New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-12
ATLANTIC CITY An ISLAND.
VAIN EFFORTS OF PEOPLE TO REACH THE
MAINLAND.
FRIGHTENED PEOPLE FLEEING FROM THE
HOTELS on THE OCEAN FRoNT-IN DANGER
OF FAMINE, IF THE STORM SHOULD

.BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.I

PHILADELPHIA Sept. 11.-Atantc City is sub
merged. reporter of The Tribune fordcd the
nood on the meadows to-day, risliing his life at
every step. The 10000 permanent residents and
more than 1000 hotel guests were panic-strlcken
at the steady encrOachments of the sea and the
awful hurricane prevailing. Not train will be
able to reach or leave the acknowledgement
city for fully week famine is threatened.
There is no milk. no vegetables, no
mcat no cgrs and ere another day
dawns there will be nothing left but bread and
water. Luckily the supply of flour is plentiful.
No trains had left the flooded city since Monday
morning The ruin is appalling and the loss Of
life is as yet a matter of conjecture. The trip
across the meadows, now u surging sea, WAS
most thrilling experience, and was accomplished
by the reporter in company with Wilson Il. ker,
the pucly son of Assistant Dstrict-AttOrney ker,
of Philadelphia; Captain John H. Pedrck. of Cam
den whose ship lies at the KnicIerbocIer wharf,
Atlantic City, and Joe" Gardner and Edward l.
Krouscr of the Reading News Company. They
left Atlantic City at IL o'clock and reached Pleas
antville distance of seven miles, at 3. They
swan the deep cuts crept cautiously over the
swaying rails supported only by the fish-plates,
forded the rushing streams and, after many mar
row escapes. arrived at Pleasantville, drenched,
bruised and exhausted, but happy at reaching the
mainland.
At Pleasantville Superintendent Garwood
promptly furnished engine, No. ,O25, In charge
of Conductor William III. Sanders and Engineer
Frank Eek, and the flying trip to Philadelphia
was made ald the first authentic news obtained
of the condition of the city by the sea. Today
it cannot properly be termed the city by the sea,
for it is truly a city in the sea, and were IL not
for the fact that it has a central elevation, that
the beach and the meadowand are far below the
level of the main avenues there probably would
not be a house standing at this writing and the
loss of life would have been as appalling as that
of the terrible Johnstown calamity.
From the moment when the food tide on Mon
day night began spreading devastation along the
beach front, the encroachments Of the sea all
around the island have been steady and alarming.
II dashed up the ocean avenues and over the
open lots, tearing up and shatterng the board
walks and paviIions, uprooting foundations, plling
lighthouses, restaurants and other structures in
confused heaps 1t rushed over the meadows,
flooding the railroad tracks and the many dwell
iu-houses on that exposed area carrying terror
and desoation to the poor families who had failed
to heed the warnings of the threatening clouds
and rising waters in the afternoon, and had
fingered until the deluge struck their frall
houses Whole rows Of houses in Baltic and
Arctic aves. were inundated, the occupants re-
treating to upper floors and escaping in boats and
wagons, and in some instances railroad cars. IL
swept in mighty volume over the inlet district,
completely Submergng some of the houses, overs
turning others and wrecking by the score the
yachts and small boats which had been securely
moored by their owners in what they presumed
were safe places. 1t rolled in at Longport on the
one side from that wide eXpanse of water Great
Egg Harbor Bay, and on the other side from the
mighty ocean itself, spreading destruction among
the many stout and still more numerous frall
building, dotting the peninsula from Longport UP
10 Chelsea Then, as If TO unite the approaching
waters. which were forced in from the Thorough
fare by a bowling hurricane with velocity vary
ing from sixty to sixty:ive miles an hour, and
from the ocean proper by lood-tide or ground
swell unprecedented in the annals of this Oft
times storm beaten place, the rain began filling
in torrent, Yesterday morning and all through the
dav added its cOpous volumes TO the general
ipundation. When dreary nightfall enveloped
the city almost every foot Of IL was submerged,
the food varying in depth from one to five feet.
This morning even the oldest residents, who had
weathered many severe storm on this exposed
island. hurried along the streets with blanched
faces and anxious looks, eagerly scanning the
horizon for hopeful indication that the storm
,vouId soon be over. Many of them had large
propertv interests at stake, and their early morn
ing mission was TO see TO what
extent the waves and WIND had dam
aged their holdings. Then the hotel guests
mt 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 10 their comfortable city
homes safe from the warning elements. So they
hurried 10 the railroad stations as IL their lives
depended on the alacrty Of their movements.
They rushed pellmell into the cars and actually
forced the railroad men into an attempt to reach
the mainland
IL Caxs.den and Atlantic and West Jersey