The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-16
MOBILE ISOLATED.
A. p. Operator Reaches TeIegraphie
Switchboard in a Boat.

Atlanta, Aug. 15.-The tropical storm
which has been raging along the Gulf
coast for two days has tonight COM
pletely isolated the city of Mobile, Ala,
from the outside world. 1t is known
that considerable damage has been
done along the water front in Mobile,
but whether there has been loss of life
or not is mere conjecture. Nothing
has been heard from the country south
of Mobile up to the time the last wire
to Mobile failed.
At 4:30 o'clock this afternoon the
Western Union Telegraph Company s
office in Mobile was abandoned, the
water at that time being three feet
deep in the operating room.
Two hours later communication was
The Associated Press operator there
had made his way to the operating
room in boat. He took up his posi-
ton on top of the switchboard, several
feet above the flooded office and de-
taching the Associated Press wire from
its place in the board sent this mes
sage:
Am on top of the switchboard here
with a lineman. The water is over
three feet deep in this room, and it is
still rising. The winds is blowing at
the rate of fifty miles an hour, and we
look for worse things tonight. The
business district is deserted"
AT this DOint the wire failed and
nothing more could be heard from him.
although the most persistent efforts
were made.
The water at p. m. was reported as
high as in the great flood of 1Sg3 al
though at that time the wind was not
as high. From Mobile to Fort Morgan
is a distance of thirty-five miles, and
on both sides of the bay summer re-
sorts and summer homes are located.
These were, it is believed, in the direct
path of the storm. The telegraph line
to Fort Morgan runs around the bay
through the country and covers eighty
five miles before it reaches the gov
ernment reservation. 1t is feared there
has been some loss of life on the ISL
ands in Mississippi sound. just outside
of the bar. below Fort Morgan. These
islands. which are inhabited by French
fishermen, rise only four or five feet
above the water under ordinary circum-
stances, and were the scene of great
loss of life in 1898.
According to advices received here
the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
washouts near Chef Menteur, Lake
Catharine, Lookout and Rigolets.
Twenty miles of Louisville and Nash
vile track through the Tensas Swamp,
west of Mobile, is reported under wa
ter
All trains have been abandoned for
the present.
Several bridges are reported out of
plumb.
The weather officials here sent out
special warnings tonight forecasting
heavy rains and high winds for Ala
bama tomorrow.
The Western Union Telegraph Com
pany has gangs of men and special
engines waiting at several points to
move towards Mobile as soon as the
tracks are clear of water.
1t is possible they may restore COM
munication from this end within
twenty-four hours. but from reports
received of damage done between New
Orleans and Mobile it is believed sew
eral days will elapse before the wires
are restored on that side.
Forecast Official Marbury said to-
night:
"Port Eads' report on the weather
conditions has been missing two days,
and that from Mobile twenty-four
hours. This storm will probably move
up the Mississippi valley and then east
ward to the Atlantic coast. Atlanta is
likely to get touch of 1t in heavy
rains or high winds tomorrow. Emer-
gency warnings were sent to-day to
over one hundred towns in Alabama in
dicating heavy rains and high winds
for Friday"
Up to midnight no communication
had been established with Mobile. The
Western Union Telegraph Company
here has hundreds Of messages for that
city, consisting mainly of inquiries as
the whereabouts and safety of people,
from all parts of the country, but Is
unable to move one of them.
The one remaining wire from Allan
ia to New Orleans, routed via Jackson
and Meridian, Miss, failed at l1:30
p. m.
Advices from Flomaton, Ala, at
midnight were to the effect that the
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