Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-09-20
NEWS SUMMARY.
CYCLONE AND TIDAL WAVE.
ConeY Island a Scene Of Desolation
and Ruin.
Many building, Destroyed.


Tho greatest tide ever experienced struck
Coney Island, on the Atlantic coast, about
six o'clock on the morning of September 10,
and the high tide aud heavy surf played
sad havoc. Every strip OF beach on the
Island was completely covered. Water
poured in volumes underneath the Manhat-
tan hotel. The great waves dashed against
the music stand and ii went down in "A few
hours. The cOacretc walk in front OF the
big building was undermined and torn
away. and every breaker carried tons upon
tons OF water beneath the building.
The little strip Of land between Brighton
and Manhattan was eaten away, and the
ocean and Sheepshead bay are connected
by July five feet Of water, extending to
Sheepshead. The Manhattan and Oriental
hotels stand by themselves on little island
that is fast being eaten up The mammoth
bathing pavilion belonging 10 Manhattan
beach Was beaten down by the laundering
waves. The old marine railway structure
was carried away and was taken with an
awful crash over the new marine railway,
fully three hundred feet inland, carrying
the latter away bodily, and overturning
and smashing cars like kindling wood. The
old Brighton beach bathing pavilion fol-
lowed II with Il dcaiening crash, and the
driftwood was carried with lightning ra-
pidty and hcrculean force against the new
18th house, carrying part of that away.
The Brighton beach hotel was surrounded
by over two feet Of water, which extended
as far as Saeepshead bay. Fully 100 feet
of the lawn in front of he hotel was eaten
away. The Brighton beach railroad
was submerged. The angry waves dashed
against Solids music ST nd, each wave
tearing away great chunks of il at every
burst. The little children S society cottage
near the music stand was carried away.
Waves broke under the elevated road sta.
ton and it was ruined.
Brighton Beach was nearly all under
l.
hotel by five feet of water. 'She Brighton
beach race course was two feet feet deep
with water, and the surf reached Boilers
hotel, which was considered by the propri
etor as being too far back from the sea.
The two little houses on the concourse
in Prospect park were sunk In ten feet OF
water ana dashed TO pieces The entire
cOncourse was inundated, and the concrete
pavement torn up. The main road by the
cOucourse was submerged, and nearly
every street within 5000 feet of the beach
formerly was flooded. The flooring of both
The Old iron pier aud Doyle's iron pier was
torn up bodily. No such time has been eX-
perieuced in the history of the island
The wind was blowing a hurricane of
shore. is the morning advanced, the hur-
ricane increased 10 cyclone. Following
the first great tidal wave, the gigant
swells came swinging and rolling in in
rapid succession.
The damage by storm along the water
front in New York was great. Along
South street and West street nearly all the
cellars were flooded and goods destroyed.
Vessels report heavy weather and seas all
along the coast. The landing stage at
Castle Garden was almost submerged, a
state Of affairs never known before The
lower end of Blackwells island was sub
merged, and the keepers were compelled 10
remove the patients from the frame build
ings in that portion of the island. The new
railroad tracks at Auvergue blythe sea
were entirely under water, and the bridge
TO 81. Lawrence was washed away.
The usually high tide at Jersey City rose
far above some OF the docks located be
tween the Pennsylvania railroad and the
Delaware, Lackawanna X Western. On
Pavonia avenue, the thoroughfare leading
from the ferry, the water was two feet
deep, and extended beyond the Erie's train
shed. The water was over the wheels of
the horse cars and the passengers were
landed b. means Of temporary bridges.
The entire Erie freight yard was entirely
submerged and thousands of barrels Of
flour are reported damaged