The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-10-03
Grave Fears for People on South Carolina
Sea Islands.
Conditions Now Similar to Those
During the Storm Of 1898,
When Such Fearful Loss Of Life
Occurred-The Entire Country
for Miles North of Savannah,
Georgia, Submerged.

| SAVANNAH (Ga), Oct. 2.-For four
| teen hours, from o'clock this morn
| ing until o'clock tonight, Savannah
has been in the grasp of West In
dian tornado. During that time the
wind blew steadily from fifty to sew
enty miles an hour While the city es-
capped with comparatively little damage,
the loss of property among the Sea ISL
ands of the Georgia and South Caro-
| lima coast is believed to be heavy.
Only one fatality has so far been re-
ported-the drowning of a negro while
attempting to reach the land from a
small island near Thunderbolt; but
heavy loss of life is feared on the South
Carolina sea islands, where such fear
full loss of life occurred during the great
tidal storm of 1898. The conditions
now are similar to those during that
storm. Owing to the submerged coun-
try and the isolated location of the ISL
ands, the news cannot be had from
them until the weather subsidies For
miles north of Savannah the entire
country is submerged. At noon the
water was eight feet above the highest
| tide. Driven on shore by the northeast
storm, it filled upon the islands, swept
the remnant of the rice crop that was
left by the August storm and had not
been gathered and will destroy farm
crops.
The rice crops along the Savannah
River, valued at 100000, was lost IN
this storm.
The damage to shipping is consider
able. The schooner Governor Ames
which on ta
cargo of 100000 feet of lumber went
adrift in the harbor but was secured
safely. The wharves at the quarantine
station at the entrance to the river
harbor were partially carried away
Four vessels which were at anchor at
the station We're torn from their moor
ings and driven into the marshes.
The extent to which the railways
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 Railroad Of
Georgia and the Georgia and Alabama
Railroad around the city are covered
The northbound express on the F. c.
and p. Railroad, due here from Florida
at noon, has not yet arrived Tele-
graph wires are down. and the condf-
$500
The telephone, police, light and fire
| alarm wires are down, and the city is
in darkness.
On Hutchinson's Island opposite Sa-
vannah, and separating the city from
the South Carolina shore, there were
many negro families rescued by boats
from the revenue steamers Tybee and
Boutwell,. One man with a child in his
started 10 ao,,
water up to his body His wife with
another child stood in the window of
their house, the floor of which was al
ready flooded by the rising water. and
watched her husband feel his way. step
by step, along the top of the treacher-
Gus dam, one false step from which. or
a caving bank, would throw him into
a swift moving current. Finally. he
was sighted from across the river on
the city side. A boat was put out and
after half an hours effort the man
was rescued. Upward of a hundred
people were brought from the island
to the city in boats.
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 shin
ping at sea. The steamer Nacoochee
for New York and the steamer D. II.
Miller for Baltimore went to sea Satur-
day night. The City of Macon was due
this morning from New York. but has
not yet arrived. and the City of Au-
gusta sailed from New York Friday
and was due here tonight.
RICE LANDS FLOODED.
GEORGETOWN IS. c., Oct. "A
brisk northeaster since last night has
caused the swell to break over the
docks here, and caused loss to the rice
crops estimated at $4,000.