The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-09-04

partnership with seeming intent II
wreck. Some families did not retire
at all. Others clung close to theil
couches, and there were those who ex
pected, almost every time severe
gust shook their homes, to see theil
houses piled in wreckage on top O
them. The occasional tapping OF the
fire alarm was proof that the wires
were being grounded at intervals, and
it was known that early in the night
many wires had been torn to the
ground and that the alarm system was
rendered partially useless. There was
ground for fear of terrible consequences
should a fire break out"
In Florida the track of the cyclone
| was fifty miles wide throughout the
State. The hurricane predicted the
weather bureau travelled in north
| easterly direction from the West In
dies. 1t first struck the Florida coast
at point south of Jupiter Inlet. Its
course was northwesterly and it ira
versed the whole eastern portion of the
peninsula, damaging property more or
less in path forty or fifty miles wide
from the coast line eastward.
In Jacksonville from early in the
morning till 8 o'clock p. IN. the rain
came down in torrents and the river
became exceedingly rough. The wind
at z p. M. had reached velocity of
thirty-eight miles per hour. Hundreds
OF trees were blown down, signs on
boarding houses disappeared rapidly
before the gale, and scores of dwellings
and public buildings were either un-
rooted entirely or had the tin blown
from them, thus causing bad leaks and
great damage from rain.
At Pablo Beach the sea encroached
upon the railroad tracks and the
premises of the cottagers, and the
wind played havoc among them.
st. Augustine reports the water COM
ing in over the sea wall and damaging
residences and business blocks. About
thirty or forty small crafts were badly
damaged or completely demolished.
The wires are down in every direc-
tion from Jacksonville and communica-
tiOn with the outside world was abso-
lutely cut off last night and up to 8
O'Clock tonight The only points heard
from were ST. Augustine and Fernan-
dina. No trains have been in from
the North or South.
1t is feared that all exposed points
on the east coast as we'll as the Indian
River country have been badly dam
aged, alike by wind and rain and by
Middle and west Florida seems to
have escaped the storm almost entire-
ly, but the eastern and western end of
the Florida Central and Peninsula line
Is badly washed out and trees and tele-
graph poles litter the track.
AT Midway, Barnwell County, S. c.,
there was II similar experience to that
of the earthquake. No trains and no
telegraph. Only little worse in that
all roads and streets are blockaded up
by the trees that were uprOoted. There
are many houses. especially 0uthouses,
blown down. All the young corn in
fields from which the farmer had such
high hopes and prospects of making
up for the droughts on tho high lands
cotton that was open in the bolls is
washed out into the sands. The brick
house belonging to w. Gilmore Simms,
our great poet, novelist and historian,
was blown down last night. Fortu-
nately there was but one occupant
in it,
The streets of Orangeburg were COW
cred with fallen trees, electric light
wires and fences blown down by the
wind.
The residence of j. l.. Wannamaker
was almost entirely destroyed by fall
ing trees. Mr.. Wannamaker and his
family had to seek shelter with their
nelghbors. Fortunately not q single
member of the family was hurt by the
falling in of the house, as they, like
most people in town, were awake and
ready to protect themselves if the
worst should come. Many families re-
manned up the entire night, expecting
every minute to see their roof trees
lifted by the high Winds.
The damage to the crops is great.
Mr.. Henry S. Holman, who lives three
miles across the river, says that crops
over his side are damaged to the ex-
tent of at least one-fourth. He has a
field of fifty acres of cotton, and in that
field there were at least five bales
open. Every piece of lint has been
beaten out and washed away. Full
grown bolls and forms have been
knocked off, and in fact there is very
little fruitage left on the cotton plants.
Young corn is ruined and will hardly
recover from the damage done.
Capt. G. w. Brunson's gin house,
two miles from the city, was blown
down and the machinery broken up.
The damage will amount to about
$40O.
The roads are simply impassable,
and every kind of business is at stand
still.
All day Sunday angry clouds from
the east passed over Aiken. About 4
p. IN. the clouds grew darker, the wind
blew harder and slow, driZzling rain
set in, gradually increasing until about
10 o'clock, when it became quite heavy.
AS the night wore on the wind in
creased in fury and force, and was very
destructive to the trees and the crops.
a great many shade trees have been
blown down in the city, and the re-
ports from the surrounding country
are to the effect that the crops have
been greatly damaged. Cotton has
been levelled and much of it that was
! open has been blown out. A farmer
from the Montmorenci section esti-
mates the damage to the cotton crop
in this county all the way from 10 to 2E
per cent.
i Timmonsville, Darlington County
has been visited by one of the most
destructive gales ever encountered
| 1t blew violently all night while rain
| fell all day. This state of affairs con
tinued nearly all day. No one has beer
injured so far as reported, but the
damage to crops and to property is
very considerable. In the immediate
vicinity OF the town were some of the
finest fields of cotton and corn in the
State. This morning not stalk is lef
standing. Corn and cotton alike are
| beaten fiat in the mud and nearly GOV
cred with water. Young forms ant
bolls are broken off the stalks, and a
| this writing it looks like the utter de