The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-03
LINER STILL IN THE LURcH.
SUNDAY VISITORS NEARLY CREATE
A FAMINE At LONG BRANCH.

Eight Excursion Trains Run by one
Railroad Yesterday, While Steam
ers, TrOlIeys, Wagons, Carts and
Cycles Bring Thousands to view
the Stranded Ocean Greyhound.
Hotels and Restaurants Exhaust
Their Supplies and Turn Away
Crowds of Hungry PeOpIe-St. Paul
Rests Easy and n Tide or Two More
VIII FIOat Her.
Long Branch, N. j., Feb. 2.-Thls IA
nous seaside resort in its palmiest days
never saw larger crowds than those which
have visited the Branch" since the
American line steamer ST. Paul has been
aground opposite the Grand View hotel. a
conservative estimate of to-day's visitors
places the number at $500. The Penn
sylvania railroad ran eight excursion
trains from Philadelphia, but these could
not accommodate the people who wanted
to see the stranded steamer. Among the
sightseers were hundreds of the employees
Of Cramps shipyards. where the St. Paul
was built The chief engineer of the yards
was one of the number.
Two special trains were ruin from New
York. and the trolley cars from Asbury
Park brought thousands of passengers.
Farmers drove in from the country. liv-
cry men had all their rigs hired out, and
bicycle riders were out in large numbers.
Long Branch did not expect such a gath
ering, and as a result the accommodations
were exceedingly poor Restaurants ran
out of edibles before / o'clock and were
compelled to turn thousands away hun
cry. When It was seen. however, that
the restaurants could not entertain the
visitors, the bakeries and grocery stores
were thrown open. and they
did land office business in
selling cake. crackers and cheese. Profess
sional crooks mingled with the crowd on
shore and got away unmolested. Several
persons reported the loss of watches, poe
textbooks and jewelry TO the police.
The wind was strong from the north
west all day and between 10 ana IL O'Clock
in the morning, IL registered forty-eight
miles an hour at the local weather bu-
reau. In the afternoon II fell 10 twenty
four miles and when the sun set, tt became
very faint. The result Of the northwest
wind was an extremely low tide lower
in fact than at any other time since the
liner stranded. At 3 o'clock this after
noon when the tide was at ITS lowest
there was not over FIVE feet of water on
the bar Sixteen feet of the red water
line of the ST. Paul showed, indicating
lldL Lnt 6ledtltI was III Ant EdHu anu
clay TO the depth of at least six feet. The
two screws were out Of water nearly all
day.
There was no attempt made to float the
vessel during the day on account Of the
low tide.
When the ship was moved at high water
last evening Frederick Reilley, who has
charge Of the telephone on board, was
| compelled TO pay out on the wire to pre-
vent II from swapping In two. He esti-
mated that the steamer moved twenty
feet.
Capt. Merritt. one of those in charge OF
floating the ship, says that she IS below
the sand in the sticky clay, making 1t
exceedingly hard TO move her He further
says that she IS In fairly easy position
and will be pulled off with two or three
more high tides.
To-day Displayman Martin, who has
daily weather reports from Washington,
received the following message from w.
l.. Moore, chief of the United States
weather bureau at Washington: winds
will probably SHIFT TO northeasterly by or
before Monday evening, increasing to
much force. Notify stranded steamer st.
Paul"
Copies Of the telegram were furnished
Capts. Jamison, Merritt and Chapman.
Tonight the barometer is falling good
evidence that the storm predicted is on
it's way. Mr. Martin, who is somewhat
Of a weather sharp, said tonight that in
his opinion, the st. Paul will be hoated
tomorrow or Tuesday.