The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-09-06
STORM SWEPT.
The South Atlantic Coast Torn by
Terrible Tempest.
500 DEAD AND 1000 HOMELESS
Charleston Well Nigh Wrocked-From
Lower Florida to Upper Carolina tho
Hurricane Ragged, Carrying Death
and Destruction In Its Path.

SAVANNAH, Ga, August 30.-The list
Of fatalities as the result OF Sunday s
storm is rapidly increasing tonight
The William Crane steamer from
Baltimore came In all right today, but
in q rather battered condition. Cap
tain Foster said that it was the worst
gale he has ever seen, and he has been
on the sea twenty-six years.
Captain Foster reports wreckage all
along the coast near Charleston.
There were cabin doors, spars, mats
and parts of vessles Of all kinds.
Whether any of them were the remains
of the City Of Savannah is not known
but the supposition is that such was
the case. The passenger list has not
vet arrived from Boston, and it is not
known who were on board.
Fifteen vessels on the harbor and oil
Tybee were wrecked or badly damaged.
More than that number Of smaller
crafts are missing and are believed to
have been lost.
AT CHARLESTON.
While the record of terror and ruin
wrought by the great disaster OF 1885
remains unbroken, Charleston has
sqain stood in the track of a cyclone
which has shaken the old city to her
foundation stones.
Several casualties to persons and
and much serious damage are reported,
but Q complete inventory can only be
made after a careful inspection OF the
territory extending from the Ten Mile
house to the Battery. Only one life is
reported lost up to this time, a negro
woman. Every wire In the city is
down, thousands Of trees have been
denuded of their foliage and limbs are
blown entirely down. A hundred
houses are unroofed and number OK
frame buildings wrecked.
4 NIGHT or HORROR.
Charleston's experience Sunday
night was worse than the memorable
cyolone OF 1885. 1t was an awful night.
The bowling of the tempest. the rat
slinp Of windows in their frames as
though they would be forced inward at
any moment, the trembling OF the
houses, even the strongest, the roar OF
tho chinneys, the black darkness OF
the swelling tide along the harbor
front, the floods Of driving rain, the
ceaseless rattle of falling states from
the roofs, the dread of what might
come with the next stray blast or the
next surge of the waves, made up q
combination Of alarming incidents and
terrible features that no one would
care to undergo again.
The sea, for miles around Charleston
bay Is filled with dead bodies and
wreckage. There are no means OF ar
irving 1t any reliable account OF tho
casualties at sea.
The City ef Savannah Total wrccS.
SAVANNAH, GA, August 3o.-Ths
City of Savannah, of the Boston line,
Is ashore on Hunting island, thirty
miles Of Beaufort. She is q total
wreck and is rapidly going to pieces.
Her passengers and crew were received
by tho City Of Birmingham, OF the
Now York line, and brought to Savan-
nah tonight.
Hunting island Is on the South Caro-
ma coast. It is about thirty miles
above Bluffton and about twelve miles
long.
No tale of fiction can excel in dra'
matte detail this story Of fact. Hearti'
ly and sincerely did Savannah rejoice
when the news reached the city, whose
name the fated steamship bore, and q
nation rejoiced with her. A day OF
doubt and anxiety and sorrow had the
hsppiest possible ending. AS the gal
liant city Of Birmingham steamed uI
to her dock, bearing aloft the peanant
of her stricken sister and below thai
precious burden, her human freight
cheer after cheer rang out from the
assembled throng to give her noble
welcome.
Terrible indeed was the experience
of those on board the i'll fated ship
at the mercy of the winds and waves
three days and nights, most Of th'
time without food or water, and ex
pecting every moment to be swallowed
up by the raging sea.
The wrecked passengers OF the So
vsnnah lost everything, some beinf
even without hats and coats
The City Of Savannah was the oldes
ship OF the Ocean steamship feet
She was built In Chester, Pa, in 1877
When the Savannah grounded Cap
tain Savage had the ladies and children
placed In boats and sent in the direc
ton Of Hunting Island. After grsa
unessiness and weary watching the,
were all brought to Savannah, on
tug sent ont two days before to hun
for them, arriving at o'clock Friday
It is . remarkable fact that every PEI
SON who was ON the stranded vesse
saved their lives-though the expert
once of many was OF . most terribl
nature.
MANY ADDITIONAL WRECKS.
Captain Rogerson, of the tug Pau
son, which brought over the femal
passengers from the City Of Savannah
reports twelve additional wreck
around Beaufort, ST. Helena and Hum
ing Islands. He corroborates the n
ports of the great loss of life on the Sc
islands and has no doubt that the tots
will reach 600. Not = soul survived o
Coosaw island and the stencil ther
u suoh that the dead cannot be bul
led.
Accounts of damage and loss OF lii
are coming from every point touche
by tho storm, as the lines OF commun
cation are restored.
II is thought the cotton and ric
crops are damaged nearly sl.oOo,o ,oo'