The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-03
Loss Caused by the Big
StOrmsin Boston.
MANY SAILORS DROWNED
Order Is Slowly but Surely EvOlv-
ing Out Of Chaos.
INCIDENTS OF GREAT STORM.

Boston, Feb 3-The full realization OF
the magnitude and severity of the winter
hurricane which on Monday night and
Tuesday morning made a record for it
self in eastern Massachusetts, and in
Rhode Island was the feature of We'd
nesday's revival OF business and COM
munication with the outside world after
many hours OF well nigh obliyion. With
the resumption OF traffic and the slow
patching up OF telegraph wires, as well
as the arrival of mails from different
points, came more OF the details of the
terrific and now historic storm. People
here were In a measure able TO account
the loss not only 10 property, but of the
lives OF those who go down TO the sea in
ships. for while the former already foots
up we'll into the millions. the loss Of life
on the rocky New England coast and in
the wild surges of Massachusetts, bay
VIII probably not be equalled for many
years to come.
That so many brave seamen should
have found a watery grave will undoubt-
edly make this the most startling feature
of the storm. and as the reports come in,
meager 10 be sure. but nevertheless
trustworthy, OF bodies not singly but in
twos and threes being picked up along
shore. il was seen that while the blowing
down of telegraph poles and the crippling
OF ra!road traffic were hindrance to
communication. II sank into insignih-
canoe as compared with the terrible
news OF brave sailors going TO their death
while their ships OF oak were broken to
D. an Ion
titled bodies lie In the coroner's office in
Gloucester. Five more are in Lynn,
brought over from Little Nahant. on the
rocky beach OF which was wrecked the
schooner Charles s. Briggs. Twelve un-
known corpses are reported to be at
Bakers island in Salem harbor They
foo, must have manned some OF the
schooners which were lost in Gloucester
harbor. That there are others in the
dark waters Of the bay seems almrrt
certain. but today 10 dead can be count
ed. all victims of the storms fury.
Up and down the coast from Cape Ann
TO Cape Cod are strewn the grim vestiges
OF the storm. Gloucester harbor was the
storm center of wrecks, but the beaches
near this city were not exempt from a
Similar spectacle while the shipping
within half mile OF the wharves broke
from their cables during that fearful
night and worked destruction to them
selves and their neighbors. On land the
loss by the storm seems 10 have been
corhned entirely 10 property. for while
horses almost entirely without number
were killed in the main thoroughfares of
Boston. electrocuted by falling trolley
wires. by same miraculous chance no
human being was struck, though there
were many ESCAPES. This wholesale
slaughter Of dumb animals was perhaps
the only CHASTITY feature of the storm in
this citv
After "a hours Of unremitting la Dor the
two big telegraph companies were en-
able 10 obtain few messages over their
own lines with the outside world Boston
seemed. however. 10 be harder to reach
than other cities affected by the storm,
for while communities only few miles
away managed to obtain good communi-
cation late in the day. IL seemed as If
clear wires would never reach this city.
Tie railroads, however, helped out won
derfully In bringing in news from more
fortunate localities. and the officials of
the different companies worked as hard
cs the telegraph men 10 get their service
once more near its normal condition.
Thetelectric car service, in the city at
least 'also became once more a factor
hn human affairs, and nearly all OF the
different divisions were in working or
der by noon. outside the city the en-
barge was much harder TO break. and
ct night but few of the smaller towns
had "A local service. The telephone
proved its value by giving almost con-
tinuous service in this city. and prac-
tically the only communication with
New York was by the.long distance lines
summing up OF the storms work is
as yet difficult but 1t appears almost GER
fain that the great hurricane claimed
more than dozen human lives. wrecked
over 80 schooners in Massachusetts bay.
completely prostrated all telegra ph lines
and caused total property loss of nearly
100000. The cost of the storm in this
city is estimated as follows: Boston
Elevated Railway company, 1924, 900; city
OF Boston, $4,000; Western Union Tele-
graph company. $4,000; Postal Tele-
Giaph company. $4,000; Long Distance
Telephone company. $4,000: New Eng and
Telephone company. $40, 600: electric light
companies. $4,000; fire alarm and police
signal service. $4,000. fire losses due to dis
abled equipment and defective wires
100000; steam railroads. s125. 900: loss 10
shipping interests about $3.50 900: loss TO
Boston's business interest at least $780,
coo; total. S1,42e,O00.