The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-06
ECHOES OF THE STORM,
4 Graphic Account Of the Situation
at St. Helena,

City of Savannah Lies Sne Is @AASAy
to Prove a Total Wreck People Not
Looking Out For the Wreckage.
St. Helena Island. S c., Sept. 81 Ven
ture to send brief description Of the
wrecked steamer City Of savannah, and
the sea islands near here.
The first news of the disaster was
brought to Beaufort by three Of the
steamers crew. The almost total de
struction Of all boats made it impossible
to respond Immediately 30 their request
for assistance The only available tug,
the Bristol. started, with a number Of
pilots and others, for the stranded
steamer, the parting remark Of a pilot
to his brother being. Follow me at
once. if you can, 10 the beach" Almost
Immediately, the writer with others, be
gan to prepare TO follow.
A steam launch belonging to a member
of the party was high and dry on one of
the wharves. Jack screws being neces-
sary, a trip of five miles to Port Royal
was made for them. After working
almost without cessation until late hour
Tuesday night, the launch was put into
the water only to find that necessary re
pairs to her would require several days
DELAY. The writer was the only mem Der
of the party TO continue his efforts to get
10 the steamer. A team was secured and
a ride to the first bridge washout con-
sumed much time. Detours into fields
around Instructions in the roads were
necessary bitches and debris of all
kinds were met
LOOKING FOR THEIR DEAD.
Everywhere were marks Of the storm
The whole community were looking for
their dead. The first serious loss was on
the Eustis place where the lands are low
and the tide and water being much above
their usual level, flowed over them with
great swiftness and progress over them
was made still more dangerous by the
flying limbs of trees and the heavy waves
with water from four to ten feet in depth.
Here were met the few remaining people
seeking for their dead and others burying
those found nor was either of these things
easy. the sense Of smell aiding most in
the former. while in thellatter The quanti-
tY of water in the soil made the digging
ola grave difficult. As a result a large
number are barely covered with a few
inches of earth. The boards of wrecked
houses We're used for collins.
FIFTY-THREE DEAD ON ONE PLANTATION
On the Eustis place ffty-three people
were drowned Ga single plantation) At
Wassaw eighteen at Fripps thirty-eight,
and this only on the line of my trip. In
dividuals replying to my questions as to
their losses would do so as follows: 81
have lost seven head Of children and my
wife, again, the wife would be the sur
vivor and all others drowned Again, the
: story of one woman She had managed
to hold on to a baby, and after floating
more than mile, clinging to a patch of
roof, ran into a tree and fOrsak
ing the raft for the tree lost
her baby, the last of her family
In the immediate vincinty of F'rogmore
post Office one hundred and twenty-six
actual deaths were reported, and many
still missing This is reliable informa-
ton.
REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES.
Individual instances of tragic expert
ences are numerous in the heart of this
island of St. Helena. A man with his
wife and six children sought safety in a
tree. Taking his children through the
deep water. one at a time, he placed them
in the tree. They were barely old
enough TO cling there alone. He made four
trips. On his fifth, the house and
remainder of his family were swept away
he barely escaping from the wreck in
time to save his own life, and go back TO
the protection Of those in the tree.
After reaching the last chain of inhab-
tied islands boat was procured after
days delay. This boat was hauled from
the fields a mile from the water. During
this time the rains were frequent and
heavy-a perfect deluge. In sight of my
shelter were many seeking protection
under patches of roofs, while the houses
remaining were packed with scores of
people.
As to provisions, there are none Half
grown sweet potatoes are all that many
can depend upon. The shallow wells Of
the country, poor at first, have been
either filled up or filed with salt water.
THE CITY OF SAVANNAH.
From the beach The wrecked City of
Savannah could be seen plainly. She is
about three miles from shore. directly in
front of the mouth of F'ripps inlet, sur
rounded on all sides by dangerous and I'M
known shoals. The shoals are all changed
by the recent storm.
The port side of the steamer is to the
beach, and the bow is pointing to the St
Helena entrance. She appears high out
of the water, and from the shore side
seems little damaged, but upon near APP
proach she showed a very heavy cant to
starboard, with her stern much higher
than her bow. All her starboard side
above the lower deck is gone
HOW THE SAVANNAH APPEARS
Her starboard anchor is out and her
port anchor on deck. Her masts are all
right. Some of her sails are entirely
gone. Exposed as she must have been to
the high water and heavy seas, it is re-
markable that any of her passengers and
crew escaped. More than half the cargo
has been discharged through the broken
sides and open parts at water line, and as
the tides rise and the heavy seas beat in
IL IS bold man who will venture near
and remain
To reach the steamer, as | did alone in
half seaworthy boat, such as was
picked up, as above described. and having
left my assistant ashore and going by
what had been the old channel, was most
hazardous. Way was made through a
chain of breakers in safety, and upon near
approach, found a party aboard with one
OF the wrecked steamers life boats.
They were after clothing for the unfortu-
mates, who had escaped from the vessel.
WHERE THE VESSEL LIES
As the water about the vessel is onlya bout
seven feet in depth, and subject to a
strong tide and heavy sea, with most diff
1icult and dangerous approaches. little can
be done to wreck the vessel except by
small boats in a very crude way
From the vessels deck a schooner can
be seen in the sands off Trunchard's inlet.
Were it not that all the population are
busy with sorrows. all their own and the
almost total destruction of all small boats,
there would no doubt lie grand rush to
the beach to get that which has been