The Portland daily press., 1889-09-13
THROUGH THE BESIEClNc SEA.
How Trains From Atlantic City Tried
to Escape and Failed.

ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., September 12.-It
is estimated that S150,000 will not cover the
loss to Atlantic City. Great joy was mani
tested this morning when the Western
Union messengers we're dispatched through
out the city to announce that the first train
since Monday afternoon would start at 10
o'clock. The train was divided into five Sec
tions and every car was crowded. Fifteen
thousand people will have left here by to-
morrow. This will include many all-the-
year residents as many houses are in an un-
tenantable condition.
Yesterday was a day when the oldest resi-
dents, who had weathered many storm on
this exposed island, hurried along the streets
with blanched faces and anxious looks, ca
erly scanning the horizon for hopeful in
dcation that the storm would soon be over.
Many of them had large property interests
at stake, and their early morning mission
was to see to what extent the waves and
wind had damaged their holdings. Then
the hotel guests put in an appearance, the
women wrapped in shawlS and gossamers
and the men clad in storm coats, gum boots
and close-ftting caps. They looked almost
without exception the terror they felt. The
weird storm had lost its fascination. They
were no longer bent on sightseeing Their
one great object was to get away from the
desolate surroundings, back to their COM
Portable homes, safe from the warning ele-
nents. So they hurried to the railroad sta
tiOns as if their lives depended on the alacri-
ty of their movements. They rushed pell-
NELL into the cars and actually forced the
railroad men into an attempt to reach the
mainland.
The heavily-laden "storm specials" left
the two stations followed by fervent and
heartfelt Godspeed from the crowds of peo-
pie on the platforms. There were four trains
in all, three from the Camden and Atlantic
station and one from the Reading. Each
had q Ina0nlOtiVQ in fha frnnt and in tho
rear when they headed for the flooded
meadow land, and they crept along over the
hidden tracks as if fearful of fatal plunge.
They all went out between the hours of six
was nearing its limit. The hurricane. too,
was gaining in strength, and its fierce,
sweeping gusts threw the water against the
car windows and made the heavy coaches
rock to and fro as If in momentary danger of
overturning. 1t was then that a feeling of
terror filled the indiscreet passengers, who
only short time before were gleeful in
their anticipations of a speedy escape from
the submerged town. Many gloomy con-
sultation was held as to the adyisabilty of
returning.
Long before the mainland was reached the
trainmen themselves realized the foolhardi-
ness of their undertaking, and decided to 60
back. Their engines were pl0ughing through
two to four feet Of water, which threatened
every moment to extinguish the fires, and as
there was veritable sea ahead, there was
no alternative but to return. SO the engines
were reversed and the trip back begun, now
doubly hazardous because Of the fact, that
the waters had risen several inches Hardly
a furlong had been covered, however, before
the fires were extinguished by the rushin G
torrents of water, which dashed against the
cars with terrific force, breaking the windows
and completely enveloping the trains in
spray.
When it became known to the passengers
that their trains were helpless and at the
mercy of the rising waters there
was scene Of CONSERVATION among
them that beggars description. Women
screamed and tainted. children cried, and
stout-hearted men gave way to the general
despair. All efforts to relieve the awful
desD0ndency seemed unavailing, and it was
only when the conductors went from car to
car and shouted themselves hoarse to the eff
feet that relief engines had been sent for,
that the frightened passengers resumed
more hopeful air and patiently awaited the
approach of their rescuerS. When they did
come 1t took a mighty effort to pull the be-
leagured trains over the sunken and twisted
tracks, and it was o'clock in the afternoon
before the last train load Of weary passeng-
ers was pulled slowly into the Camden and
Atlantic station. Then the announcement
was made that no trains would leave.