Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-02-05
NEW RNGLAlD'S STORM.
Latest Reports Tell Of Great Loss
Of Life and Property.
A SCORE OF PERSONS DROWNED

Whose Bodies Have Been Recovered,
While Many More Are Doubtless
Floating In the Deep-The Loss 10
Property Reaches Two Millions.
Boston, Feb. "a score of persons
were drowned and 100000 loss in
ficted by the dreadful storm that
swept over eastern Massachusetts, and
Rhode Island Monday night and Tues
day morning.
-Four unidentified bodies lie In the
coroner's Office in Gloucester Five
more are in Lynn, brought over from
Little Nahart, where the schooner
Charles H. Briggs was wrecked. Twelve
unidentified corpses are reported to be
at Bakers Island, in Salem Harbor.
They, too, must have manned some OF
the schooners which were lost in
Gloucester harbor. That there are
others in the waters Of the bay seems
almost certain.
Wreckage is strewn up and down the
coast from Cape Ann to Cape Cod.
Thirty schooners were wrecked in Mass
achusetts bay. On land the loss by
the storm seems to have been confined
entirely to property. for while many
horses were killed in the streets OF
Boston, electrocuted by falling trolley
wires, by some miraculous chance no
human being was struck.
Twenty-four hours elapsed before d.
rect telegraphic communication was re-
stored between Boston and the rest of
. the world. The electric car service in
the city was restored by yesterday noon.
but in most of the smaller towns the
trolley lines are still crippled.
The pilot boat Varuna reached here
yesterday after an awful experience in
the storm, during which Captain Will
lam II. Fairfield was seriously injured.
AT 10 o'clock Monday night the Varuna
placed Pilot Mcmillan aboard the Cum
ard steamer Catalonia, and the pilot
boat was then headed out into the bay.
Captain Fairfield was the only pilot left
on the boat, and he was standing in the
cockpit aft, keeping her head to the
wind. Suddenly a fearful wave swept
over the Varuna's STERN, throwing Cap
tain Fairfield over the pinnacle He
was nearly unconscious when picked
up. Three of his ribs were fractured,
and he sustained injuries to his Shout
der.
Among the arrivals yesterday was the
steamer Saturn, Captain Wiley, from
Newport News, with the barge Lone
Star in tow. After passing Highland
light on Monday forenoon the vessel
made a lee under Race Point, where
she remained during the blizzard. and
was uninjured. Both the steamer and
barge were heavily ice clad on their ar
rival here.
The Warren line steamship Canbro-
man, from Liverpool arrived yester-
day. Captain Evans stated that at 10
O'Clock Monday night he was 40 miles
to the eastward of Boston light when
the storm broke, and for the safety Of
ship and crew he put to sea again. At
a. m. Tuesday the steamer was put
on her course again, but the gale soon
began to increase in fury, and the
steamer was again headed seward.
When the weather cleared the steamer
was steered for Boston.
St. Johns, N. F., Feb. Sixteen
men, belonging in Trinity Bay, were
driven off in the ice yesterday while
seal hunting. 1t is feared they have
persisted. The boats that were out
seeking them yesterday returned at
nightfall without having got sight of
them. The steamer Vanguard went
in search also. The British brigantine
Lady Bertha has doubtless been sunk,
with seven men.