The Portland daily press., 1898-10-03
In CYCLONES GRASP.
Savannah, Ga, Swept By a Terri.
BILE Storm.
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE FEARED
AMONG THE SEA ISLANDS.

impossible to Communicate With Them
Now-Crops Were Swept Away Along
shore-Water Eight Feet Higher Than
at the Highest Tide.
Savannah Ga, October 2.-For IL
hours, from O'Clock this morning until
O'Clock tonight, Savannah has been in
the grasp of a West India cyclone. During
that time the wind blew steadily from 80
to z miles an hour. While the city
escaped with comparatively little damage
the loss Of property among the sea islands
of the Georgia and South Carolina coasts
is believed to be heavy. For miles in
every direction around Savannah the low
lands along the rivers are submerged.
Only one fatality SO far has been reported
the drowning Of negro while attempt
ing to reach the main land from small
island near Thunder light but heavy loss
of life is feared from the South Carolina
sea islands, where such awful loss of life
occurred during the great tidal storm Of
1898. The conditions now are similar to
those during that great storm. Owing
to the submerged country and the Isolated
location of the islands, no news can ne
had from them till the water subsidies.
For eight miles north Of Savannah. the
entire country is lake with only the
hummocks visible. at noon the water
was eight feet above the highest tide.
Driven on shore by the northeast storm,
it piled up on the islands, swept OFF banks
and dams, carrying away the remnant OF
the rice crop that was left by the August
storm aud had not been gathered and
wiping out farm crops. The loss OF rice
growers alone will be from $50, 900 to $75,-
600. Of the entire rice crop along the
Savannah river, valued at $3.50, 600, all but
about Is Per cent was lost in this and the
preceding storm. The damage to shipping
is great.
The schooner Governor Ames, which
was on her way to sea with cargo OF Il
500, 600 feet Of lumber, went adrift in the
harbor, but was secured safely. The
whsrvas mt the quarantine station at the
entrance to the river here, were partially
carried away. The quarantine officer and
his family and servants were rescued
early in the day by tug. Four vessels
which were at anchor at the station were
torn from their moorings and driven into
the marshes Three of these were the
British schooner Syanara, bound from st.
John, N. b.; the American schooner
Nillville for Millville, N. j.. and the
Fannie L. Childs for Boston, all lumber
Ior FropIy1iv,
How badly these vessels are damaged is
unknown. No news has been received /
from Tybee since early in the morning
and nothing is known of the damage
there.
At Thunde rbolt and Isle of Hope,
suburbs of Savannah, all the bathouses
on the banks and hundreds OF small boats
we're carried away. The extent to which
the railroads suffered is not fully known.
The naval stores and cotton and lumber
yards of the Plant system are submerged
and the tracks of the Central of Georgia
and Georgia and Alabama roads around
the city, are covered. The North bound
express on the F. G. aud P. r. R., due
here from Florida at noon, has not yet
arrived. Telegraph wires, except one Wire
over the Western Union lines, are down,
and the condition of the railroad tracks
is unknown.
The telephone, police, light and fire
alarm wires are down and the city is in
darkess.
On Hutchinson island, opposite Savan-
nah, and separating the city from the
South Carolina shore there were many
negro families rescued by boats from the
revenue steamers Tybee and Boutwell,.
All day resouing parties were at work.
Tonight the wind has subsidized, but the
water, which receded with the ebb of the
tide, during the afternoon, has again
risen. Considerable anxiety is felt for
shipping at sea. The o. S. S. company's
steamer Nacoochee, -.for New York and
Merchants and Miners steamer d. H.
Miller, for Baltimore, went to sea Satur-
day night The City of Macon of the 0.
S. S. line was due this morning from
New York, but has not arrived and the
City of Augusta of the same line. sailed
from New York Friday and was due here
tonight. The gextent of the storm is un-
known and until telegraphic communica-
ton is restored or news received from the
country between Savannah and Jackson
Vile, over which the heaviest part of the
storm passed, the full xtent of it's dam
age cannot be told.
SPANIARDS EASILY ENCOURAGED.
Madrid, October 3.-The conoiliatory
and cordial spirit shown by the delegates
to the Paris conference has produced a