Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-18
EFFECTS OF THE STORM
AWFUL SCENES WITNESSED ON
THE ATLANTIC COAST.
Wind Swept the Waters at a Velocity
of Ninety Miles an
Hour.

A letter received in this city, dated
Lewes. Del. September II. states that the
results of the terrible hurricane there and
elsewhere on the Atlantic coast Tuesday
night are just beginning to be known. NO
where in the dispatches have the real con-
ditions been given. the descriptions having
been meager. The writer says:
1T is my fortune to be for a few days
sojourning on the beach at this place. and
II is unnecessary to state that when I was
awakened at 8 O'Clock on the morning OF
the 18th by the rolling of the breakers upon
the beach and the bowling of the most ter
rife wind 1t was ever my misfortune to
hear 1 was through with sleep until the
next night when the bay was as placid as
though an angry wave had never rolled
across Its bosom.
THE hurricane. which came up east by
SOUTH was at Its height about A o'clock in
the morning. at which time It had reached
velocity of nearly ninety miles an hour.
This is not romance. as l visited the signal
station on the inner breakwater yesterday
afternoon. after the bay had become calm
enough to permit of a trip over. and was
there informed that the velocity of the wind
reached almost ninety miles, ranging be-
tween that and eighty-f1ve miles for tlme
and that 1T howled along at rate of eighty
miles for probably an hour.
In the harbor were number of vessels.
which. owing to the force of the wind and
waves and the direction from which the
storm came, were practically helpless, the
harbor being In reality more dangerous than
the open sea. The breakwaters were en-
tirely submerged great angry waves break
Ing over the inner one and the old house
formerly used as Il lighthouse and now
used as portion of the signal station. on
top of the inner breakwater, was at times
yah he live o1o
1t As result. the bay was SO rough that
all the vessels dragged their anchors and
drifted helpleSSly about, many of them col
liding. and one. a two-masted schooner. the
Sea Bird. going to the bottom. Her crew
escaped in their own boat and succeeded
in reaching land. A three-masted schooner,
the Hattie Marsh. drifted on to the outer
breakwater and was wrecked. Five of her
crew were drowned. and only two. who sue
ceeded in clinging to the rigging escaped.
They were sighted by the signal station
men at dawn, clinging to the masts, and
were rescued by the steam pilot boat Phil
adelphia.
Up the bay, several miles toward Phila-
delphia the tug Spartan, one of the largest
and best boats of her class belonging to
Mum Co. of Philadelphia. and carrying
crew of fifteen men, with three barges in
tow, sank. and it is not known at this
writing what became of the barges. They
were anchored by the captain of the tug
before his own vessel sank, but it is a prob
lem whether they succeeded in riding out
the storm. The report reached here that
the entire crew of the tug had persisted
and until noon today 1t was thought that
such was the case. Today the captain of
the tug (whose name is Chandler. and who
lives at Frankfort, in this state) and his
mate (Nelson of Boston, were rescued and
were brought to this port by the pilot boat
Philadelphia, which vessel, by the way, all
through the terrible storm, and since, rem
dered valuable service to the distressed
vessels in this vicinity.
Capt Chandler was picked up thirteen
miles out at sea, adrift a piece of scan
Ting 2N4 inches, and thirteen feet long.
This had been his sole support for thirteen
hours, and when picked up he was almost
dead from exhaustion and exposure. He was
battered and bruised by the heavy waves
which beat over him, and it is almost in
credible that man could pass through
what he did and live. 1 saw him. however,
and found him as clearheaded and as full
of pluck and vim as he was before he was
subjected to such a terrible experience,
though physically he was in very bad con-
dition. Mate Nelson succeeded In clinging
10 the bottom of an upturned boat and was
picked up near the lightship He was in bet
ter condition, physically. than was Captain
Chandler. These men had drifted probably
twenty miles or more before assistance
reached them. 1t was learned today that
ten of the crew of the tug. all incased in
life preservers and floating near together
were picked up by the fishing boat Alberto,
on her way out, and We're landed at some
the crew were drowned. Had the barber
been full of boats as it would have been had
a danger signal been sent out by the wealth
er bureau. the result would have been too
awful for contemplation. The lighthouse at
the lower end of the new breakwater was
practically demolished, and the light was
swept away.
superintendent kimball of the life-saving
service can rest assured that his men at
the station here were alert and doing their
whole duty. They had their large surf boat
out as soon as they could see and made
trip beyond the outer breakwater for the
purpose of affording any assistance posi-
bic. and throughout the trying hours of the
awful night were on the shore rendering all
the assistance possible to the distressed
shipping.
The oldest inhabitant' states he never
before say a storm equal to this in intensity
and 1 agree with him in his conclusion
and l don't want to see another, neither
Them's my sentiments. though now that it
is over and had 10 happen. I'm glad 1 saw
this one"