The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-11
COAST STREWN
With WRECKAGE
CONTINUED from First Pagc.)

ICON tlnOeQ from tITSL 1aSc.)
the beach. while brilliantly lighted
passenger steamer Is laboring very dan
gerously near to shore with a terrific
gale from the northeast fighting her
efforts to make the offing.
OF the large occan-going coal barges,
Ocean Belle and George, nothing is now
loft except miles OF wreckage on the
shore. and OF the crews that manned
the former, the fate of only five Is
known. Captain George Adams and Sea-
man Charles Peters are drowned, while
Joseph Peters, Peter Lopez and NJ. Payne
owe their lives to the heroism of Seaman
Charles Capps, Of Life Saving Station
No. 2. All these men were on the Ocean
Belle. and when this barge was dashed
ashore the waves swept her decks clear
of rigging and crew. Caps plunged
successfully into the raging surf and
after desperate struggles brought all
three men to land. The fate Of the Geor
gia's crew Is unknown. but little hope
is held for their safety. Both barses
were in tow Of the Richmond. and the
tug Is missing.
ACTS OF HEROISM.
The three mastcd schooner Nellie w.
Hewlett, Captain Gheem. lumber laden
from Pensacola, is total wreck on the
coast, three miles from Dam Neck NILS.
Captain Gheem and his crew of six men
are safe at the station. but their rescue
was fraught with acts Of bravery on
the part Of the life savers. Four at
tempts were made to launch the surf
boat and thus reach the ship, rapidly
pounding to pieces on the beach, but
each endeavor was repulscd by the sea.
The surf guard then wt5' double
charges OF powder In the gun. succeeded
in dropping line over the vessel and
one by one the crew was hauled ashore
through the surf.
Tho four masted barge Ocean Belle
was well nigh broken up. when the life
savers discovered her. Four men who
came ashore said that the captain was
washed overheard and drowned His
name Is unknown.
The crew of the Ocean Belle had to
seek refuge In the rigging. from which
they were finally washed
Two Norfolk lads, Richard Cooke. son
OF Hon. Merritt Cooke. and Robert Tuck
er, son Of Rev. Beverly D. Tucker aided
the life savers at risk of their lives IN
getting the half-dead survivors ashore.
1t was necessary to wade far out into
the angry surf to rescue them
A big passenger steamer. with lights
shining In every port hole. seemed to be
fighting a losing battle with the north
cast gale that was blowing her towards
the breakers at Virginia Beach.
Tho wind at the cape Is over seventy
miles an hour, and the surf is piling over
the sand hills and back into the MAIN
land.
At the Norfolk Navy Yard the cruiser
Olympia Is in dry dock. with her bot
tom plates removed. and steadily rising
tide is creeping inch by inch upon the
outer side of the cruiser at high tide
this morning 1t reached six inches OF the
ton. The winds change to north will
this rpldniCrht much
higher and grave fears are felt for the
cruisers safety should an overflow oc-
cur.
The terminal piers of the Norfolk and
Western, Southern and Atlantic Coast
Line. in the outer harbor. have been
badly damaged by the wind and tide.
and the big pleasure piers at Ocean
Hundreds Of small craft have come
ashore In the harbor.
Norfolk city has experienced gale of
from forty to fifty miles all day. and
besides flooded streets, much damage has
been done. For the great part of to-day
the city was cut off from the outside
world,
Navigation is blocked and communica-
ton by rail and wire seriously inter-
fered with by the bowling northeaster
which has been blowing for nearly three
days along this coast.
The Princess Anne. of the Old Dominion
line, put to sea In the teeth of the gale.
The Merchants and Miners steamer from
Providence weathered 1t outside the capes
and is in port safe this morning.
While the wind is steadily maintaining
a seyenty-two mile an hour gait at the
capes. It is but forty-slx miles In the
city This is six miles greater velocity
than 1t attained yesterday. however. and
telephone and telegraph poles trees and
wires are prostrated by the force of the
blow. Nobody has been hurt, but the te!e-
phone system is interrupted and the elec-
trio light people have had trouble Will
crossed wires.
The tide Is extraordinary high and al
the low-lyng streets are flooded, The
trolley system Is badly hampered, bu,
passengers are being tranferred at al
the flooded points.
There Is a serious washout on the st