The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-03

many Interested In shipping who sought
the river to see what damage had been
done. 1t was not long before il was
known that the care taken by the captains
OF vessels had been sufficient, and that
the craft in port were all In good condi-
ton and IN position to easily ride out any
gale without injury The river was seen
TO be unusually high and fears for the
safety OF persons on HutchinsOns island
were expressed.
At Z O'Clock 1t was apparent that the
ISLAND was doomed TO an overflow the wa
ter then being almost level with the top
OF the front banks, and with several hours
yet In which the tide would rise. The gale
was increasing in velocity, and sevral per
sons interested in property on the island
went across 10 take steps 10 protect II as
much as possible. Before O'Clock the
water was over the front banks. the storm
was increasing in violence, and the river
was rapidly rising.
Negroes living on the island were begin
nins to leave Some came over in boats
belonging On the island. The boats were
tossed about by wind and waves, and to
those watching them from the shore il
seemed as though they could never cover
Ae snort distance from the island to the
city Many, though, were 10th to leave
standing by their little homes and patches
OF truck until the water had invaded the
shantles and compelled them to retreat
AT 10 O'Clock the river had risen to the
top OF the city's banks, and was soon
pouring IL an irresistible torrent over the
island. To those on the city front il
seemed as though a great dam had broken.
ana let a mighty volume of pent-up wa
Ter loose, so quickly did the island disaD-
pear from view. In a few minutes the
whole scene was changed Where there
had been fields were ponds OF white-cap-
I ono
talion showed at the top of the banks.
On TO the north, where the waters of the
oack river had swept in to Join those
OF tne main channel, there was no break
picture OF an angry waste until the eve
aened the pine clad hills Of Carolina
rom narrow stream the Savannah rad
been converted into a great bav. The
Inc long lines of foam, the rush OF the
waves, the sudden and terrific gusts of
WIND, all served TO make the scene a
thrilling one. Houses, il could be seen, were
oVernoWed several feet cattle could be TO-
ticed rushing to the tops Of the banks and
TO some knobs for refuge against the sin
rising torrent, and the occasional appear
ance of a black face at an attic window
showed that there We're still lives in jeop-
array ana that there was a possibility of a
repetition Of the tragedy that was enacted
IN the darkness of an August night a few
years ago
By Il o'clock one could have rowed
over the island In a batteau without trouble
ana without going out of the way much
TO avoid spots still out of water. Negroes
We're still leaving the island. One man
was seen making his way cautiously along
the crest of bank holding a child In his
arms The water reached to his waist the
wind and waves almost beat him down by
their violence, but he struggled on. fight
ing the elements fearful Of a plunge into
some ditch when all would have been over
with him and his charge. A boat from
the Boutwell, was seen starting to his aid.
"a wild sweep of rain fell like a veil over
the river and when it passed the man and
child and boat we've no longer visible II
is believed the two, as we'll as a couple of
women of the same household were saved
by the men from the cutter. BY this time
it was impossible for a small boat to live
in mid-stream.
The city tug Theckla went across to
bring back Mr.. John Willink and a negro
man who had gone with him to the island
in the morning. The two put out In boat
to meet the tug, which had come alongside
OF the cutter. They could make no head
way against the cyclone and the tug ran
in further and took them up.
The revenue steamer Tybee, in com
mand Of Lieut.. Maher, was out early in
the morning to render what service could
be rendered in saving life and property.
whether any fIVcs were lost on the is
land will not be known until to- day, per
haps not until tomorrow. 1t is feared that
some negroes may have attempted to leave
when 1t was too late and been drowned.
Some are thought to have remained on the
island until the waters fell late in the af-
ternoon and the storm abated, and then
come over to town. If the storm had
reached its apex In the night, instead OF
midday, there Is no doubt that number
of the residents of the island would have
met their deaths trying to escape. While
none may have lost their lives there has
probably been considerable loss sustained
financially by the damage to growing
crops and the loss of live stock. Many
hogs were running on the island, especial
ly toward the back river. and as there
were no high points there to which they
could make their way they were doubt
less drowned. Some cattle also probably
met death in the same way. One or two
small frame structures are reported to
have collapsed from the violence of the
storm and several are reported to have
been seth floating around. Wherever they
locate they win probably stay.
The hotsam of the storm was greatly
in evidence on the river Its turbulent
bosom bore great masses of marsh grass,
floating islands of green. What was said
TO be wharf pilngs gave indication that
Otle OA tliE tOhtI WudINtS llou Dctil partly
washed away. Loose lumber passed up
the river, swept off some wharf which
had been inundated. Occasionally a skin
or other small boat, bottom upward, swept
along as though propelled by steam. Sea
weeds, carried perhaps over hundreds of
miles of ocean currents, passed up the
river to find their Saragossa sea In a
Georgia swamp. Wild sea birds, gulls,
marsh hens and others, We're hurried along
inland, unable to resist the fury of The
gale, many falling exhausted on the up
per wharves and becoming the prey of
the few tug boats men and others
whose business kept them there during
the day. Unseen by those on the city
We're alligator turtles, large yell
low specimens, water mocassins and other 1
reptiles from the marshy islands. Up at
the Ocean steamship wharves one of the
turtles was captured, fine fellow two
feet long. There, too some mocassins met
their death and marsh hens were gath
cred in net by men on the McCauley
Paulsen and other tugs