge.l
There were very few vessels at the
docks, and these, with the exception Of q
number Of yachts, wood boats and
smacks, were riding the storm IN COM
| parative comfort, and certainly without
| any apprehension OF the serious results
4
| tin on the roofs of the various Offices and
| cotton sheds was rolled up and scattered
| like so many rolls OF paper and the waves
| angriy dashed over the pier heads and
| made mountains and valleys IN the river.
| The time OF high water was 7:28a. M, and
mariners looked anxiously at the Dar0me-
| ter and waited with patience Tor the aD-
pointed hour In the hope OF a change Of
| wind. Az Atlantic wharf the tugs Hamp-
| ton and Hercules were mOOred, together
with the steamer Silver Star and several
| pilot boats and smacks. At Z O'Clock the
| pier head on North Atlantic wharf began
TO give way, and the crew Of the Hercules
| in self-deiense We're kept busy fishing up
the floating spiies and planks which,
| threatened 10 staye hole in TIE hull Of
| their boat.
THE WRECK or THE SIGNAL OFFICE.
| About this time, too, the apparatus on.
/ the roof of the Office occupied by the.
Weather Bureau on the third floor Of the
| Carolina Savings Bank was carried away
/ The flagstaff fell first. 1t was precipita-
/ ted 10 the pavement, falling on the iron
| flooring on the north side Of the building,
| and bending several Of the bars. 1n0
/ staff, which is some twenty feet in length,
/ was broken Ia several pieces by the fall.
/ A few moments later the weather Vane
/ aud the instrument which records the We
locity Of the wind were carried away, and
/ the Office was disabled for meteorological
/ purposes. Sergt. Smiths last record in
| dicated that the velocity Of the wind was
6s miles an hour. This was before the
| climax Of the disturbance.
THE sToRAr on THE BATTERY.
During all this time the fire alarm bells
had been tolling at intervals OF about i've
minutes, every stroke Of the bells indica-
ting break in the telegraph wires. East
Battery and South Battery were praeti-
cally impassable, save In natatory way
or by means Of small boats. The water
IN the river was about level with the
granite wall OF the Battery over which
the waves flowed freely, filling the road
way below and all the yards fronting on
East Battery and many Of the streets
leading TO that thoroughfare.
Atlantic aud Water streets were under
water, aud one could not approach East
Battery through either OF those streets
without swimming. But this was not all.
Mountains Of waves, as they dashed
against the sea wall, were caught up By
the wind, aud tons Of water were lifted
into the air, and hurled against the east
fronts Of the handsome bui'dlngs which
lire the sidewalk, smashing in windows,
doors, and fences, and inundating the
lawns and gardens. The iagst0no prom
enade OF East Battery was badly broken
Up. the waves seizng large hags and
pushing them 0g 10 the opposite side OF
the street Almost The entire railing was
washed away and many gaps were made
in the embankment. The destruction was
no less complete on South Battery.
SOUTH BATTERY.
White Point garden was completely in
undated, and after the lull Ia the storm.
which occurred about O'Clock, hshlng
boats could have been easily launched
from their resting places, on south Bay,
aud as easily rowed 20 any polnton south
Battery. The damag5 10 the houses, gar
dens and lawns on this thoroughiare was
serious. Not more than two or three
houses ON either thOrOughiaro escaped.
M0st Of them were unrO0iod, either en-
tirely or In part, and All Of them suffered
some damage.