Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-10-14
ANOTHER S0U'E4STER.


Rats. Wharves and Everything that
would Float 4 Tangled 1fass.
The great storm that has been work
lag its way from Bahama reached this
neighborhood yesterday and continued
increasing in force with every hour, un-
til by dark it was blowing furious
gale, with the rain pouring in torrents
The wind blew with such velocity as to
C use repetition Of the scenes of the
August storm. Between six and seven
O'Clock the wind had attained such a
velocity that umbrellas stood no show
and were turned wrongsideout in the
twinkling of an eye. At this time the
rain was being waited in sheets,
and those who managed to keep the
water from their faces had every other
part of their bodies soaked by the driv-
ing rain. In some instances it even
penetrated the pockets of pedestrians.
Most people vowed that should they
once get within doors they would stay
there. As the night advanced the tenn
pest increased in force, and, to add to
the weirduess Of the scene without, the
electric lights on an entire circuit
ceased to burn, the wires having been
blown down. Twigs and branches
from trees would fall in showers as a
heavy flaw struck the city, while the
prostration Of a fence occasionally Or
the tumble Of bricks from chimneys
would occasion increased anxiety to
the many in whose minds the account
of the terrible devastation on the Gulf
coast was still fresh. Numbers of peo-
pie, in fact, made no attempts to sleep;
indeed, so apprehensive were some
that they remained downstairs until
between three and four o'clock this
morning when the scudding clouds fro IN
the northwest showed that the wind
had at last ceased to blow from the
the storm quarter.
At eight O'Clock last night the tide
had reached the highwater mark. It
then had four more hours to flow, and
at midnight it reached point ten
inches higher than ever was known
hereabouts During the freshet which
caused the Johnstown flood, in the lat
ter part of May, 1889, the water from
the river invaded the streets westward
further than had ever been known up
20 that time. The highest point reach
ed by the water was then marked. and
last nights storm swelIed the flood ten
inches higher. From Point West
(the peninsula north of the gas works.
to Jones's Point there was an almost I'M
broken sheet of water-a veritable We
netian canal -navigable for all classes
of small boats. At this hour the wind
was roaring and the waves dashing.
causing craft of all sorts to pound
against the wharves, demolishing the
latter and damaging and in some cases
sinking the former. For about dozen
blocks every building on the Strand
and most all on Union Street were
flooded, fires extinguished, floors loos-
ened and merchandise damaged or de-
stroyed Jones's Point light was SUR
rounded by water, and several hogs
belonging to Mr.. Greenwood, the keep
er, were drowned. The wall around
the lighthouse was damaged by the
high tide and wind. Everything in the
shipyard that could float was being
waited hither and thither by the wind
and waves, and fears that loss of life
would result caused no little anxiety to
those living on the low land in the
neighborhood. The ferry steamer City
of Washington, lying at the shipyard,
was raised by the abnormal tide to the
top of the wharf and her guards get
ting foul of the piles it was found i'm
possible to release her, and this morn
ing she was found with her starboard
side high up and her port rail awash
with the river. The sailing craft at
the yard faired badly. Two vessels
were pounded so long and with such
force against the wharves as to have
holes stove in their sides which caused
them to sink. The captain Of one of
these vessels "a pungy), finding his boat
sinking under him, saw that the only
chance of saving his life was to attempt
to swim ashore. Divesting himself of
most of his clothing he committed him
self to the water, and amid the surging
flood CT floating timber, small boats and
drift wood he succeeded amid the dark
ness in reaching place of safety.
The cove to the north OF the ship
yard by daylight was Heterogeneous
mass of overturned and damaged fish
ermen's arks, small boats, timber, cord
wood, logs, railroad ties, &C., and the
railroad track leading to the transfer
slip was packed and iammed with logs
rendering it impossible to run cars.
The floating slip was elevated to the
angie OF a pyramid, rendering the as
cent to the barge so steep that had the
track been clear it would have been
impossible to transfer cars. The pump
house with the boiler and engine were
overturned.
From this point to Fishtown similar
scenes were presented. The wharves
were all awash with the river and all
had been considerably damaged and in
numbers of cases completely destroyed.
The alley running from the Strand to
Union street, between Prince and
Duke, was literally lined with cord
wood, while the roadway on The river
front presented scene of devastation
never before witnessed hereabouts.
In some cases boats had been cast upon
the wfaryes aud broken to pieces by
the wind and waves and the debris piled
against the warehouses. AS stated,
the water invaded every building on
the river front and nearly every one on
Union street, but that locality having
suffered so often by floods, precaution-
airy measures had been taken for the
preservation of merchandise and the
damage therefore was not as heavy as