Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-25
GALE OFF HATTERAS
Blew at One Time at the Rate of
l60 Miles an Hour.
FRIGHTFUL VELOCITY OF THE WIND
Wrecks That Were Caused Along
the Coast.
HEROISM OBJ A SURFMAN

Lieut. c. E. Johnston Of the revenue cut
ter service returned to the city today from
a trip of inspection to the North Carolina
coast, which was recently swept by the
hurricane. He went particularly to inves-
tigate the amount of damage wrought upon
coastwise shipping by the storm.
1.-The hurricane attained frightful velocity
in the vicinity Of Cape Hatteras," said
Lieut.. Johnston to a Star reporter today.
mo one will probably ever know the real
intensity of the storm. At the Hatteras
weather bureau station the thermometer
blew down while registering a wind veloc-
ity Of 12O miles an hour and one squall
blew for fraction of a minute at the rate
of 100 miles an hour. The lowest barome-
ter reading was 2S.55, but the hands oscil-
lated below 27. 1t was evident from the
stage of the barometer that the center of
the hurricane passed little to the east and
south of Cape Hatteras.
Fury Of the Storm.
"The wind drove the waters of the ocean
so high that they swept over the strip of
land stretching north and south and sep
arating Pamlico sound from the Atlantic
ocean. The strip averages about half a
mile wide, and the banks are from twelve
cattle and horses which were on this land
were drowned and many houses were
wrecked. At New inlet a big club house
was blown bodily from its foundations and
moved twenty feet. The lfe-savng station
rocked violently that the crew stood by
the back door, ready to take to the boats.
Wrecks on the Coast.
There were several wrecks along the
coast between Chcamacomico and Ocra-
coke, a distance of twenty-six miles, and
the life-saving crews did noble work in saw
ing life. There is big three-masted
schooner ashore at kinnakeet and one
ashore at Little Kinnakeet. The crews of
both were rescued by means of the breeches
buoys. operated by the life savers, who
nred line from the shore to the vessels
Inc schooner Minnie Bergen is ashore at
Chicanacomico, and her crew of seven were
saved in the same manner
near Gull Shoals the schooner Aaron
Reppert went ashore, and only three ont
OF eight We're saved. The barkentine Pris-
teen We're saved A
ihere are evidences, however of a more
serious disaster than either of these. At
Durants station, near Hatteras inlet, 800
DaieS or cotton have come ashore together
with 200 cords of oak slaves. The Cotton
was evidently shipped from New Orleans.
Inc boWs OF vessel, believed to be
steamship are ashore, bearing the name
OF them evidently an engineer of a steam
ship. We don't know the fate of the rest
of the crew of this ship
The Cape Hatteras lightship, on Dia-
mona ShoalS, went ashore at Creeds Hill
station and the crew were saved in the
breecheS buoy
THE Aaron Reppert. when she struck.
let go her anchors at a distance so far
from shore that the life savers could not
reach her. They fired a line to her, but the
crew could not assist in making it fast.
When the vessel went to pieces the crew
were swept overheard. The life savers
waded out into the boiling waters forming
living line, and picked up those who
were swept toward the land. In this way
they took in eight.
Exhibition OF Herofsm.
1.-The rescue of the Priscilla's crew was an
exhibition of heroism. Rasmus S. Midget,
surfman No 1 at Gull Shoals station was
the hero. This man was patrolling the
beach, three miles south of the station. 1t
was o'clock in the morning, the hurricane
at its height and the rain falling in such
torrents that a light could not be seen
any distance at all.
1.-The surfman, riding along the edge of
the breakers, saw wreckage coming ashore.
He urged his horse ahead, and pretty soon
heard cries for help. He went into the
water up to his neck. and looking seaward,
he saw 4 mass of Wreckage about fifteen
feet from the shore. Ih1S was the stern OF
the barkentine Priscilla, and upon it were
crouched the ten survivors of the wreck.
She had broken in two on the bar, and the
stern had drifted in. The men on the
wreckage were exhausted and could not
help tho mselves.
Surfman Saved Ten.
1.-THE surfman would wait until a big
wave receded, when he would follow 1t
down the beach. At the right moment one
man would jump overheard from the
wreck, the surfman would seize him and
carry him to shore. In this way he saved
six There were four others, however, who
were too feeble to drop overheard. The
surfman became bolder. and finally made
his way to the wreck and took off the four.
The captain was a very heavy man, and
almost proved too much for the rescuer.
1.-The surfman then left the half-drowned
people on the sand out of harms way,
while he rode back to the station and sent
down two carts, in which the mariners
were brought to shelter.
THE captain, Benjamin Springsteen, lost
his wife and child. A youth named Fitz
Lee Goldsborough, related to Admiral
Goldsborough, who was a passenger on the
vessel, was also LOST
The Commerce of Cuba.