The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-09-19
Atlantic City Almost Submerged
by Angry Waves.
A Scene OF Panic That is Be.
yOnd Description.
Three Vessels Previously. Re-
ported Lost at Sea.
Captain Lowe Of Junction City,
Kansas, Dead.

yesterday afternoon by five daring
spirits, who fought their way unaided
through the surging sea that covered
the meadows. The party comprised
newspaper correspondent residing in
Atlantic City and four Others They
left Atlantic City at IL O'Clock yester-
day morning and reached Pleasant
Vile, a distance Of seven miles at
O'Clock in the afternoon. They
swan the deep cuts and
crept cautiously over the swaying
rails supported only byfish plates, forded
the rushing streams, and a fter many
miraculous escapes they arrived
PIeasantviile drenched, bruised and
exhausted, but happy at reaching the
the main land once again. Soon after
reaching Pleasantville they secured a
special train and came up to this city
bearing the first authentic news of the
situation at Atlantic City. They tell
the following story of the attempt to
run trains from Atlantic City. When
Tuesday morning dawned the situa-
ton was alarming in the extreme.
Property owners were early afoot to
see TO what extent the waves and
wind had damaged the headings.
Then the hotel guests appeared. They
looked almost without exception the
abject terror they felt. They hurried
20 the railroad stations, and once with
in these structures they did not heed
the warnings OF the experienced people
who stood around, that the meadows
were flooded, aud a safe passage even
rs Tar as the draw bridge was impossi-
into the cars and actual
IL forced the railroad men
into making an attempt to reach the
mainland. At the Camden and Attain
tic and West Jersey, Station Agent
Young and Station Master Mikesner
superintendent the preparation of the
outgoing trains, and already Station
Agent Winters and Yard Master Metz
performed similar service All four
looked as IL they were unwilling to de-
mand from the conductor such peri
lOus. undertaking, and were it not for
the cheerful assurance of both
engineers and train crews, all
experienced men, they would not have
yielded to the pressure. So the heavily
laden '.stOrm specials" left the two
stations. There were four trains in all,
three from the Camden and Atlantic
stations. and one from the Reading.
Each had a locomotive in front and one
I'm the rear when they headed for the
flooded meadow land, crept along over
the hidden tracks as IL fearful of
fatal plunge. They all
went out between the hours of six and
nine i'm the morning just as the tide
was nearing its full limit. The hurri-
cane, too, threw the water in volumes
against the chr windows and made the
heavy cars rock TO and fro, as If in mo-
mentary danger of Overturning. But
long before the mainland was reached
the train men themselves began to
realize the foolhardiness of their I'M
dertaking and decided to return.
Their engines were blowing
feet of water which threatened
every moment To put out the fires and
as there WAS a regular sea ahead there
was no alternative but to return. So
the engines were reversed and the trip
back began. Hardly furlong had
been covered, however, when the fires
were extInguished by the rushing tor
rents of water which now dashed
against the ears with terrific force,
breaking the windows and complete
~ envelOping the trains in
sheets of spE0y. When il
became known To the passengers that
b their trains were helpless, and at the
mercy of the rising waters there was
as one of panic that beggars descrip
tiols. Women screamed and tainted
the general despair. 1t was only
when the conductors went from car Il
car and declared that relief engines
had been telegraphed for that the
frightened passengers became more
hopeful. When the rescuers did CONF
it took a mighty effort to pull TIT
trains over the sunken and twisted
tracks. and it was 3 O'Clock in the af
ternOon before the last train load Of
weary passengers were pulled slowl,
into the Camden Il Atlantic station
The fire created another pani
for it came Just when tn
frightened and nervous hotel guest
were eBdeavoring TO get little rest
II was period of terror for thos
people and when they ahxiously peere'
through their windows and saw tn
sky illuminated with the glare of fire
they sprang from their beds and rushe,
10 the lower floors. most of them il
their night attire They imagine,
that the flames were close over then
and strongest assurances had no quiet
ing effect A guest at the Mansion
Home where there were over 80 pee
pie. the greater number being wOme
and children. described tue midnigll
scene incident To the fire as follow
The fright of these people was no
ended until the fire on the ocean beac
had consumed four buildings. Whe
the high tide of TUESDAY night struc
the frail dwellings along Mediterranet
Baltic and Attic avenues. stamped
FOR life began. In one instance "A We
men was carried by Ter two stalwaI
brothers To place of safety and
another mother and father deserte
their babe in the cradle and on return
ing later i'm "A boat found the little or
dead Men swan out of their floode
houses bearing in their arms the
babes. wives. mothers or sisters Boa,
piled to and fro carrying weeping W,
men and terrified children from hons,
To high ground. No effort was mad
To save personal property. So sudde
and unexpected was the terrible rise
the Hood on the meadows that dozeI
OF houses were picked up bodily by I'll
waves and thro1n across the railroa
tracks or carried Squarely away frOl
their original location. Some of the
were taken far out ON the meadow an
tossed around like corks.
Late on Tuesday evening the shri
whistle OF steamer was heard abo'
the roaring of the surf. She can
ashore opposite Arkansas avenue al
her signals of distress were prompt
responded TO by the c. ew of the Alta
tic City life saving station. Tn,
hurried along the beach with their a
paratus. but the great waves ma,
any attempt at rescne impossible. r.
col0red stewart jumped overheard al
was washed ashore in a dazed and e
hausted condition. Captain Rolf is
the opinion that the steamer went
pieces during the night and that h
crew persisted in the angry sea. Fl
buckets and water casks were found ,
the beach this morning. inscribed vii
the name ''Philadouxn and there is b
little doubt that they belonged to the
fated steamer.
AT NORFORK.
WASHINGTON, Sept. u. a. m.
There has been no change in the Dos
ton of the storm on the Atlantic Goa:
The storm center is at Norfolk whe
Il has been since Tuesday mornin
High northeasterly winds are st
present on the New England coast wi
maximum velocity of thirty-fo
niles per hour at Boston and fiftv-tS
mills n Lll.a..L- l.l.na ~. - :.