The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-06
THE CHARLESTON CYCLONE.
Full Story of the Dine Disaster-The Water
Fronts ofthe City Com pletely Wrecked
The Fury Of the Storm on Sui
liYan's Island.
Especial to The State. ]


CHARLESTON, August 29.-The cy-
clone of August q, 1898, will long be
remem bered as one Of the most disas-
trous Of the numerous disasters with
which Charleston has been visited in
many, many years. The cyclone began
to creep upon US as early as Saturday,
the wind increasing in velocity nearly
every hour. At daybreak on Sunday it
had reached about twenty-eight miles
an hour, increasing rapidly. About 6
p. m. there was all abatement. Then
the barometer began to fall and the
wind began to regain steadily in velo'
city, until about midnight, when tie
cyclone seems to have reached its
! height. The final break in the storm
did not occur till the turn Of the tide
Monday morning. The rain, which
had poured in torrents nearly the entire
night, slackened up, and by noon the
weather had cleared up enough to bring
out hundreds Of persons to view the
ruins.
Tie west and cas-: water fronts are
badly wrecked, and all throughout the
streets of the city the debris of bricks,
stones, lumber, telegraph wires, etc.,
blockades the way. On many of the
streets there are rolls and rolls of tin
roofing which were swept away during
| the night. The tides on the east and
west fronts were forced up into the
neighboring streets to the depth Of
from five to six land in some places
even ten) feet, making italmost impos-
sible for occupants Of the houses to
communicate with the heart Of the
city.
Numbers Of private residences are
injured, and among the churches,
Flynn's, the CitadelSquare, Bethel, and
St. Joseph's, have been reported as
damaged to some extent.
About half a dozen vessels were
stranded, and along the entire east
front there is but one pier-that Of the
custom house, which is constructed Of
stone-in a condition to be used. a
steam launch, the Frolic, belonging to
Mr.. Chisholm, was lifted bodily by the
wind and waves and landed over on
the East Shore Terminal railway track,
apparently uninjured.
The numerous dainty little pleasure
boats anchored in the West End Lake
were washed ashore, aud, when the
tide ran out, were found on the pave
ments around the lake. The fashioD-
able resort is an utter ruin-trees and
benches all overturned and washed
away by the waves. Bea afain, Rut-
| ledge and the other streets in this
vicinity are still pretty wei! submerged.
The most distressing sight is pre-
sented at the Battery. Here the angry
waves swept everything before them,
and the water rose TO the very doors of
| the handsome mansions which face on
East and South Battery. The magnifi-
cent promanade known as the High
Battery, which was perfected after the
cyclone of 1855, yielded to the elements,
and lies a mass of ruins. The flagstones
which were used for paving weighed a
ton each. 1t is sad sight.
Business was almost entirely sus-
pended yesterday. The butchers report
heavy losses of cattle, and all the poul-
try has perished.
It's generally conceded that the cy-
clone of Sunday night was even worse
than that of 1885; but this, of course, is
a matter of dispute, and the actual
damage in dollars has not yet been
computed.
The electric lights and the gas meters
got out of order, and this only added
to the dreariness CT the night.
The following details and Incidents
| of the storm in and around the city
| and on Suilivan's Island are taken fron
! the News and Courier Of this morn
ing: