The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1893-09-06
PROBABLY 1900.
The Recent Hurricane Rivals
the Johnstown Disaster.
The Great Force of Which Can Hard,
ly Be Imagined.
The Velocity of the Wind Was
$50 Miles an Hour.
THE ENTIRE NIGHT SPENT IN
PRAYER BY HUNDREDS
VINO NEVER EXPECTED TO SEE
THE LIGHT OF DAY.

Their Foundations, Steamships Rested
Upon Dry Land and Everywhere Could
BE Seen DesoIatIon and Deatll-Beau-
fort, s. c., and Vicinity Seems to Have
Suffered NIost-Pathetic Appeal to the
Public For Assistance-Complete De-
tails of the Unprecedented Storm Not
Yet Known.
sAvANNAn, Sept. As. Friedling of
the wholesale grocery firm of S. Guck-
enheilner & Son returned from Beau
fort Friday night on a special ting,
having left Friday morning.
Mr.. Friedling said that at least 500
persons were drowned~ln that vicinity,
and that when all reports are in up
ward OF 1900 will be found to have
persisted. Up to Friday the coroner had
held an inquest on 800 bodies, 81 of
which were buried in one pit and so in
another. 1t is impossible to procure
combinations.
Attempt at Identification of bodies
has been abandoned. All that is de-
sired now is to get the bodies out of the
way as quickly as possible
To Prevent Epidemics
resulting from their rapid decomposi-
ton. No accurate record is kept of the
number of dead and the statistics of
the disaster will never be fully known.
AUGUSTA. Ga. Sept. "A special to
The Chronicle from Beaufort, s. c.,
Thursday night, giving details of the
great storm, said:
The storm began Sunday morning.
The day came on with heavy black
clouds hanging over the ports. An
ugly wind started up about 10 o'clock,
blowing from the northeast. 1t in
creased >as the day grew, and about
noon cold, chilly rain started. Long
before dark the people living along the
coast knew that a storm was inevitable,
but none dreamed of the extent it
would assume. Late in the eveing the
wind attained a great velocity and, as
the night advanced, it reached a speed
OF 100 miles an hour at o'clock, and
this is about the time the City of Savan-
nah went ashore.
1t was not until the next morning
that the people knew of the great and
terrible danger through which they
passed. The wind alone was storm
which would have terrorized any COM
munity, but with the binding rain
and vivid flashes of lightning and
deafening peals of thunder the hearts
of the stoutest were made to quail. No
painting could give the faintest idea of
the night. All up and down the coast,
in the farmhouses, in boats, the people
walked to and fro, each expecting
death, and all the time
Praying For Delivcrance.
In many instances people left their
homes and dashed themselves to trees
to prevent being blown away. The
waves with anchors dragging along be-
hind as though the anchors were made
of cork and not of iron.
With the dawn of Monday the rain
ceased and the winds began to subside
The sun came out and the skies became
blue and clear. There was nothing in
the morning to indicate the terrible
story of the night before. Scattered
through the streets of Beaufort, Port
Royal, and other towns along the coast
and along the banks of the rivers were
evidences of the great fury of the storm
of Sunday night
Houses were found whole. and in
pieces, miles away from their founda-
tions. Steamships were resting upon
drylands, trees were twisted, plated
and scattered about, while at intervals
Dead Bodies We're Found,
and ever and anon on waves were cast
one or more lifeleSs forms, swollen and
distorted and bruised.
All during the day Monday the bod
les began to m ultiply SO rapidly that
the coroner was compelled to swear in
half dozen deputies, one for each of
the islands where deaths were reported.
A glance at the map will show that
around this place are some 20 islands.
Some of these are very small with only
1852 families living thereon, while others
are larger and accommodate as many
inhabitants as 1850. Some of these
have not been heard from at all, while
on those which have been spoken"
there was not single one which did
not increase the death roll. On some
of these
The Death Rate Was Large,
but in many instances the names of
of them being beyong recognition when
found: while others were buried as
unknown, because no one was present
who could identify them.
Now as far as reliable informat ton
which has reached the officers, the dead
reach 400.
Appeal For Help.
a citizens meeting was held Thurs
day morning, at which a committee
was appointed to hurry the work of
cleaning the town, and another commit
tee, with Collector of Customs Small as
chairman, to issue a public appeal to
the country.
Collector Small confirmed the sad
story of death and devastation. He
said: ''This address embodies what 1
would say to you, and if you will send
to the country at large, by means of the
press, you will greatly facilitate us in
securing the aid that is imperatively
needed"
The Damage.
The damage to the phosphate indus
try. the ship ing, warehouse commerc
merchandise, dwellings and crops
around Beaufort and Port Royal Will
go to $1,000 600, and 81 ,Oeo, 600 for
age to railroads and steamship COM
like $4,000, 900 and 600 dead bodies as
the fruit of Sunday nj gifts blow in
stretch of 100 miles on the Georgia and
South Carolina coasts. 1t is equal to
the devastation of war, and these are
the figures given by conservative men.
Mourning Everywhere.
Every one of the 10 or 20 islands ly-
ing around Port Royal and Beaufort
are in mourning. On every doorknob
there is a bunch of crepe and upon
every hillside their are fresh-made
graves. The beeches, the underground
trees and shrubbery, the marshes and
the inlets are revealing dead bodies