The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-08-20
RAILROAD TRAFFIC SUSPENDED
While Storm Is Not AS Severe AS That Experienced in 1893
Several People are Reported Drowned and
Many Have Narrow Escapes.

Mobile, Aug. 16-The tropical storm
which came up out of the south We'd
nesday and increased in force during
the day following is believed reached
it's severese force about 5 o'clock
Thursday, the maximum wind veloc-
ity being 62 miles an hour. Consider
able damage vas done in Mobile in
the way Of uprooting trees, unrooing
houses and topping chimneys. ANfall-
ing wall demolished the rear end of
Charles MohF G. Sons drug store, 161
Dauphin street, badly damaging his
stock. The flood water was backed
by the southeast gale over the cotton
wharf, and Front, Commerce, Water
and a part of Royal streets for several
blocks north of Saint Anthony were
covered.
While the storm was not as severe
as the record breaker of 1893, there
was greater excitement among the peo-
pie because Of the recollection of the
great damage of the earlier storm.
People were apprehensive of a repeti-
tica of that disaster and spent a mis-
cradle night. Out of doors every one
was thoroughly drenched by the
heavy rain that was blown almost hor-
izontally. The rainfall was 5.84 inches.
The water was Is inches deep in
the cotton exchange and both the
Western Union and@Postal telegraph
offices We're flooded. The power
houses Of the electric railway were
flooded, and service was shut down
after 8 o'clock. All business in the
wholesale district was suspended.
Care had been taken to elevate low
er floor goods upon temporary plat
forms and the grocers suffered little
loss. The grain men were caught to
some extent. Owners of cement lost
1900 barrels. The tracks of the
Louisville & Nashville, Southern and
Mobile & Ohio pass through Com
4AS1SO Gnu WC1C u1uCl WdLCl,
traffic, Of course, being stopped en-
tirely. The Mobile & Ohio is operat-
ing trains from Whistles, ten miles out
and the Louisville & Nashville receiv-
ed n train during the afternoon at
Magazine Point from the north. No
afternoon and night trains came over
thot wood frnp, +hN cD,,th orI rO,,o ;S
expected tonight. The big boats made
their morning trips from the eastern
shore of the bay to Mobile, but no af-
ternoon transfers were made. They
went up the river when the storm
came and took refuge behind Twelve
Mile island.
During the storm the steamboat
Lady Jane went to the rescue of the
truck gardeners who live in the
marshes between Mobile and Spanish
rivers. In the 1898 flood the people
there suffered greatly and half a
dozen were drowned. The Lady Jane
rescued all that could be reached and
brought them to the city. One marsh
dweller named Stauter and his family
of nine spent the night in an open boat
near his home and rowed to the city
this morning. He does not think any
thing is left of his place. The other
marsh people returned today.
The News tonight is that the pleas
r yacht Ariel, bound for Fish river,
with Robert and Winthrop Hallett, of
Mobile and others on board, pounded
to pieces upon the wharf at Battles,
on the eastern shore. Nothing has
been heard of the crew.
From Fowle river, on the western
shore. it is reported the schooner Mar
gurite was taken up bodily and left
high and dry on the beach. James
Mcmahon and four other men were on
board. Mcmahon says a house on
Dauphin island was washed away and
afterwards found in the woods. Moth
ing is known as to the fate of the oc-
cupants.
Nothing has been heard from Fort
Morgan. Two companies of the
coast artillery are stationed there.
The barracks undoubtedly received
the full force of the blow. No COM
m%unication can be had with any of
the islands in Mississippi Sound, just
outside the bar, 40 miles below here.
All news concerning the fate of the
islanders must come by boat and this
is a~nxiously awaited.
Ali wires have been in g hopeless