The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-12-31
The Dense Fog Settled Down Over Land
and Sea Last Night.
THE TUG PlEDMONT'S CLOSE SHAVE
Loses Pilot House and SMOKE stack
Capt. walkers Marrow Escnpe-
Tut bnck TO the Whnrr-So One
WINS lIurt-GhOstiy Effect OF the
Fog Little Movement flu Iunrbor.

Last night was an ideal one for
hilbustoring expedition. y vessel of al
most any size, loaded with arms ana
ammunition and Il whole regiment of
chbah sympathl2ers could have stolen
out OF the harbOr with absolute inn
nunity and been we'll on it's way 10 the
niue island before the dense fog had
cleared sufficiently TO permit II Gov
'rhment boat to make even Il prctcnsc
oi searching FOR hof. 1t Is not to be
this sort actually occurred. though
there was a rumor afoat about G O'Clock
ol Il strange looking craft swinging at
anchor off Crancy Island and looking
Tor all the world like the llibustcrng
ships one reads so much about now-a-
days. In other words, it was long low
rakish. painted black and wore a sus-
pic!ous air.
y GHOSTLY SCENE.
The fog settled over the city ana Sec
lion like II blanket and was the thckcst
that has been seen here for long time
ON shore it was difficult to distinguish
ones friends from ones enemies five feet
away. l'edcStrains assumed the appear
ance of pcrambulating apparitions.
Telegraph poles grew to a double
length, and stood in long rows like
Ehostiy and silent sentincls Houses
along the street sides became distorted
and unshapcn Sounds were mutlicd
and came to the listener unnaturally
and uncouthly. And through it all,
there raned n dew which. while per-
haps not ''ghastly." was penetrating
ana chilling. 1t was an uncanny scene.
ON THE HARBOR.
ON the harhor there was ms little
movement as possible and those vessels,
which were compelled TO go out proceed
| ed with the utmost caution and dcllh-
Grafton. at half speed. ana with whis-
Ties blowing. Vessels at anchor kept
| their bells ringing, ana Il quaint no,
unmclodious chime tloatcd across the
log haunted waters and lost itself i'm the
| further gloom.
Here and there lights could be seen
out in the harbor burning hazily and
uncertainty In their halves. Along the
wharves. laborcrs loading and unload
ing vessels. looking strangely GnumeiiRc
ana internal. They worked in silence,
or when they spoke it was in n whisper.
RAN INTO \ SCHOONER.
With conditions like these. about and
around him. at S.l5 o'clock last night
Clriain Walker, a wcll-known night
plot, undertook 10 take the Southern
railways tug Piedmont to Primers
Point for the purpose of carrying over
a physician to attend an injured man
at that place. Ten minutes after le.v-
ing the wharf Captain Walkers keen
eyes made out not twenty-five feet
''it'st'i VI MN Il lNO-lnaSltu StlODnpu
Tying mt anchor She was ringing no
bell. nor were her lights visible Her
name was not distinEuishablc
Ii was too late to avoid collision,
though the course of the tug was
changed several points. bringing her
directly under the schooncrs flying lib
boom, which rakcd the tug from stem
To stern, carrying away the pilot house.
and cabin and the smoke stack, together
with the ncttcd railing.
MARVELLOUS ESCAPE
Captain Walker has a marvellous cs-
cape. As the big boom swept the pilot
house from over his head. leaving him
standing. o. rather couched. at the
wheel entirely unharmcd, when by all
precedent of chance, he should have
been iloundcring about i'm the icy
waters. He grasprd the wheel again
ana concluding that discretion was the
better part of valor, put back to The
wharf.
HeYond the damage mentioned the tug
was not otherwise injured. nor was the
schooner, unless perhaps her boom may
nave been wrenched away. Not soul
on either vessel was hurt