The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-09-19

dents are catching rain to supply their
needs.
ATLANTIC CRY, n j., Sept Is.-Tire
loaded trains left this city Thursday. BY
Tonight i.,,WO people will have gone. The
first train out had eight passenger
coaches and a baggage car, all crowd
cd. even to the standing rooa. Ihs
trip across tho meadows was oDO
OF pie asure boats OF all sizes and descrip-
tions were packed close to the road-bed
The masts OF many Of them had to be cut
away TO permit trains to cross The water
was still high on the meadows and almost
reached the fires in the locomotives W. W.
Donne.ly. telegraph operator. was the
first person to reach the city from the
main land 1t required six hours to make
the Journey of five miles from Pleasant
willie. lie had TO swim distance OF $40
feet, and the greater part Of the way he
walked in three feet OF water on the rail-
road ties It is estimated that 31jO, ,0O will
not cover the loss to Atlantic City and her
interests
PHILADELPHIA, Sept Is. - Five daring men
who fought their way through the sea from
At antic City to Pleasantville and camc
thence TO this city by rail tell this story
of the attempt OF the people of Atlantic
City to escape by train on Tuesday:
The people. terror-strickcn by the storm,
hurried to the depots as ii their
lives depended on their alacrity. Four
heavily laden storm specials left the
Camdei, 4 Atlantic and Reading stations.
each with locomotive in front and rear.
The high tide was nearing its full
limit and the hurricane was increas-
ing In strength. The sweeping wind
threw the water against the car windows
and the heavy coaches rocked to and
fro as II in momentary danger of oyertnrn-
ing. Long before the main land was
reached the eng mes were plowing through
three feet of water which threatened to put
out the fires q regular sea was ahead and
there was no alternative but to return
The engines weIo reversed and
the trip back, now doubly hazard
ous because the waters had risen sew
eral inches, began. Hardly furlong had
been pursued when the fires were exlin-
guished by the rushing torrents of water,
which now dashed against the ears with
terrific force. breaking the window, and
completely cnyeloping the trains in sheets
OF spray.
When 1t became known to the passen-
gers that their trains were helpless and
ut the mercy OF the the rising waters there
was scene Of panic that bcggars descrip-
tion Women screamed and tainted, chill
dred cried and men gave way 10 despair
II was only when the conductors
went from car to car and declared
that relief engines had been telegraphedf for
that the frightened passengers became
more hopeful When the rescuers did come
it took mighty effort to pull the train
over the sunken and twisted tracks and it
was 3 o'clock in the afternoon before the
last train-load of weary passengers was
pulled slowly into the Camden & Atlantic
station
The fire on Ocean terrace caused another
panic. A guest ut the Mansion House,
where there were over IS, people, tho
greater number being women and chill
dren describes tha midnight scene Incl
dent to the fire as follows:
The women came rushing downstairs with
blarched faces. wring,ng the.r hands and cry
ing as 4 the day OF judgment had
come. Outside banging shutters. creak NJ
sl.ns. the howling hurricane. the hiss and
swsh OF the swayng trees, the rushing.
banging fre-engines. and the general
comnot:on attending o tire At night struck
terror TO the hearts Of these women and they
huaa.ed together in the Iarlors AID prayed
and sohled and listened to the consoling
words o! the mes. who knew full we'll that the
danger was still far OF. !"
Wien the high tide of Tuesday struck
the frall dwellings along Mediterranean,
Baltic and Arctic avenues stampede took
place. In ono instance woman was
carried by her two staiwart brothers to q
place OF safety. In another. mother
and father deserted their babe. aud on
returning later, found the little
ono 4 ad. Men swan from their flooded
houses. bearing in their arms their babes.
wives, mothers or sisters. Boats piled
to and fro, carrying weeping women
and terrified children to high ground.
No effort was made TO save per-
soaal property. so sudden and un-
expected was tho terrible flood Horses
we're drowned in their stables. and dozens
of houses were picked up bodily by the
waves and thrown across the rail Dad
tracs. or carried squares away from theic
original locations.
Late on Tuesday night the shrili whistle
OF u steamer was heard above the roaring
oil the surf She had come ashore OPP
positc Arkansas avenue. and her
signals Of distress were lromptly re-
snondcd to by the crew of the Atlantic
City iife-saving station. They hurried
along the beach with their apparatus but
the great waves made any attempt at res
cue impossible. The colored teward
jumped overheard and was washed
ashore III dazcd and exhausted condi-
ton Captain Bowen thinks that the
steamer went to pieces during the night
and tha. her crew perish in the angry
ssa ire-buckcts aud a water cask were
found on the beach in the morning in
scrbed with the name phi!adonx. and
there Is but little doubt that they belonged
to the i'll .fated steamer
The people in Remy Fegers Thorough
fare Hotel found it necessary to leave
Tuesday afternoon. The current was tou
strong to admit OF rowing boat and Mr..
Fegel ind fix strong men took a
party Of thirty people on foot from
the Thoroughfare Hotel to itantic City
proper. The women were led several
hundred yards through the water. which
was up t, their necks There were twelve
small children in the party. several o:
whom belonged to Mr.. Van Horn, q cos
tuner Of Philadelphia, who was one Of til.
! n2rty