Evening journal., 1899-08-16

spend the rest OF his life in endeavor-
ing to become the possessor Of the is
land upon whose hospitable beach he
had been cast. Fortune smiled upon
him far more graciously than he had
ever dreamed II would. He married
Mary Fenwick and secured the island
and a bride.
The island continued in the posses
sion Of the Fassetts until within half
a century ago. From William It pass
cd to three generations of sons-John,
james and James-when It passed to
Mary, the daughter Of the last son
mentioned. This daughter married
James Hall and is still living. ad-
vanced in years. near Berlin, Md.
James Hall left the island to his son,
John c., who was killed while secur-
ing the wreckage OF a vessel loaded
with masts The island was then sold
at auction at Berlin to John Burch
who decided II to Samuel Bennett. From
the latter it passed into the hands OF
the family OF Gums. we'll known in
this locality 1t was from this family
that the joint stock company, headed
by willard Salisbury and Captain John
Long, bought the island.
THE TIDAL WAVE OF 1881.
The death OF John c. Hall vividly
calls 20 mind the great tidal wave OF
1881 One OF his most intimate
friends and witness to his death was
an old man named Jacob II. Brasure
This man is a well-known character in
these parts and is highly regarded by
all He takes great delight in attend
ing campmeetings. and It Is from his
graphic description that the following
account OF the great storm is con-
densed He was born in 1917 and was
living on the island in 1881. His father,
James Brasure. was living on the is
land during the revolutionary war In
1881 he rented one OF the three houses
on the island owned by James Fas-
sett. Fassett occupied one and the
third was let to an old man, Joshua
Morris Young Brasure was at that
time n lad OF "A years and. with his
older brothers. attended school just
across the bay on the mainland. It
was Friday, in the month OF January,
1881, and the day broke intensely cold
and with n strong northeast wind to
add to the discomfort. This did not,
however, prevent the boys attending
school, inasmuch as they were accus-
toned to attdnd only when the severity
OF the weather prevented their doing
snything else. Toward evening the
storm increased in fury to such an ex-
tent they could not return to the is
land There was no bridge
spanning the bay at that
time What is more. they were not
able to return for more than week.
Brasure gets his description Of the
storm from his father, who was on the
island throughout its continuance.
The Lester was looking out
toward the sea and noticed
one great wave in the distance,
easily topping all the others. In fact,
It looked more like a solid wall than
wave, II came on with great velocity,
increasing in fury as It came by rea-
son OF the gradually shoaling waters,
until It struck the beach, when 1t
swept entirely over the island Joshua
Morris and his aged wife we're on the
second floor OF their home when the
wave struck II. The house was raised
from its foundation and everything
movable on the first floor was swept
away. lt was just after the wave
struck the house from its foundation
that Brasure. at the risk OF his life,
made thrilling rescue OF the old man
and his wife, who had resigned them
selves to death and were quietly pray
ing in corner OF the room. Brasure
carried them to his house and kept
them until the subsistence of the storm
made it possible to begin repairing the
damage. Although the wave receded
almost Immediately. yet the damage
had been great. Three hundred head
OF cattle were drowned and near In
dian river bay several persons lost
their lives. One Of those drowned was
named Druley. and from that fact the
storm is usually known as the "Druley
tide"
Before the shoals iust OF Fenwick's S
Island we're indicated by the light
house. the lightship and the fog horn,
many a good ship was wrecked upon
them. Just ten years ago an English
yessel-the Brinkburn-was wrecked,
and her hull is still intact upon the
shoals. The wreck was the occasion
OF the governments substituting the
present lightship for the old whistling
buoy that formerly Seated there.
There are people upon the island who
have the flag Of the ship and pieces of
her furniture.
THE MONEY BANKS"
Not far from the lighthouse Is a part
Of the beach Known as the Money
Banks" 1t derives it name from the
fact that large amount in Spanish
silver coins has been thrown up on
the beach by the tides. Formerly peo-
pie were accustomed to extemporize
rude rakes, with which they stirred mp