Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1903-09-18
MILLIONS LOST BY
HURRICANE IN EAST
Beaches of Long Island Sound
Are Wreck Strewn.
EIGHTEEN LIVES REPORTED LOST
Thrilling Experience of Passengers of
the Excursion and Freight Steamer
s. E. Sprlna-Driven Ashore During


the Excursion and Freight Steamer
s. {. Sprlnq-Driven Ashore During
a Gale.
New York, Sept. 17.-Theodore
| Grimes, whose skull was fractured by
q section of roof blown by the vino
from the stables at Aqueduct race track
In yesterdays storm, is dead at hos
pftaI.
While a freight train, on the LONG
Island railroad, was passing between
Mineola and Hyde Park, the roof oi
a box car was carried away by the
gale with Walter Lewis and George E
Snyder, two brakemen. clinging to it
The roof was carried almost 10(
feet from the track, where it collapsed
by striking q tree. Both men were
fatally injured.
In Jamaica Bay, L. l., scores Of
yachts were wrecked. The entire
feet of the jamaica Bay Yacht club
comprising more than 30 boats, valued
at sums up to $1,000 was destroyed
Beaches strewn with Wreckage.
The beaches at New Rochelle, on
Long Island sound, and City Island
ire strewn with wrecKage from yachts
and 1t Is estimated that not less than
| $b00,000 damage was done these yes
sells alone The cup defender Reli-
ance is reported to have been some
| hok inj thrOn0h hnirr nor cd
| by a pile driver which broke loose
from its moorings and dr1fted on Re
| liance's stern. The damage, however,
was not serious A barge loaded with
| 500 pounds of dynamite broke from
| its mOOrings and drifted toward the
Larchmont 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. Ca.
reening about, the dynamite barge
finally grounded on the mud flats with.
out doing any damage.
Rough Estimate of Losses.
Rough estimates Of the financial
loss due to the storm are $2,000,00O
on and around Manhattan island alone.
So far eighteen lives are known to
| have been lost in the storm, and ii
| is believed this number will be dOub'
| led when all reports are in. One OF
the most thrilling stories of disaster
Is that of the excursion and freight
steamer 8. e. Spring, which was driv.
en- ashore near Greenwich, Conn. The
Spring was trying to put back to STAN.
ford and the gale had reached a We.
| locity of 80 miles an hour when the
rudder failed and the steamer found.
cred at the mercy of the huge seas
which swept over hr.
Thrilling Experience.
| The panic-sUricken passengers fed to
the upper deck, where they sought
refuge in the cabins, and the women
became hysterical The pilot was
still trying to turn about, when a
sudden gust Of wind tore off the en-
tire 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 1t 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 mer.
cy of the storm the sailors as a last
resort made determined effort to get
an anchor down to hold the steamer
head to the wind. No sooner had they
done so than the chain snapped The
steamer was fast being driven toward
Shelving Rock, one of the most danger.
Gus shoals on the Connecticut shore.
The passengers we're ordered to put
on life preservers and be ready to
| board the life RATS.
Life Rats Were Wrecked.
A scene of wild confusion followed.
The crew launched the largest lite
! raft and the passengers, with life pre-.
servers on, stood ready to get upon 1t
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 it was
80 small that Captain Mcdonald was
afraid to put 1t over He tried to put
up distress signals, but the wind snap
ped OF the flagstaffs.
The steamer drifted along the shore
an hour until she htt the rocks off the
point at E. @. Benedact's country
home and stove in her bow. AS soon
as she touched, colored cook drop
ped Is 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 finally tossed
on the beach. The servants ashore
grasDed lines from the ship and in a
few minutes all hands had been safe
ly landed.