The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-08-27
COMPLETELY WRECKED.
More About the Great Storm in
Charleston, S. c.
The Streets of the City Present a
Scene of DesoIation.
Property Valued at over One Million
Dollars Destroyed.

AUGUSTA, Ca, Aug. 16. - Yesterdays
storm in Charleston was a cyclone in the
proper sense of the term. The wind was %
miles an hour at half-past in the morning
increasing to 35, 40 and 50,which was reached
about in the morning, and finally running
up to Is or so miles an hour. The northern
edge of the cyclone touched Charleston, and
completed its passage in 40 minutes The
streets OF Charleston were more desolate at
the end of two hours than after the bonn
bardment during the war. The storm COM
menced properly at daylight, from the south
east, with frequent quits. As early as 6
O'Clock, the roof of st. MichaePS church was
stripped; at a. M, the apparatus on the
roof of the signal office and the flagstaff and
weather vane were demolished. The last OBJ
serYation before the climax of destruction,
recorded the wind at 6S miles an hour. The
fire bells tolled atintervalS, indicating breaks
in the alarm wires. The water in the river
came over the granite wall on the battery,
breaking aagstones and washing away the
railing, and tons of sea water were hurled in
upon handsome residences, breaking the
windows and smashing the doors. AT s
o'clock the slate roof of the county court
clone was about o'clock But single shed
is standing on one wharf, and everything is
in ruins at the wharves. At 9 o'clock there
was a sudden lull, but soon the gale increas-
ed and continued till l o'clock, when the
great storm of 1885 was over Hundreds of
Wharves this season, putting them in order.
The water front on Cooper river suffered the
most. The commercial wharves were COM
pletely wrecked, and half a dozen yachts, two
pilot boats and dredging machine were
sunk.
Boyce's wharf was wrecked; four piers
and sheds of Atlantic wharf were blown
down and damaged; the Cotton Exchange
building was also damaged; Kerr'S wharf
was demolished; the damage to Central
lnl1 fNNrlg vrf
was heavily damaged. The steamers of Sui
livan's Island Ferry Company met with seri-
Gus damage. Four piers and three sheds of
the Union wharf were swept away The
brig "Frehelt' sank here; the naval store
Wharves were damaged; the Norwegian
bark ''Medbor, lost her masts and bow in
the harbor; several other vessels were blown
ashore and badly damaged.
The wharf at Castle Pinckney was carried
away. Steamer Delaware, from New York,
Saturday, came in all right last night. She
reports fearful storm at sea. Pleasure
boats on Rutledge street lake were piled up
on the nerthern shore in confused mass of
broken hulks. Along the Ashley river there
were many casualties to shipping, vessels be-
ing grounded all along the river. Two sloops
have not yet been found. The convent of
the Sisters of Mercy was seriously damaged,
being unroofed, and colored church in
CrOmwelPs alley was completely demolished.
In Franklin street large tree was riven in
three parts from top to bottom, but remained
standing. The whole street is now barri-
caded with fallen trees. The South Battery
was the scene of great confusion and dam
age to shipping. Streets were flooded with
water, and craft of all descriptions were
washed ashore and were floating in the
streets at high tide. The fshermen's boats
were destroyed. and the wharVes piled high
with incongruous wrecks.
The northwestern and central portions of
the city suffered slight damage compared
with that along the water 'front.' though the
entire portion of the CITY west of Rutledge
avenue, was submerged with salt water from
one to three feet deep, and i'll many cases
covering the first floor of the houses. The
spire of Citadel Square Baptist church, one
of the highest in the city, was blown across
the four story dwelling of Thomas Dotterir,
cutting away the piazza and front walls and
leaving the interior of the dwelling exposed
to the storm Plymouth church on Pitts
street, was also completely unrOOfed. st.
Phillips street synagogue was also unroofed.
The church Home in Lawrence street, was
badly damaged and the Avery Institute un-
rooted Trinity Methodist Episcopal church
in Hazel street, and the chapel of the citadel
were unr0ofed. Mount Zion Presbyterian
church (colored) in Calhoun street, was un-
rooted and badly wrecked. About mile OF
railroad track was blown up, and the freight
depots were badly damaged. Two sloops
were blown out Of the water across the
tracks Of the South Carolina railroad, and
wharves and marine storehouses were un-
rooted and heavily damaged. One building
was thrown on its side and fl0ated a hundred
yards into the marsh at Sullivan's Island
Many houses were damaged to a greater OF
less extent, and the Casino was lifted entire.
| ly from its foundations and dashed to the
ground.
On Charleston's fayoritc promenade, the
East Battery, the ground floors of the resi-
dences were from three to six feet under wa
ter, and handsome gardens were covered
deep with Sedge. The sea rose so rapidly as
to have the appearance of a tidal wave
Steamer Monticello, of the Florida line, en-
c0untered the gale "a hours before she
sage, but is not injured. News concerning
the crops is meagre, but the rice factories be
lieye the rice crop is not damaged much
| There is no doubt, however, but the cottoI
crop on the Sea Islands is seriously damaged
| The coastWise steamer ST. Helena is ashore
at Martins Point, Eand a canal will have tt
be cut to get her off
| The News and Courier of Charleston
makes the following rough estimate of losses
| On wharf property, $350.000; private proper
| ty, 100000: cotton presses, $4,000: churches
| $4,000; city property streets and parks
$4,000; railroads, $4,000; Ashley river
| bridge, $4,000; shipping, $150,000; lumbe
mills, $4,000; miscellaneous, 100000; total
| S1,123,000.
SAVANNAH, Ga, Aug 26.-The italian
| Orig AraSO, from brunswick, Ga, wa
wrecked off the coast in Mondays storm, ant
the captain, his wife and nine of the crev
were taken off the wreck by the brig Emmi
Ernst and brought to this city today. TIL,
| Arago was lumber laden. The steamship
| Tom Lawrence, from Baltimore, reached
| this port this morning, after losing over
| board all the trunks of the passengers and
| all the cargo between decks, part bein
| swept away and part being thrown ever
board to tighten the vessel. The secont
mate of the steamer Baltimore was wash
! ed overheard and lost. The vessel had tel
| feet of water in her hold, and her fires wer
! out for twelve hours. The loss financially
! very heavy, but the amount is unknown.