Evening journal., 1893-01-21
PONIES And OYSTERS.
THEY SUFFER ALIKE DURING THE
COLD WAVE.

Inhabitants and Beasts ON Chinooteague
Island Suffer From Want Of Food and
From Exposure-Fatal Ravages of
Measles.
FRANKLIN CITY, Va, Jan. 2O-Chinco
league Island, which is situated about
seven and a.half miles from this place
and separated from the mainland by
ChncOteague bay is entirely cut of
from the outside world \ he island has
a DO Julation of 2, 00O, and its inhabitants
are noted far and wide as prosperous.
happy and charitable people. The main
industry is the cultivation of oysters.
The daily income from this business
amounts TO several thousand dollars
The cold weather has closed up the
water, the men are found about the
public houses and the harbor is lined
with idle vessels covered by a mantle Of
snow, while the decks Of many Of the
boats are piled high with ice, which has
been forced on board by the shifting
winds and strong current.
There is nothing left for the people to
do but hope for milder weather The
question of the hour is how long can the
people stand the siege2 The usual way
by which goods are received at the island
is by boat connection at the railroad at
Franklin City, but the steamer has been
frozen up for over ten days and there is
no method of communicating with
the outer world except by walking
across Chincoteague bay seven or
eight miles. This is not a satisfactory
walk aud 80 far but few have ventured
across, as it is not considered safe by
many, owing TO the heavy fall OF snow
which has covered the ice, thus prevent
ing the pedestrian from seeing air holes
which abound in the channel The mail
for the i,iand has been carried acioss
the bay twice Each time the Psnnsy
vauia railroad has given the carrier so
for the trip
It is impossible for the food supply 10
hold out longer than Monday Those
who have cattle or hog, have already he
gun to slaughter them
The owners Of the ponies which are
raised nm the Island are in reat feai
hat many OF them viii die, as there is
but little for them 10 subsist on. Those
who are able 10 do so have herded the
animals and have fed them for several
days but owing TO the SCARCITY Of proven
der they have been compelled To tuin
the ponies loose upon the marsh. IN
which tney get only what they can fiud
by paving the snow of the ground
Herds of these ponies can be seen seeking
shelter from the cold in the woods
The members Of the life saving station
at Wallop's beach and Assateague Is
land are reported as having a severe
time patrolling their beats at night
One of the station men from Assai eague
Island was on Chincoteague Island TO-
day, and said that the ice was banked
up on the beach ten feet high. and that
the ocean was frozen as far as could be
seen. The crew Of the schooner Samuel
Fillmore, Captain Erastus Johnson, OF
Horntown, Va, are frozen up in Cat
creek, and the crew have suffered greatly
for food. Captain James T. Tracy, Of
the life saving station, supplied the crew
with food.
On Assteague Island sheep raising
has assumed some proportions, and thes'
animals are reported in great distress
The cattle, which are numerous on botl
islands, are suffering for food and water
and their bellows can be heard at al
times. They move in herds and show
that they are suffering.
Besides the trials caused by the cclC
weather on the island there is an epi
demic of measles. There have beeI
J three deaths in the past few day.
During the freeze the Rev. Mr.. Jones
pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church
is holding series of protracted meet
ings Services are being conducted il
the daytime
There are strong reasons to believ
, that the oyster industry has been great
. damaged in this section. Some Of th
Oldest persons engaged in the bushes
, are Of the opinion that a great maiorit,
of the oysters will be killed. They sa
that those in deep water will suffer mosl
J There we're some attempts made to Gu
D holes in the ice and take oysters, but a
! there is no way for them TO be shippe
) these efforts were abandoned. Man
3 boys and men are gigging cells throug
Z the ice.
One Of the first persons 10 cross on I'll
= ice was Miss Maggie Jarman, who teach'
a school at Franklin City. She was az
i campanied by Mr. J. T. Mason, Of No.
q lightship They made the distance
!. one hour and forty-five minutes, a recoI
which has not yet been beaten.
j Fought Hard with a Broken Thum
p ROCHESTER,, N. Y, Jan. 21.-A twelv
e round prize-fght for a nominal pur
took place last evening in a resort ju
d outside this city between Teddy Lar
i and Young England, two local scrapper
S before an audience Of some 90 OF 60 loc
% sports Lang was the victor but EN-
t land was badly handicapped, havil
q broken his thumb on the left hand in Z
t second round but continued the fight (
# ten rounds thereafter. In the eleven
Ie round England came up very groggy a.
n the twelfth. was easily disposed OF. La
ID had hardly mark upon him.