The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-20
ALL COMMUNICATION WITH OUTSIDE
WORLD CUT OFF.
THE LAST TELEGRAPH MESSAGE
by Operator on Top of switch
board, with Three Feet of Water In
the Room-An Trai Servfce Aban.
doned-A Fifty Mile Wind from the
Bay Worse Expected Last Night.
Much Loss of Life on the Bay Islands
Feared

flowed the cotton wharf and Front and
Commerce streets. Water street is
foode two feet deep between St. |
Michael and Congress streets.
Row boats were employed to bring
out members of the cotton exchange
at noon.
Merchants OF Commerce and Water
streets worked all night, raising their
ground floor stocks TO temporary plat
forms.
Wires are down between Mobile and
all points west. Nothing can be heard
from overdue Louisville and Nashville
trains.
Atlanta, Ga. August 15.-The tropical
storm which has been raging along the
gulf coast for two days has tonight
completely isolated the city Of Mobile.
Ala, from the outside world. It is
known that considerable damage has
been done along the water front in
Mobile, but whether there has been anv
loss of life or not is mere conjecture.
Nothing has been heard from the coun-
try south Of Mobile UP to the time the
last wire to Mobile failed. At 4:3O
" NiOSh ILLS dlleIIlOOu the NeStern
Union office in Mobil was abandoned,
the water at that time being three feet
deep in the operating room.
Two hours later communication was
had for a few minutes with Mobile.
The Associated Press operator there
mad made his way to the operating
room in a boat. He took up his posi-
ton on top of the switch board, several
feet above the flooded office and de-
taching the Associated Press wire from
its place in the board. sent this mes
sage:
Am or top of the switchboard here
with a ineman The water IS over
three feet deep in this room, and it is
still rising. The vino is blowing at the
rate of fifty miles an hour and we look
for worse things tonight. The bust
ness district is deserted -" Here
the wire failed and nothing more could
be heard from him, although the most
persistent efforts We're made.
The water at 8 O'Clock D. m. was re-
ported as high as in the great flood
of 1893. although at that time the wind
was not as high.
From Mobile to Fort Morgan is a
distance of thirty-fvc miles. and on
both sides Of the bay summer resorts
and Summer houses 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 govern
ment reservation.
1t is feared there has been some loss
of life on the islands in the 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
undo ordinary stage, and were the
scene of great loss of life In 1898.
According to advices received here.
the Louisville and Nashville railroad
has some washouts near Chefonteur,
Lake Catherine, Lake Lookout and
Rigolts. Twenty miles north the Louis
vile and Nashville track through the
swamp west of Mobile. is reported un-
der water.
All trains have been abandoned for
the present. Several bridges are re-
ported out of plumb.
The weather bureau officials here
sent out special warnings tonight fore
casting heavy rain and high winds for
Alabama tomorrow.
The western Union has gangs of men
n special engines waiting at several
points to 10Y toward Mobile as soon
as the tracks are clear OF water. It Is
possible they may restore commune
cation from this end within twenty
four hours, but from reports of dam
age done between New Orleans and
: Mobile it is believed several days will
elapse before the wires are restored
outside.
Up to midnight no communication
had been established with Mobile. The
Western Union here has hundreds OF
messages for that city. consisting main
~ of inquiries as to 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 Atlanta
tn Nnu- nr1oo nc rn1,fn1 VIC Ta~1yro- n ~
Meridian, Miss, failed at 11:30 O'Clock
p. m.
Advices from Flomaton. Ala at mid.
night were to the effect tina the gull
storm struck that place at 9 O'Clock
on it's flight to the north. At midnight
the storm was raging with no signs OF
abatement. No damage had been done
in h city of F1omaton up to that hour
but the rainfall was terrific.
Flomaton is about sixty miles north
of hob and no trains on the Louis.
vile and Nashville have gone south Of
that place today.
PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE STORM
Forecaster Marbury say tonight:
Port Eads' report on the weather
conditions has been missing two day.
and that from Mobile twenty-foul
hours. This storm probably will move
up the Mississippi valley and theme,
eastward to the Atlantic coast. Atlanta
is likely to get a touch Of 1t in heavy
rains or high winds tomorrow. Emer
gency warnings were sent today to ovel
100 towns in Alabama indicating heav,
rains and high winds for Friday"
NO STORM AT GALVESTON.
Galveston, Texas, August 18th,
gulf storm which has been reported b.
the weather bureau since Wednesda!
has been watched closely here. TIL,
hurricane signal is flying as a warnin.
to shipping, but the weather. bureau
j since morning has been emphatic tina
the storm would strike inland 20 tn,
east of Galveston. The tide here to
! night is normal.
/ THE STORM AT PENSACOLA.
j Pensacola, Fla, August 1.-THE gull
1 storm which has been raging at thi
/ vicinity for the past two days seem
J to have reached its highest point las
I night and the bay shore today ~presentet
a scene of much disorder.
The highest wind velocity Is Officially