The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-30
HAVOC IN THE SOUTH
Worst Storm Since 1893 Plant
System Depot at Saw
annah Destroyed.

SAY AMMAN, Sept. 80, 1896.-The storm
which had been lurking in the Eastern
Gulf for the last few days swept across
Florida at eleven O'Clock yesterday morn
ing, and without warning burst upon
Savannah. In half an hour it had done
its work. The streets are filed with
wreckage. Hardly house in the city
escaped without more or less damage,
though there are few comparatively total
wrecks. Before the storm was at its
height the weather observer said it would
not be over forty miles an hour. 1t be-
gan to rise at eleven O'Clock. Half an
hour later it was blowing sixty miles an
hour and the cir was filled with flying
debris. When the wind reached a velo-
city of sixty-six miles an hour the instru-
merts at the weather station were blown
away.
The storm was terrific in its intensity
exceeding the great cyclone of 1893, which
devastated the South Carolina coast.NThe
shortness of its duration was all that
saved an annihilation of everything within
its range. The storm came from the
southeast and swept directly over the
city. Hardly public building escaped
its fury. The parks are In ruins and
many buildings were razed to the ground
The immense Plant system passenger
depot was the first building in the path
of the storm and was completely de-
stroyed. The magnificent prize train of
the Plant system, exhibited at the Cotton
States Exposition and stored in the shed
was wrecked and the cars are almost a
total loss. The Central Railroad of Geor-
gia and the Alabama Railroad freight
warehouses; on the opposite side of the
city were unroofed and the walls demol-
ished- The public market was blown in.
The theatre was partially unroofed, and
the second Baptist Church is almost a
total wreck. The Savannah Hospital and
the Georgia Infrmary were unroofed. The
City and Suburban Street Railway car
barns, In which were stored twenty cars,
We're blown down. The Georgia Hus-
sars armory was badly damaged Nearly
every store in the retail part of the city
was more or less damaged.
The damage to the shipping was less
than in 1893. The Norwegian bark Ros-
eniue, anchored in the harbor was cap
sized.
The German bark Cuba, loaded with
naval stores for Hamburg went aground
beiow the city. The bark Mia, loader
with naval stores and ready for Sea, was
blown against the training wall five miles
below the city and is lying on her side.
against the Government jetty near the
mouth of the Savannah River Three
OF her crew and the Captain, c. H. Muir
ray, are supposed to have been lost
| The others were rescued by tug. Two
vessels at Quarantine were blown across
| the river and are high and dry
| The United States revenue cutter Tybee
sustained slight damages. Small boats
were thrown about in every direction
| Telegraphic communication was cut off
az the beginning of the storm, and no
wires have been working in any direction
since noon yesterday, this report being
sent by train for transmission from Mil
| len, Ga.
The only. train to arrive in the city up
70 noon today since the storm began was
| the northbound Plant system fast mail
| which arrived two hours late, and is still
here awaiting information as to the CON
special train was sent out late yesterday
| afternoon over the Plant system. but has
not yet returned No trains have passed
| railroad.
One of the most complete wrecks is
| Forsythe Park, which has been the pride
wires. The street ear lines stopped run
ming soon after the blow began and fhe
cars are standing on the tracks in every
| river front were heavily damaged. 'iie
AT 5oiden Wharf, a flying timber from
svla1i q building ad ga a hundred feet away struck
t4le1 sllace Johnston clerk, killing him in,
at the wreck Of A. s. Bacon & Co.'S
mills. Several persons were also injured
in Ea,s. the destruction OF Gordon,s wharf.
settlement in the southern portion of the
city, were caught under a falling roof
and killed
No news has been received from Tybee
Island, which suffered so severely dur
ing the tornado of August, 1853 Thelre-
ports indicate that the damage and loss
of life will be greater than then.
Baltimore Houses Unroefed.
BALTIMORE, Sept. go. 1sg6-A severe
southeast hurricane struck this city at
eleven o'clock last night. Houses were
unroofed, wires prostrated, windows
smashed and sign boards blown from their
Dastenings. The high wind forced the wa
Ter IN the harbor up into the bed of the
streets, and8 almost the entire northern
water front is submerged. Several schoon-
ers t5at We're tied up at Pratt street
wharf broke from their moorings and
are resting in the middle of Pratt street.
me lower floors and cellars of warehouses
were flooded
me storm, accompanied by heavy
ram, arrived almost simultaneously with
the closing of the theatres. Several street
car lines We're tied up because of damaged
trolley wires, and the many belated pas
sengers were drenched while seeking
places OF shelter or transferring to the
more fortunate lines The Western Union
Telegraph Company reported at midnight
that their wires were down in all direc-
ticns
Havoc at Atlanta.
ATLANTA. Sept. 80. 1896. Specials to
the constitution" from Brunswick state
that the loss by storm there will exceed
midnight the list was incomplete. : :
Plant nd lo1,fJ,orx, -, II -.