The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-10-09
SAVANNAH STRICKEN
A FURIOUS CYCLONE FROM TIE
GULF OF MEXICO.
Life and Property Lost-Other Points
Visited-Charleston Escaped
the Tempest's Fury.

Columbia, Augusta and Atlanta were In
the path OF calm Tuesday. while the equn-
octial storm which has been reported for
some days, caused wreck and ruin TO the
North, South and East of them. Those cities,
with Charlotte were tho only ones In tho
Sosth abte to communicates with each other.
Al teleSraphio connection with Washington,
New Orleans, Jacksonville, Brunswick ami
Savannah was cut of. One railroad wiro
was made whole between Columbia and
Charlotte late In the evening, and over that
came the glad tidings that Charleston had es-
capped the tempest's fury, although the
oceans waters had been hurled into
lated and 1t at enc time appeared ss
II no word could be gotten from there.
Mr.. Estell, the Southern Associated Press
agent, the daily press WAS able to give tho
following account OF the storm at Savannah,
Ga:
Seven lives lost, u million dollars worth Of
property destroyed, Is tho record Of tho cy-
clone which swept Savannah from IL 80 u.
m. until 12:l5 p. m. Tuesday. The loss OF
lie and damage to property are yet nero es-
Inmates, and both may bs greater than now
known. The storm, which has been lurking
In the eastern gulf for tho last two days,
swept rapidly across Florida. At 8 o'clock
Tuesday morning il was Mt Jacksonville, Fla,
and without warning burst upon Savannah
ut III 20. In half an hour it had done its
work. The streets were filed with wreck
age. Hardly hou o in tho city escaped
without more or less damage, though there
are comparatively few total wrecks. When
the wind reached velocity Of &C miles an
hour the instruments at the weather station
were blown away. At noon the barometer
dropped to 1920 and at 1915 wa. 1895.
The storm was terrific In it's intensity, en-
ceeding that Of tho great cyclone of 1893,
which devastated tho South Carolina coast
The shortness of its duration was all that
saved complete unnihiation Of everything
within range.
Tho storm came from tho southeast and
swept directly over the city. Hardly public
building escaped its fury. The forests around
ths city were laid In SwathS. The parks are
In ruins, and many buildings were razed to
the ground. The immense Plant system pas
senyer depot was the first building in the
path OF the storm, and was a complete wreck
The magnificent prize train OF the Plant sys-
tenn, exhibited at the Cotton States Exposi-
tten and stored In the shed, was wrecked
and the cars are almost a total loss. The Cen
trail railroad and Georgia and Alabama rail-
road freight warehouse on the opposite side
OF the city were unroofed and the walls
demolished. The public market was blown
In. The theatre was partially unroof-
ed, and the Second Baptist church
is almost a total wreck. The Savannah hos
pital and the Georgia lnfrmary were unroof-
ed. The City and Suburban Street railway
car sheds, In which were stored twenty cars,
were blown down. The Georgia Hussars'
armory was badly damaged. Nearly every
store in the retail section OF the city was
more or less damaged. The damaae to the
shipping was less than In 1893. One Of tho
| most complete wrecks Is Forsyth park,
| which was the pride OF the city. Three
| fourths Of the trees are blown down or torn
up by the roots, and are laying In every d.
| rectien. The city IL In a tangle OF wires
| The street car lines stopped running soon
after the blow began and the cars are stand
| Ing on the tracks In every part of the city,
but blocked In by trees and debris Of falling
buildings. The houses on the river front
were heavily damaged. The Savannah Guano
company mills, Conner, Hull Cos guano
works and the Southern Cotton Oil compa-
ny's mill and storage sheds on the river
front were badly wrecked.
At Brunswick, Ga. dwellings, stores and
warehouses were more or less damaged and
it Is thought that lives were lost. Sterling, u
small town three miles from the above city
suffered great damage In property that one
woman was killed and several injured. Re-
encc and st. George. =. c.. say that great
damage has been zone in and around these
places. No lives reported lost but several
injured.
The latest from Tuesdays storm Mt Sa-
vannnh and other points Is that the fatalities
still increase. At Savannah eleven are dead
and several more not expected to recover
Beaufort 3. c.. suffered greatly; Richmond
Va, was in the path and suffered. At Staun-
ton, Va, dam breaks and floods the town.