The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-14
WRECKAGE.
Now Strewn Along the
Atlantic Coast.
Many Summer Resorts Sue
cumbed to Gales Fury.
Unusually High and Powerful Waves
Made Ruin Complete.
New York. Oct. 1.-THE great storm OF

New York, Oct. 1.-THE great storm OF
'9G has not yet been relegated 10 the an
nails OF the past The story has not hall
been told. No one has so far been able
to estimate the damage wrought by the
wilma and the waves, nor 10 say how far
reaching was the fury of the gale. But
as far as the eye can see, from any point
along the shores of Long Island, along
the Jersey coast, in over the lowland,
and, in some instances, over the high
lands, wherever one may turn, there are
the evidences that hurricane has been
passing through this section of the coun
try. 1t was tho tail of a storm that came
from the Indies broad and destructive;
IL lifted the seas 20 "a giant height, and
forced the waters with a sweep that car
ried them high over the land to begin
the work the wind and rain would
finish. For two days and night, the
gale blew with increasing fury. and yes.
terday there was a steady downpour OF
rain, to complete the miserable devasta
ton already well done.
Thousands spent the day at the
beaches. TO view the work OF destruction,
and to look upon the piles of twisted
rafters. broken piles, up-turned pavil.
ions, oyerthrown cottages and the ruins
of resorts of amusement, that in former
days were the pride of those who have
made the beach their summer home
Handsome lawns have been torn up like
plowed fields. and when the storm was
at its height, the huge structures them.
selves, in many places, were threatened
by the waves. At Brighton Beach and
at Manhattan, at Edgemere, at Fan
Rockaway, and at other points along the
ba IN CT n or Mt
under the very foundations OF the build
ings and more than once they shook and
shivered under the terrific pounding OF
the seas. one hotel did go down. That
was the Brunswick, at Sea Isle City, the
finest structure of its kind in that sec
tion. How many smaller buildings We're
caught up by the wind and wrecked, OF
inundated, is up To the present unknown.
Ii is certain, however, that the number
is large, IL for no other reason than the
reports that have already come in 10
the effect that in some sections, whole
districts, on the coast were clean-swept
of the frame buildings that for years
have served for every purpose, from a
bath house TO home.
Nor was ii along the coast alone that
the fury Of the gale manifested itself.
Jersey City was in places practically
Inundated. Boats were a valuable ac-
Quisition yesterday. both for purposes
OF removal and for purposes Of locomo-
tion. The railroads in that section of
New Jersey, which are unfortunate
enough to be located close TO the shore,
were sufferers to the extent of suspend
ing business for a period, and many Of
the smaller towns in that state had to
be content with lonesome existence,
which in some instances continues, foI
oil traffic In and out of those places were
stopped.
Householders at Asbury Park and
Long Branch, for the summer visitors
had long since taken their departure,
gathered to watch the fury of the seas,
wonder-stricken and amazed at the
greatness Of the waters, for while the
watchers at Asbury were gazing, the
famous board walk, the New Era monu-
ment and a thousand and one beauties
and attractions of the magnificent
watering place were swept away, and
those who stood by the beach at the
Branch looked upon a destruction just
as dire.
But Coney Island was the creates,
sufferer One may not now stroll
through the walks fronting the beach,
but he may climb wearily over the
masses OF ruins that mark the old paths,
or stand afar and view the wrecked
pavilions and water chutes and ice
slides. The beer gardens that stood
upon the shore, and the bath houses and
floats, from the farthermost corner of
Manhattan to way beyond the end af
the Bowery at West Brighton. a point
that marks the end OF long line of
amusement places. all have fallen.
Seidrs concert hall. at Brighton, is among
them. The ruins of two walls are all
that mark the huge structure which
crashed In under the force of water
hurled against it. 1t is believed that
several hundred thousands would not
cover the value of the places thus de-
stroyed
Yesterday the tide was higher than
anybody had ever before remembered
IL to be. 1t only needed this to COM
plete the devastation along the beaches.
The seas simply swept over the adjoin-
ing districts, hundreds OF feet beyond
what had long ago been fixed as the line
CT safety. AS a result dwellings were
Hooded, and some of them are not yet
safe from collapse.
IL the authorities at Washington would
make a survey of the coast from Sandy
Hook TO Cape May, as IL Is at present.
they would find many errors in the care
fully marked maps they now possess.
Not only have new bays been formed.
but the old shoals and bars In many
places have been pounded away.
A Pank i'm TrOuhle