Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-08-18
Hurricanes Greatest Force Was
Felt Here Yesterday.
THE SHIPPING WAS AFFECTED
Several Large Passenger Steamers Afraid
to Face the Hurricane and Anchored IN
the Harber. Backbone Of the storm
Believed to He Broken.

The steam collier Orion put out yes
terday morning for Boston With coal.
but was compelled to return in the
afternoon and Will remain here. ,iu,ii
the storm ahatcs. The What, back
steamer City Of l.:verelt.is at old Poin.
with a cargo of coal waiting for The
hurricane 70 let up. her captain being
unwilling TO put 70 sea in the teeth of
IN" storm The steam collier Chad
WICK is in the harbur waiting FOR the
end OF the hurricane. and she will say
here until the wind IS less severe.
shipping men. who are in {: position
TO know what they are talking iboat.
say that when vessels OF that class.
which arc supposed to stand all kinds
OF weather are afraid to put to sea. it
must be something frghful on The
deep. The shirs that went nu side
and returned report the most terrible
storm Of the year and one Of the worst
on record.
The clyde liner. which y at an nor
off the shipyard. waiting for ;i;.
storm to end, is the Gulf stream
which put out FROM Norfolk WedEes-
day and has not been heard from
aboard yet 1t is thought that
she came here to anchor instead %
going back TO the city across the
Roads.
The big five mastcd schooner Frank
A. Patner is at anchor OF the Chesl-
peakc and Ohio piers, waiting for 4
chance To get into the piers to coal
At present she is light and rollil &
heavily under the influence of the
waves. An unsuccessful attempt to
dock her was made yesterday after
noon
The Old Dominion steamer Guyari-
dotte. which has been ut anchor at @
Point waiting for the end Of the
storm. made two attempts yesterday
to get off for New York, hut was un-
S1JLNx, ri IN, w.
over TO Norfolk She will remain
there until the storm is over
The Chesapeake ana Ohio passenger
steamer Louise reports Hampton
Roads. between this city ana Nor
folk extremely rough and her trips
yesterday We're made against one Of
the strongest winds her captain has
experienced in years. AT times she
could make no Roadway at all against
the storm.
If there was anyone in Newport News
yesterday morning who doubted tlat
the great West Indian hurricane. Mad
really arrived. they undoubtedly chang
ed their minds in the latter part If the
afternoon, when the combined effects
Of the winds ana the rain made il al
most impossible to walk along the
streets and shook the most substantial
~ built houses in the city
At o'clock the storm became indeed
q Vcrtablc hurricane and the wind
manner that was calculated to make
the tinid people ~. the city lrcmbl, and
the brave feel a tile uneasy. At that
time the storm took on its liercest as
pect ana the first real danger 10 the
buildings O! the city was demonstrated
There was probably not a frame
structure in Newport News that did not
shake somewhat during three hours and
many OF them rocked from side to sid.
IN truly alarming manner. Shingles
49,,
houses and various reports OF small
losses We're heard last hight.
Ihc storm was not confined 70 this
cilN ny any means and from all over
the peninsula came reports 1T the hurIi-
canes anger. Buildings were shaken
and many small outhouses and sheds
were completely demolished While trees
and electric light wires We're crippled
in many sections
On the water the hurricane WAS ter
rihle. Even here in the harhor il was
felt by all he ships ut anchor 70 !; great
extent. while At Old Point it was
frightful. What happened out a; sea,
off the Virginia Cdpes. can only be I'M
agincd.
From Old Point wharf The scene in
Hampton Roads and on Chesapeake hay
was grand ana awc-inspilinS beyond
description. Bis vessels rolled and tos
Sed completely 1T the mercy OF the hur-
ricahe and the smaller ships were pitch
ed about in manner that was almost
sure destruction to them. Al on:. mo-
ment they would be high in the air on
The crest OF a gigantic wave and the
next they would be almost entirely out
OF sight with towering walls of va
on all sides.
At Huckroc Beach the sigh: was even
more trightfu The fun force of the
Storm was felt there and the traInen-
douS rollers broke on the shore. With Il
noise mat was deAiening. The bea.r
seemed to tremhlc under tho weigh. of
the mighty volumes of water thai came
laundering down it ana the Spray
flew in little clouds high into the ai,.
shipping men believe that the storm
Is broken. Yesterdays heavy rain they
think will clean up the rough weather.
I,hey look for fair day today
Inc tide is between two ana three
and the James river is cx,eednrIv
rouSn The large Schaoner., ana bag
es at anchor in the harDor are tossed
about by the storm and the rolling OF
me vessels is easily perccplibic from
the shore, something unusual for large
shlIs. All Of the small ships have been
tied up safely. AT the shpyard The
vessels tied up have been doubly S.
cured IN order 10 prevent dsa stcr in
the storm.
Up 10 this time no disasters have
been reported in Hampton Roads ana
the James. a large number of vessels
sought shelter in the Roads when the
hurricane was first reported. and most
o. them are now anchored there. 4
number Of sailing vessels are at an
chor below the city.
he Ola Dominion Line steamship
.suyahdotte is al anchor in HAMPTON
Roads, off Old Point The shin left
here last Tuesday ana sailed from
Norfolk that night for New York. On
reaching the Capes. however, the mas
ter decided to return to The Roads On
account Of the heavy storm prevailing