The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-09-04
YHE STORM OF 1893.
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IN ITS
WAKE.
THE CHARLESTON CYCLONE.

Special to 1he State, Goth ult.
The cyclone of August 81, 1893, viii
long be remembered as one of the mos
disastrous 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 day.
break on Sunday it had reached about
twenty-elght miles an hour, increasing
rapidly. About 6p. m. there was an
abatelnont Then the barometer
began to fall and the wind began to
,gegain steadily in velocity, until about
e.:idnight, when the cyclone seems to
have reached its height. The final
break in tbeEtorm 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.
The west and east 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 it almost
impossible 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 Citadel Square, Bethel
and st. Joseph's have been reported
as damaged to some extent.
About half dozen vessels were
stranded, and along the entire east
front there is but one pier-that of the
stone-in u condition to be used. A
steam launch, the .Frolic, belonging to
Mr.. Chisolm, 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, and, when the
tide ran out, were found on the pave
ments around the lake. This fashion
able resort is an utter ruin-trees
away by the waves. Beaufain, Rut-
ledge and the other streets in this
vicinity are still pretty well submerg
ed.
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
magnificent promenade known as the
High Battery, which was perfected
after the cyclone of 1885, yielded to
the elements, and lies u mass Of ruins.
The flagstones which were used for
paving weighed u ton each. 1t is q sad
sight.
Business was almost entirely sus-
pended yesterday. The butchers
report heavy losses of cattle, and all
the poultry has perished.
1t is generally conceded that the
cyclone of Sunday night was even
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 of the night.
The following details and incidents
of the storm in and around the city
and on Sullivan's Island are taken
from the News and Courier:
THE LOSS OF LIFE.
The loss of life has been remarkably
slight, considering the fearful damage
which was done to property in every
quarter of the city. The total death
whom met their death in the city and
three on the Island.
Mary Barnwell, colored, was killed
Sunday afternoon on Kramer's farm,
on Charleston Neck, near the Five
Mile House. She was in two story
wooden house with some other persons.
When the cyclone struck the place it
was wrecked in an instant. A dash
for safety was made by every one in
the building, and most of the eight
persons in the house escaped unharm-
death by the falling chimney. Ella
and William Boble, both colored, were
severely cut and bruised about the head
and face.
During the entire day this was be-
lieved to be the only death which had
been occasioned by the storm in the
city Late in the afternoon, however,
investigation of one of the numerous
rumors which were afioat developed
the fact that'a man and child were
drowned about $3.50 p. m. Sunday night
in 4Oung's lot, at the foot of Tradd
street. On YOung's lot were living in
small shanty,>a a negro family com
posed of man named Jones, with his
wife and three children. AT s o'clock
some of their neighbors, who heard
their cries for help, went to their as
sistance.
The woman and two of the children
were gotten into q safe place, but
while negro man named Robert Sim.
mons was trying to save the thirG
child, a boy named James, both o.
them were swept off of the causeway
by the rushing waters. The body of the
child was recovered yesterday after
noon, but the body of Simmons has no
been discovered. Notwithstanding
the numerous vague rumors to the con
trary these were the only deaths in the
city.
WRECK OF THE NEW BRIDGE.
The bridge Of the Charleston Bridg,
Company over the Ashley River il
almost total wreck. The story o
the disaster as told by Mr.. James l.
Jones, the assistant bridge keeper
who was on duty, is as follows: TIL,
bridge, he said, was carried away abOu
III o'clock; three hundred feet of tn,
wood work planking leading from tn,
Charleston causeway was washe,
away. Then another hundred feet ant
the two iron spans are gone, whil
there is another gap on the ST. Andrew
side. The draw is completely wreck
ed, one end of il hanging In the river