The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-10-28
WRECKS IN STORM WAKE
Great Damage Wrought All Along the
Atlantic Coast.
CONEY ISLAND SUFFERS GREATLY

One of the Worst Storms for Many Years
Jersey Coast Battered by Monstrous
waves---Yachts Dashed on Shore---
Ruin From Cape May to Boston,.
Many Summer Hotels Washed Away.
New YORK CRY. October 1S. S.-Tremendous
damage was wrought all along the Atlantic
Coast from Cape May to Boston by the north
east gale. which ragged fortwenty-four hours
with unabated fury. The fierce winds swept
the shores near New York leaving behind
unsightly piles of wreckage, where once
stood stately hotels and neat pavilioDs. The
wind blew with terrific velocity. At Sandy
Hook, N. j., 1t reached a velocity Of seventy.
Eve miles an hour. The destruction wrought
In and near New York will reach hundreds
Of thousands of dollars.
Summer Resorts Ruined.
Tremendously high tides helped the devas-
tation along the water front and the shores
of Long Island and New Jersey. Coney
Island, Gotham's famous seaside resort, is
a wreck The lercest waves ever seen there
have washed away the beach along the
shore. Many buildings have been totally de-
etroyed. many others seriously damaged, car
tracks have been washed away, and the
Brighton Beach race track was submerged.
was destroyed. Pavilions everywhere
along the beach have been de-
molished. bJardwalks crushed and
acres of the beach have disappeared.
The iron pier at West Brighton was cut in
two, and some thirty feet OF the massive
structure tossed about. The damage all
along the beach, from Norton's Point to the
Oriental Hotel, was very heavy, and bathing
pavlions, large board walks, photograph
and shooting galleries were carried out to
sea. The station of the Marine road near
the Brighton Beach Hotel went seaward at
2 o'clock in the afternoon. At Coney Island
alone 1t Is estimated that the total loss will
not fall much short Of 5000, 900. At Rockaway
Beach and Far Rockaway the loss was at
least s90,0JO.
On Long Island the villages along the
shors have been almost overwhelmed by ter
rlfc waves. Hog Island has been wiped
utmost from the face Of the earth.
Damage on New Jersey Shores.
The New Jersey coast Is track Of ruin.
The Hotel Brunswick at Sea Isle City has
been swept away. Inhabitants OF Asbury
Park in fear and trembling, watched the pro-
toctiuS Uuihuedu uoluS swept away cpilo Wy
spile. Part OF the iron pier at Cage May has
gone. At Long Branch 10000 persons
were gathered watching the awful devasta-
tion. The Marine Observatory at Sandy
Hook was cut off by the wires blowing
down. Everywhere along the coast where
there were lowlands there are bays; where
there were cottages, are piles Of wreckage.
Yachts and small craft have been driven
ashore and wrecked. Costly bulkheads were
carried away at Long Branch, and at Asbury
Park Senator Bradley's famous board walk
was almost completely destroyed. There
was vast ruin at Atlantic City and other
points along the South Jersey coast.
The loss to property owners living between
Elberon and Highland Beach cannot be safe
ly estimated. The pound fishermen place
their loss at $50, 900. Harry Jansen, a fisher
man, was knocked off bulkhead into the
sea, opposite the Scarboro Hotel. Long
Branch. Cliff Anderson. in attempting to
save him, was carried out by breaker. The
two men were nearly exhausted when Cap
tain Charles n. Vandyke resched them with
the aid OF rope that he tied about his body.
Captain Vandyke brought the men safely to
land.