Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-09-06
PORT ROYAL WIPED OUT.
Terrible Loss of Life In the Storm and
Tidal Wave,


AUGUSTA, Ga, Aug. 30.-News is re-
ceived from Port Royal, S. c., that
100 lives were lost in the cyclone
that burst upon that town at the
rate of 100 miles an hour Mon
day, followed by tidal wave
that almost swept the town
away. The information is furnished by
E. M. Averill, general freight and pass
enger agent of the Charleston, Sumptor
4 Northern Railroad, who came up
| from Port Royal last night. 1t is the
first information received from that
point. He says Port Royal is complete
ly, cut off from the outside world.
All telegraph wires are down
| horror of this disaster who has not seen
it. 1t is impossible to estimate the dam
age done. Mr.. Averill was unable to
state the exact number of lives lost, but
without overestimating he says he is
certain they will number over 100.
Many white people on the island had
most miraculous escape, as the water
swept over the entire island and carried
| almost everything away For hours
it was between fifteen and twenty
feet deep with the wind blowing 12O
miles an hour. The physicians of the
island are drowned. The people Of
Beaufort and Port Royal were appre-
hensive in regard to the fate Of St.
Helena, small island four miles from
Beaufort. They were unable to hear a
single word from there Mr.. Averill
says just as he left reports came in of
several fatalities on this island, that
some of the best known citizens had
been killed.
There were twenty-five lives lost be-
tween Port Royal and Seabrooke, a
small station only four miles from the
harbor. All were negroes and planta-
ton hands.
The unfortunates were killed and
drowned. He saw himself thirty dead
bodies. Others were being recovered
when he left and many we're still miss
ing. The suffering and misery in the
shattered town cannot be pictured.
Nearly all the drowned were ne
groes: So far as reported when
Mr.. Averill came away only six white
persons had lost their lives. The
negroes were SO frightened and horror
stricken that in many cases they we're
killed by not having enough strength
left them to desert their shanties and
seek places of safety. Twenty persons
were drowned on Paris Island, a short
INSTANCE from beaufort, where the
United States naval stores are kept
CHARLESTON, S. c., Aug. 3O.-This city
was subjected to the full fury Of the tor
nado Sunday night. The only
loss of life here was the drown
ing of three negroes, but the prop
erty damage was enormous. Hundreds
OF trees lie uprooted across roadways.
Streets are streWn with debris from
buildings, and the magnificent water
front is packed with wreckage. The
Battery is badly wrecked. The terrible
flood of waters which dashed over the
ramparts did their work effectually. In
the wake of the rushing waters
was left shattered walls, pros
trate trees and masses of debris.
Point Garden has been swept from
the angle of the sea wall to the foot Of
King Street. At one place on South
Battery the break is 200 feet in length.
The damage to churches will amount to
over $4,000. Mount Zion Methodist
Episcopal Church suffered the worst.
the damage being S35. 900. The new
bridge across Ashley River was swept
away; loss 100000.