The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-17
LOSS 100000.
Eighteen Deaths Recorded as
Result of Gulf Storm
Along the Coast of New York
and Connecticut.
RELIANCE is RAMMED.
A Pile Driver Broke Loose and
Drifted Into Her.
Ships Crew and Passengers
Saved by Bened let Servants.

New York, Sept. 17.-Theodore Grimes,
whose skull was fractured by a section
of roof blown by the wind from the sta
bles at Aqueduct race track in yester-
days storm. is dead at hospital.
While freight train on the Long Is
land railroad was passing between
Mineola and Hyde Park the roof of a
box car was carried away by the gale,
with Walter Leads and George B. Sny-
Ger. two brakemen. clinging to it. The
roof was carried almost a hundred feet
from the track. where it collapsed by
striking tree. Both men were fatally
injured
In Jamaica bay. Long Island, scores of
yachts were wrecked Most of them
were torn from their anchorage and
pounded to pieces on shore. but good
many were caught while sailing in the
bay and those aboard had narrow es-
capes. The entire fleet of the Jamaica
Bay Yacht club, comprising more than
80 boats valued at sums up to 1,0OO, was
destroyed.
The beaches at New Rochelle. on Long
Island sound and City Island are strewn
with wreckage from yachts and it is
estimated that not less than $500, ,0OC
D
The cup defender Reliance is reported
to have been somewhat injured through
being rammed by a pile driver, which
broke loose from its mooring and drift
ed on the Reliance's stern. The racer
was being prepared for winter quarters
and had been drawn partially up on
ways.
To prevent the old defender Columbia
from being rammed by the schooner
yacht Hildegarde. which was dragging
her anchor the Hildegarde was 3cuttled
when within a few feet of the Colum-
bia- Her crew, seven men, jumped over
board and were saved.
barge loaded with 500 pounds of
dynamite broke from its mOorings and
drifted toward the Larch mont Yacht
club house. Many yachts of wealthy
New Workers have been anchored IN
this harbor since the races and it was
feared that the barge would drift among
them. Careening about the dynamite
barge finally grounded on the mud flats
without doing any damage.
Rough estimates of the financial loss
due to the storm are $2,O0O,0o0 on and
around Manhattan island alone. So
far IS lives are known to have been lost
in the storm and it is believed this
number will be doubled when all reports
are in.
One of he most thrilling stories Ct
disaster is that of the excursion and
freight steamer S. E. Spring. which was
driven ashore near the country mansion
of Z. C. Benedict at Greenwich Conn
Captain Mcdonald, his crew of seven
men and eleven passengers were rescued
largely through the aid of the Benedict
servants.
The Spring was trying to put back to
Stamford and the gale had reached d
velocity of so miles an hour when the
rudder failed and the steamer fioundered
at the mercy of the huge seas which
swept over her.
The panic stricken passengers fed to
the upper deck where they sought
refuge in the cabins and the women be-
came hysterical The pilot was still try
ing to turn about. when a sudden gust
of wind tore off the entire roof of the
upper deck, leaving only the pilot house.
When the roof went off the boat was
lifted half out of the water. The strain
was so great that it tore off the rudder
and when she settled down again in the
trough of the sea she was perfectly
helpless.
Realizing that they were at the mercy
of the storm the sailors as a last resort
made a determined effort to get an
anchor down to hold the steamers head
to the wind. No sooner had they done
so than the chain snapped. The steam
er was fast being driven toward Shelly
ing Rock. one of the most dangerous
shoals on the Connecticut shore.
The passengers were ordered to put on
life preservers and be ready to board
the life rafts A scene of wild confusion
followed. The crew launched the largest
life raft and the passengers. with life
preservers stood ready to get upon IL,
when the raft suddenly struck the hull
of the boat and WAS pounded to pieces.
A second life raft put over by the crew
also was destroyed This left only one
small boat of any description on the
steamer and il was so small that Captain
Mcdonald was afraid to put it over.
He tried to put UP distress signals but
the wind sna pped off the Flagstaff.
The steamer drifted along the shore
an hour until she hit the rocks off the
point at RenedictS and stove IN her bow
As soon as she touched colored cook
dropped IL feet TO the rocks. The water
was over his head and he was tossed
until he was badly bruised but he kept
on swimming and was finally tossed OH
the beach. The servants ashore grasped
lines from the ship and in a few min
utes all hands had been safely landed
New York Sept 1T.-lnCOmlng vessels
report rough experiences with the nur-
ricane at sea. The Clyde line steamer
Cherokee from san Domingo was in the
storm during the entire voyage from
| Turks island to this port. In the gulf
day the steamer was hove to for four
hours in an eighty mile wind. The
Maravel from Trinidad and Grenada
had similar experience
Philadelphia. Sept 1.-THE steamer
Prooklvn. which arrived here today
! from Bocas Del Toro had on board
Captain Chandler and the mate of the
! tug Spartan. who We're picked up yes
terday off the Delaware CaDes- Ten
others of the crew were rescued by a
fishing boat and landed at AngeleseG,
n. j. During the gale yesterday the
Spartan's hawser washed overheard and
became entangled in the wheel. causing
the vessel to careen and fill with water.
Three men of the Spartain's crew are
still missing.