The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-18
WATER SPOUT HITS TRAIN.
Passengers Thrown Into Panic by
Sudden Flood.

Passengers Thrown Into Panic by
Sudden Flood.
From the New York World, Sept 16
Hundreds of tons of water forming n
water spout of tremendous force. swept
over Jamaica bay last evening. wreck.
ing boats in it's path and breaking over
a Long Island Railroad train crossing
the trestle between Beach Channel and
The Raunt.
Passengers on the train were terror
stricken as the water spout struck the
cars. Women tainted as the flood pour
ed through the windows and descended
on the cars with terrific violence. 1t
was considered miraculous that the
train was not swept from the trestle.
The waterspout was bigger and pos
sessed greater violence than the one
which five years ago carried away the
school house and many cottages at
Ozone Park. A tidal wave and sand
storm followed the waterspout last
night, spreading alarm through the
summer resorts on Jamaica Bay and
at Rockaway Beach.
The high wind which was the fore
runner of the storm which visited Man.
haitian and Long Island last evening
reached Rockaway shortly before
o'clock. The waterspout formed in
Rockaway Inlet. 1t was a huge volume
of swirling water spreading outward
at the top which was uplifted high in
air. The spray thrown about it pre-
vented accurate observance of its
thickness.
wild Panic on Train.
1t swept past Barren Island and over
Ruffie Bar with incredible swiftness,
and, following the direction of the bay
shore. continued toward the trestie of
the Long Island Railroad. gaining in
volume as II progressed.
A train of five cars bound for Rock
away from Long Island City had left
the Beach Channel station and was
moving along the trestle toward The
Raunt. fishing depot. when the water
spout approached. The trestle at this
point is many feet above high-water
mark. The noise of the train drowned
the roar of the spout until IL was al
most on the trestle.
Before the passengers realized their
danger the spout struck the train.
Cars and trestle rocked from the vio-
lence of the blow.
Women and children screamed in
terror. Many were thrown to the floor
w tAiC doh Vi W atCt lnlOuSH Tie
windows.
Impact with the trestle had broken
the stem of the spout and tons of wa
ter fell on the train. Wild confusion
followed In a few seconds the train
had rushed through the spout. but the
panic continued until the first stop at
Hamels Station.
DIR. Tingley was. summoned to the
train. He visited each car, reviving
- nISfl L.
overcome by the flood of water. The
train then continued to Rockaway
many of the passengers still suffering
from the shock.
Tidal Wave Causes wreckage.
The greatest tidal wave ever seen In
Rockaway formed from the base of the
spout instantly the latter was broken
by the trestle. The wave rolled
through Broad Channel, catching
scores of small craft anchored along
side fishing stations and smashing
boats and washing away piers.
The superstructure and piles of the
Boulevard. in course Of construction
from East New York to Rockaway,
were in the path of the wave, and O
quarter OF a mile of this new worf
was carried away. together with three
board houses, in which workmen slept
and tool house.
Then the wave broke on the beach
fronting Cedarhurst, Lawrence and
Jamaica. the water reaching a higher
point inland than ever before record
ed.
Soon after the tidal wave broke a
sand storm was reported at Rockaway
The high tides Of the last week had
piled sand high on the beach, and the
wind caught Up clouds of this sand
whiting II over the cottages and
through streets. Several persons
caught in the sand storm we're nearly
blinded.
After sweeping inland the storm
turned toward the ocean, and the
beaches were cleared of the sand piles
The twenty leading hotels of Lon
don represent a capital of something
like seven millions sterling. During a
busy month they accommodate about