Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-09-19

aud Cottages Threatened.
staff Correspondence Of Gazette and journal.
LEwEs, Sept. 1.-THE lives of 80 sturdy
sesmen and over hundreds of thousands
Of dollars worth of property have already
succumbsd to the fury of the most savage
and disastrous storm Loves hes ever
known. To-night's casualties will most
likely increase this list, and add to the
great woe this brutal warfare of the ele-
ments has awakened. No words can
picture the awful aspect of the sea to-
night. II rosrs and lsshes its foam at the
very gates of the city, threatening every
moment to leap the sharp bluff that has
thuHfar brooked its terrible fury. Tonight
all its appalling wierdness is but an idea
of the severity With which last nights
wind and wave assailsd aud wrough. the
total destruction OF everything within It's
reach. At midnight as this ia written the
wind is blowing q perfect hurricane snd
! driving che rain with force that makes
it out like hsilstones. phe half
mile reach OF send Setwsen the
town and the coast Is tossing
billowy ocean bearing on every we've
| pieces of the wreekage OF some of the
finest coasting vessels in this country. In
the distance the lights o. warning for
neighboring shoals CLINT diniy and
threads Of sailH flap spectre-like from the
naked masts Of q score Of deserted and
dismantled vessels that are strewn about
within view. 1t is picture Of terrible
desolation fittingly framed by an angry
sea and eky OF foreboding blsckpess
that seems to threaten to do more destruc-
tion than il has yet shared in. Ihe
Oldest inhahitant cannot recall O time
when tine elements warred SO ssvBgely
against human achievements and the
heretofore historic food of 1865 and the
blizzard Of 1883 are considered by the
weather wise marines as mere bagatelles
compared to this.
Since Monday night the storm has
been raging fiercely and without abete-
ment. Gales from the moth east and
full moon oonspired to give the sea such
rollicking dance OF death as it seldom
mas known in this latitude. With the
irst indication of dirty weather came
the unmistaksble signs Of terrific storm.
Outgoing and incoming vessels cast an
choF in the Breakwater in the vsin hope
that the governments costly stone pile
would guard their ships against the force
OF the sea. One hundred vessels of all
kinds laid to in ths basin in the nope OF
security.
Yesterday morning early clearly showed
that the Breakwatsr was insufficient to
afford the needed refuge. By il O'Clock
the sea was roaring and running mod. It
leaped over tha RreBkwBter, wrecked the
telegraph station and not content climbed
the spIts aud carried away tho big FOG
bell which hos serysd to warn seaIasn for
half century. GA rushed the current
sweeping awsy, root and branch, the
Lewes stssmboat pier and sending the
italian bark, II Salvatore, quitting through
the iron pier built by the Federal GOV
eminent. The piers OF the Brown 4 Cd.
and Leuce Brothers' fish factories would
not brook the force Of the tide and were
swept to sea. The United States Marine
Hospital was uprooted from its mooriugs
and sent spinning down the beach.
Forty feet above the usual high water
marx cat the Lewes life saving station.
This was flooded and the foundation GO
undermined that it will fall Hughey-
Vile, suburb between the town and
beach, was soon and still is submerged
and the 900 inhabitants Aod for their lives
from their homes leaving everything be-
hind.
Tho firss boat canne eshore OF 8
o'clock yesterday morning. Then came
another and another. Tho life saving
crew went vGliently to work but there
was need foE more help so the Henlopen
aud Rehoboth crews were summoned.
The thres gangs united and hayo worked
increasingly ever since. The crew Of
every vessel that struck was taken OF by
these daring fellows, and not a life was
lost in the scores of human beings they
handled. Theirs was an heroic service
and they performed it in the face OF the
greatest danger ard personel hard
snip. So desperate was tGe need
that the field piece was brought
out and balls with lines attached fred
over the rigging of the helpless vessels.
On the line were fastened printed in
structions in French aud German giving
detailed descriptions as TO how they
should be used. The wrecked sailors
would dash to the topnost peAk Of the
ship secure the line and vita grin OF
triumph which bespoke their appreciation
that it was their saviour, slid 20 the deck.
Here stout hswser would ne attached
and the life saving crew would draw this
back, make it fast and over this strand
OF hemp rode the little oay which bore
away TO safety the ship wrecked mariners
in fours
Even in the face OF sueh awful terror
there was some amusing incidents one of
which is related concerning the bride Of
/ the steward of Mamie Read. The vessel
struck last evening and tbs bnde, rosy
} faced blonde woman OF uncertain years
and turning the scales at about 800
pounds was lashed to the Rigging as were
other members of the crew. This was
the brides wedding tour, she having
only married three weeks previous. Fear
fal Of her husband she insisted upon his