The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-03
IN A T0RNAD0'S GRASP
Great Loss of Property Among
the Sea Islands.
LOSS OF LIFE FEARED
The Water Eight Feet Above the Hirh-
est Tde-The Entire Country Sub
merged = The City OF sa-
vannah In Darkness.

| savannah, Ca, Oct. 2.-FOr Is 1our,
from . o'clock this morning until
o'clock tonight Savannah has been IN
the grasp OF a West Indian tornado
During that time the wind blew stcadi.
ly from so to 20 miles an hour. Wb.,s
the city escaped with comparatiyely
little damage. the loss Of property
among the sea islands Of Georgia and
| South Carolina coasts is believed 10 he
heavy. For miles in every direction
around Savannah the lowlands along
the rivers are submerged. Only one IA
tality has so far been reported the
browning or negro while attempting
10 reach the land from a small island
near Thunderbolt-but heavy loss of
life is feared on the South Carolina
sea islands, where such fearful loss M
lie occurred during the great tidal
storm OF 1893. Owing to the submerg-
ed country and the isolated location of
the islands no news can be had from
them until the water subsidies. For
eight miles north of Savannah the en-
tire country is lake. with only the
hammocks visible. At noon the water
was eight feet above the highest tide.
Drlven on shore by the northeast
storm, II filled up on the islands swept
over banks and dams. CARRYING awav
the remnant of the rice crop that was
iert py the August storm and had not
peen gathered and wiping out farm
crops. The loss to rice growers alone
Will be from $4,000 to 5000. OF the
entire rice crop along the Savannah
,INer, Vaiued az s25o.O00, all but about
10 per cent was lost in this and preced-
ing storms.
The damage to shipping is considera-
pie. The schooner Governor Ames
winch was on her way to sea with a
cargo OF 100000 feet of lumber. went
adrift In the harbor. but was secured
safeiy. The wharves at the quarantine
station at the entrance to the river
here were partially carried away. -Four
vessels which were at anchor at the
station were torn from their moorines
and driven into the marshes. Three of
these were the British schooner-sysn--
ara. bound for St. John, N. B.: the
american schooner Milleville, for Mile
vile. N. j.: the Fanny L. Child for
Boston. all lumber laden. and the ItaI-
ian bark Franklin. How badly these
vessels are damaged is unknown. No
news has been received from Tybee
since early in the morning and moth
ing is known of the damage there
: some suburbs of Savannah, all the boat
louses on the banks and hundreds of
small boats were carried away.
The extent to which the railroads suf-
Tered IL not fully known. The naval
stores end cotton and lumber yards of
lhe rant system are submerged and
the tracks of the Central railroad Of |
Georgia and the Georgia e. Alabama |
railroad around the city are covered |
Ihe northbound express on the Florida /
central Pensacola railroad. due here /
rom FLORIDA at noon, has not arrived. /
telegraph wires. except one wire over |
he Western Union lines. are down. and |
ne condition of the railroad tracks Is
Unknown. Telephone, police, light and
ire alarm wires are down and the city
5 in darkness
On Hutchinson's island, opposite Sa-
,annah and separating the city from
ne Carolina shore. there were many
iegro families rescued by boats and the
eVenue steamers Tybee and Boutwell,
)ne man with a child in his arms. hold
ng the little child above his shoulders.
tarted to cross the dam with the water
~ 10 his body. His wife. with another
hid, stood in the window Of their
ouse the floor of which was already
CODED by rising water and watched
er husband feel his way. step by step,
long the top of the treacherous dam.
ne false step from which, or a caylnp
ank, would throw him into a swift
loving current. Finally he was sighted
rom across the river on the city side.
! boat was put out and after half an
ours effort the man was rescued. I'm ,
ards or a hundred people were brought |
'om the island to the city in boats. ,
All day rescuing parties were at work. (
o-night the wind has subsided, but
he water. which receded with the ebb ,
the tide during the afternoon, has
gain risen. '
Considerable anxiety is felt for ship I
ing al sea. The steamer Nacooche, for
ew York, and the steamer d. II. Mil !
r. for Baltimore. went to sea Saturday !
ght. The City Of Macon was due this 7
orning from New York. but has not
rived. and the City Of Augusta sailed
ON New York Friday and was due
IRE tonight. {
The extent OF the storm is unknown I
Id until telegraphic communication is
stored or news is received from the c
untry between Savannah and Jack =
nville. over which the heaviest part of !
e storm passed. the full extent of the !,
image cannot be told.