The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-09-13
SWEPT BY A HURRICANE.
BUN WROUGHT BY A WEST
INDIAN CYCLONE.

Ever Struck New York-Great
Damage Along the Long Island
and New Jersey Shores-Two-
Score Lives Reported Lost.
The West Indian cyclone which swept over
,the middle of the Atlantic coast on its wayto
the New England coast left its marks over
the whole region around New York-with a
sweep of fully 1000 miles. 1t strewed the
New jersey coast with more wrecks
than have been recorded in sin
gle day since the blizzard. Reports
show that nearly two score OF lives were lost,
and many pleasure. merchant and hsh1rg
craft foundered or we're driven to destruc-
tion on the shores. The greatest violence OF
the elements was manifested IN region nlty
miles in diameter. with New York City as
center. and in this district the fury OF the
storm was almost unexampled.
In New York City the storm did every
kind of damage that rainstorm can do, ex-
oept that It was attended with no fatalities.
Signs, shutters, chimneys and fences were
blown down, trees were uprooted, plate glass
windows were wrecked, leaky roofs were
discovered and cellars were flooded. The
parks perhaps displayed the most striking
scenes Of wreck when morning came. The
paths were almost impossible with the
branches Of trees, and those trees that were
blown down. A pathetic feature OF the ruin
was the large number Of sparrows that
were killed. Three hundred dead ones were
found in City Hall Park alone, while in Cen
tral Park they must have been numbered by
the thousands. Among tne n9noreas Oh
trees blown down in the city the old oak
which formed landmark In West Ninth
street. between Fifth and Sixth avenues, is
noteworthy, it being blown across the
street. efrectually blocking it. Along
West. vesey, Barclay and Washington
streets some OF the greatest damage was
done, mainly by the flooding of Easements
and cellars. Everett's restaurant on Vesey
street. and Smith & McNell's on Wash
foo led. and much damage done. In
the North New York parks trees and
shrubbery were blown down, and along the
streets next morning were seen shutters
blown from their fastenings. At Oak Point
and Port Morris much damage was done
to yachts. Residents say 1t was the
worst storm In years In thai section.
On Washington Heights huge trees were
uprooted. broken and twisted, gardens were
utterly ruined and fences were torn apart
and strewn along the roads. Several streets
were blockaded by fallen trees, and the axe
men were busy for several hours.
The storm ragged over Brooklyn with de-
strucrive fury, and next morning there were
marks of its work all over the city. Houses
were demolished in some cases, unroofed
in Others trees were blown down, electric
poles and wires broken and twisted,
and business signs knocked into splinters.
Near 600 of the finest shade trees were up
rootal /. One struck q Fifth avenue elevated
train. but fortunately did no damage to 1t. A
stran-e feature about the destruction OF the
trees is that the largest suffered. They went
down before the merciless storm, leaving great
gaTs where they stood, ripping up sidewalks
and pavements and crushing FENCES, rails.
stoopS and piazzas. There were cases where
the tallen trees barred ingress to or exit from
the houses In front Of which they stood. The
trees and plants in Prospect Park suffered
greatly. One hundred shade trees were
uprooted and thrown others were stripped
OF their branches. Hardly one escaped. The
beautiful flowers were wholly or partially
destroyed. The cemeteries we're not spared.
Trees were thrown, plants and shrubbery up
rooted, headstones leveled with the earth
and ratings thrown down.
Coney Island lay fairly in the cyclones
path, and probably Jared the worst Of any
section, 80 far as damage to property was
concerned. No such storm had visited the
island in years, and perhaps not within
its history as seaside resort. From
Norton's Point, on the westerly end.
to Point Breeze. on the extreme east,
the shore was left a continuous picture OF
disaster and wreckaSe. At Brighton Beach
Hotel the lawn and walk were completely
destroyed. The tide reached a remarkable
height, sweeping up to the electric railway
tracks on Sea Breeze avenue. The piles
supporting the Brighton Beach Elevated
Railway were washed away, and train
was removed from the station just in time
to save il. The station itself is wreck
and the road crippled. The guests in the
hotel were reused at 4.3O, as the spray was
then dashing over the piazza, and it was
feared the structure would be surrounded. AT
West Brighton the most noticeable damage
was done Palmer's mammoth bathing pavll
ion. said to be the largest in the world, was
wrecked. as were also dozens Of smaller
bath houses. restaurants, booths and places
of amusement. At Manhattan Beach the
powerful bulkheads protected the hotel to a
great extent, and less damage was caused,
but the boardwalks wore broken and scat
tered over the lawn. The losses on Coney
Island are estimated all the way from $780,
600 to 100000.
Considerable damage was done on Long
Island. The wind blew with the force Of
hurricane, tearing Off branches oftrees and in
some cases tearing trees up from the roots.
Travel on the various branches Of the Long
Island Railroad was greatly inconvenienced,
and nearly allthe trains were more or less de-
layed. Some Of the trains were not started,
Many business men on the south side OF the
island gave up all idea OF coming to town,
but many who had concluded to take
holiday changed their minds when the
weather cleared later In the morning. The
farmers who have for two months been
wishing and praying for rain are in Sc
rious state Of mind. The wind that came
along with the water was more than they
bargained for. In some cornflelds there is
scarcely stalk standing. and on some OF the
truck farms patches OF vegetables are COM
pletely washed out. The effects Of the storm
at the various yacht club anchorages along
the Sound were tremendous. Tne excess
eively heavy winds on shore drove the small
boats together and in many instances great
damage was done among the fratl pleasure
craft by collision. At Larchmont Har-
Dor big schooner went ashore
early in the morning during the height OF
the storm on the rocks of Shepherds Point.
Her crew OF seven men remained on her at
work at the pumps, but with the falling Of
the tide she was left high and dry, and will
inevitably 60 to pieces. All along the Sound
shore, from Indian Harbor at Greenwich to
Port Morris, the devastation OF the
storm was apparent In the de-
stroyed piers. the flooded meadow
lands and the shore houses, whose
frs, floors were in most instances on q level
with the water The gale struck Flushing
broadside. and over 100 OF tho rarest and
most beautiful specimens Of trees, which
have made the village famous, we're upSQaaS3
and thrown across the street, bbckingt gttaveE
In the morning the streets were covered with
foliage and branches of trees
The storm swept Connecticut on shore and
inland with tremendous fury. At Black
Rock thrilling scenes were, enacted. The first
boat TO he hurled upon: the shore was the