The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-04
THE WRECK OF TYBEE.
Not More Than Thirty People Left on
the Island.

LuU I0lulut
The Town Council to Hold a Meeting
to Discuss Plans pr Improvement
The Houses on til Beach Nearly All
Demolished or BIG by Damaged-The
Woods Filled With Wreckage and De
caying Fish-The Necessity for I'M
mediate Sanitary Work.
Chief of Police r. +. Higgins of Tybee
came up to the city yesterday afternoon
on the tug Regis. Chief Higgins has
been at Tybee ever since the storm and
came up yesterday for the first time He
has been busy since the storm in burying
the dead and attending to the wants of
the living on the island,
He says there are only about twenty
white people and half as many negroes
left at Tybee, and they are in destitute
condition. He did not talk about the
part he took in the storm, but it is said
by others that the chief did good work in
assisting in the removal of the women and
children on the north end of the island to
places of safety.
GENERAL WRECK.
Tybee, he says, is a scence of wreck
and desolation. There is little left of
Savannah's popular summer resort ex-
cept the Hotel Tybee, the Naylor House
and the club house.
The police headquarters near the Cen
trail railroad pavilion were blown down,
killing the chiefs horse, which was in
the stable. The horse was dug out two
days after and cremated by Chief Hig-
gins.
Chief Higgins had collins made and buried
the four negroes who were drowned Sun
day night on the upper end of the island
at Beach's Pond. Deputy Coroner w. T.
Dixon arrived Tuesday night with collins,
but the burial had already been com
pleted. There was only one lantern with
which to light the burial and the scene
was a grewsome one.
WOUNDED SAILORS DEATH.
On Thursday Chief Higgins had the
body of the dead sailor aboard the
wrecked bark Harold on the south end
ofTybee taken out the hold of the vessel
and buried. The funeral was attended
by the sailors of the Harold ana the
BURIAL service was read by Chief Higgins
The name of the drowned sailor was
Walter Finkenshar of Ellafeldt, Ger
many. His death was a pitiable one
He had fallen from a mast and injured
his head about twenty days before the
storm and was in his quarters in the hold
in delirious condition when the bark
went ashore. His companions had to
take to the water to save their lives, and
he was left aboard to drown. Finkenshai
was only II years old. He was buried on
the sandhills near the lighthouse.
THE BEACON BLOWN AWAY.
The beacon light on the north end Of
Tybee is down and has been since the
CT 'hn u lou a
full length, foundations and all The
beacon was at a dangerous point of the
channel, and was considered a valuable
signal by mariners.
The Beacon pond in the same
neighborhood is very offensive, being
filed with decaying vegetable and ami
NAL matter. The pond is on the govern
ment property
The object of Chief Higgins visit to the
city is to arrange for meeting of the Ty-
bee council to be held this week which will
decide what steps are necessary in the
present condition of the island and what
improvement can be made in the condi-
tion of the people remaining there.
Acting Mayor j. G. Butler of Tybee was
also on the island yesterday and returned
last night
A TRIP OVER THE ISLAND.
men, members Of the Atlantic
club, went down on the Regis yesterday
morning and spent the day on the island
They had quite time getting ashore, it
being necessary to leave the tugin a yawl,
which went as far as possible and they
were then carried ashore on the backs of
the crew. Several secured conveyances
and took trip around the island.
The railroad track is shifted up to the
north end of the island, beyond the But
Ter cottage. The beacon light is lying
fiat on the ground, foundation and all
Mr. Buffers cottage and the Knights
of Pythias club, in the north end, are "a
mass of wreckage. The planks and tim
bers belonging to the two buildings are
only distinguishable by the different
coloring of the paint.
Sheriff Romans cottage was shifted
some distance and entirely Quilted.
THE FURNITURE UNDIsTURBBD.
Frank Storer's cottage is shifted clear
across the railroad track, A curious thing
was noted at his house. Not picture or
any article about the house appears to be
out of place. A lamp is standing on the
mantel just as 1t was left, and the whole
interior remains as it was before the
storm.
Mr.. Kehoe's cottage is unhurt. This
cottage stood the storm of 1881 also The
postofice is still standing, and the Naylor
House is not much damaged. Henry Solo
mons cottage was taken off its founda-
tions and set down upon the ground. The
water works appear to be all right
The Atlantic Club is unhurt except for
a few panes of glass blown out, and the
mem bers had very enjoyable time there
yesterday.
The woods are full of wreckage, which
appears to have been all swept to the
southwest. There are masses of house
timbers and portions of ship cabins and
furniture, With any quantity of dead pei
leans and other sea birds and fish and
frogs The stencil from the vvreckage is
nauseating No more dead bodies have
been found on the island, and it is not
thought there are any.