The Portland daily press., 1888-11-29
THE DAMAGE ON SEA AND SHORE.
Steamer Nacoochee Wrecked on the
Treacherous Southern Coast.
Something About the Onslaught on
the New Jersey Beaches.
More Maine Vessels Which Were our
In the Gale.

New YORK, Nov 29.-The anxiety Of the
managers of the Ocean Steamship Company.
of Savannah, concerning the overdue
steamer Chattachoochee, of that line. was
allayed early yesterday by a dispatch saving
that the Chattachoochee In company with
the steamship Mars, had put into Newport
News for coal and to escape the fury of the
storm. Scarcely had this welcome news
been received. however, before a message
from the Maritime Exchange was delivered
to Mr.. Walker, the agent Of the company.
stating that the Nacoochee. the sister ship
of the Chattachoochee,h had gone ashore in the
storm on the dangerous North Carolina
coast. about seven miles south of Cape
Hatteras. The additional information that
the officers, crew and passengers were safe
was all that the agent could learn. Mr.
Walker secured the services of the Merritt
Wrecking Company. which has a station on
the Hatteras coast, and whatever assistance
can be afforded the vessel will be at hand
promptly. But knowing the character of the
coast where she lies. Mr.. Walker Is not over
hopeful OF saving the ship. He said yester-
day that Captain Theodore Catherine, who
commanded the Nac0ocnac, was an expert
enced ma vigator. thoroughly familiar with
the nature of the NeIth Carolina coast and
that he had made a great many trips in the
steamer. For ten days 1t had been blowing
great guns" off Hatteras, and the storm
which succeeded in driving him ashore must
have been terrific.
The Nacoochee left Savannah on Friday
with a crew of forty-one men and a limited
number of passengers. She carried miscel-
laneous but valuable cargo, principally cot
ton, plg-iron and oranges. The vessel and
cargo are worth about 100000, and both are
insured. The Nacoochee is an iron screw
steamship OF 5000 tons. aud was built about
seven years ago by john Roach, at Chester,
Penn. The City Of Augusta is due from
Savannah today. She will probably take the
regular sailing date of the Tallahassee,
which was to have sailed on Saturday, but
which was so damaged in the narbor of
Savannah by a collision with the City Of
Macon that she had to put back for repairs.
The New Jersey coast between Sandy
Hook and Point Pleasant is strewn with tim
bers, parts of bulkheads and buildings that
have been wrecked by the fearful storm and
gales since Sunday. Great inroads have been
made in the high bluff south of Ocean Pier
and the concrete bulkhead in front of the
Mansion House has been completely swept
away. A strip of the bluff about 100 feet
IN lenghth and twenty wide between the
Mansion House and United States Hotel has
disappeared. The telegraph and telephone
wires are all down and no communication
can be had with other points Between
North Long Branch and SeabrighI the bluff
has been washed out from % to so feet and
many bulkheads have been demolished. Sea-
bright is surrounded with water and and the
residents are compelled to use rowboats and
skitfs to travel from place to place. The
water is from one to two feet deep and the
lower floors of all the houses are flooded.
The tracks of the New Jersey Southern
railroad have been undermined at various
places along the Shrewsbury river, so that
trains cannot be run. 1t is estimated that
the damage at Long Branch and Seabright
and vicinity will exceed S150,000.