The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-18

InG ktIho
nm Hour Yesterday, Accompanied by
Tremendous Rain F~aIl-Alarm at the
Reaches - rne highest Tides Ever
sac People Fled To the City
from wrightsville aud Carolina
Reaches
The Messenger yesterday morning
chronicled the advent of the great
West India hurricane to this region.
At 2 o'clock a. m. a steady gale was
blowing and when this paper went TO
press yesterday morning the hurricane
had reached this part Of the country in
the most unmistakable manner.
THE STORM IN THE CITY.
In this city at 4 o'clock yesterday
morning the wind was blowing at a We
locity of twenty-six miles an hour and
the barometer was falling.
The wind gradually increased in We
locity and was accompanied by a ire
mendous rainfall in the morning, and
at 2:30 D.. H.. the velocity OF the wind
reached thirty miles. About 3 o'clock
there were gusts Of thirty-two miles an
hour and branches Of trees were blown
down.
In exposed places a few trees were
up-rooted. A tree on Front street, be-
tween Orange and Ann was blown out
b. the roots, and also one on Dock
street, between Second and Third
streets. AT Eighth and Walnut streets
a pole of the Interstate Telegraph and
Telephone Company was Frustrated.
There were other small casualties, but
no damage was done.
There was an unusually high tide in
the harbor, but the river was not
rough, so the shipping rode out the
gale in safety.
WEATHER BUREAU BULLETINS.
Yesterday morning Mr.. w. H. Fal-
lon, the observer of the weather bureau
here, issued the following bulletin:
"The storm continues to move slowly
up the coast. It is now central be-
tween Wilmington and Charleston, and
has been accompanied during the day
by high northerly winds from Norfolk,
Va, to Charleston, S. c., the following
maximum WING velocities being re-
ported up to s p. M: Charleston, Sc
north; Wilmington and Norfolk, 80
Northeast. Another gale is prevailing
over the west gulf coast. Generally
cloudy weather and rain prevailed dur
ing the day over the middle and south
Atlantic and gulf states, with lower
temperatures, continuing tonight; else
where the weather is generally clear,
with an area of high temperature ex-
tending from the central Ohio valley
southWeStWard. The centre of the coast
storm will probably pass Wilmington
during the night, followed Wednesday
by decreasing nOrtherly Winds
The following warning was received
from Washington in the morning:
Continue storm signals. Storm GEN.
trial near Charleston, moving north
ward. Northerly gales this afternoon,
tonight and Wednesday,, with ain.
Signals also displayed n~orthward to
Boston.
The barometer yesterday at 5 p. IN.
registered 1865, and the observer fore
casted that the storm would reach it's
maximum during the night. At Z p. M,
however, the barometer was station
airy, giving a more favorable turn to
Indications.
THE BEACHES DESERTED.
AS the storm increased after daylight
the people at Wrightsville and Caro-
lima beaches became uneasy and The
weather bureau had more telephone
calls thar could be we'll answered. AS
the barometer continued to fall, Mr..
w. H. Fallon, the observer, advised
the cottagers, hat while he did not an
ticipate any serious damage from the
storm, it would be the better part of
discretion for the people to leave the
beaches They might have remained
with safety at the hotels and cottages,
but owing to the existing alarm on the
part of some and apprehension of in
creased violence of the storm, as fore
casted by the weather bureau, the
beach inhabitants would have passed a
S~leepleSS night, so it was deemed ad-
visable under this circumstance and
the possibility of danger, to advise them
to come to town.
Accordingly many families came up on
the early train from Wrightsville beach
and at 3:45 p. m. about 200 people left
for the city. The out of town people
went to the boarding houses n hotels,
and the exodus may be judged when
it is stated that The orion had a list Of
about a hundred guests last night.
Quite a number of the beach people and
a few guests stuck to the beach, how
ever, and spent the night there.
There was also a hegira of people
from Carolina beach. Many families
came up on the steamer Wilmington in
the morning n the steamer yesterday
afternoon brought most everybody
away. A few of the unterrified remain
ed to see it out. Among those who re-
manned at Carolina beach to watch the
progress of the storm n be Of aid to
those who remained vas Mr.. H. c..
Mcqueen, president Of the New Han
over Transit Company. The steame
Wilmington made her last trip up from
the beach last evening at 6 o'clock,
Hand Captain John w. Harper returned
with her at 7:30 p. m. and tied up at the
beach pier last night. He also remain
ed at the beach to offer his services if
they were needed. Seven families re-
Unnamed at the beach.
A GRAND SIGHT.
The wind at Carolina beach reached
a velocity of about forty-two miles an
hour, and Major D. O'Connor, one of
the c~ottagers, tells us that there was
the highest tide he ever saw. In the
morning the tide was sweeping over
the beach and the ocean waters we're
being mixed with those in the sound.
Many of the cottagers who took the
train to come to the city had to wade
out in water several inches deep. The
tide was running up under the cot