The Indianapolis journal., 1903-09-18
EIGHTEEN LIVES LOST.
Property Loss mt and Near New York
About S2,OOOOOO.

NEW WORK, Sept. 17.-Theodore Grimes.
whose skull was fractured by a section of
a roof blown by the wind from the stables
at Aqueduct race track in yesterdays
storm. is dead in hospital
While freight train on the Long Island
Railroad was passing between Minola and
Hyde Park the roof of box car was car
ried away by the gale, with Walter Lewis
and George b. Snyder, two brakemen. cling
ing to it. The roof was carried almost 100
feet from the track, where it collapsed by
striking tree. Both men were fatally
injured.
Rough estimates of the financial loss due
TO the storm are 100000 on and around
Manhattan island alone So far twenty
four lives are known to have been lost in
the storm yesterday and to-day. and it is
all reports are in.
One of the most thrilling stories of the
disaster is that of the excursion and freight
steamer +. S. Spring which was driven
ashore near the country mansion of T. c.
Benedict at Greenwich. Conn. Captain Nc
Donald, 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 a velocity of
eighty miles an hour when the rudder failed
and the steamer floundered at the mercy of
the huge seas which swept over her. The
panic stricken passengers fled 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 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 great that il 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 steamer was
fast being driven toward Shelving 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 RATS. 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. y
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 so small that Captain Mcdonald was
afraid to put 1t over. He tried to put up
distress signals, but the wind snapped of
the flagstaff
The steamer drifted along the shore an
hour until she hit the rocks off the point at
Benedicts and stove in her bows. As soon
fifteen feet to the rocks. The water was
over his head and he was tossed until he
became badly bruised, but he kept on swim
ming and was finally tossed on the beach.
The servants ashore grasped lines from
the ship and i'm few minutes all hands had
been safely landed
Following Wednesdays hurricane came
another severe storm to-day. In New York
city the gale blew at the rate of sixty
seven miles hour. which was stronger
than yesterdays gale The damage was
not so widespread. however. because the
storm did not last so long. Fishing schoon-
ers that arrived to-day brought tales of
disasters from all along the coast. AT least
half a dozen men were drowned from these
boats and il is feared that many more met
similar fate, as several schooners are
missing, some of which are known to have
| foundered. Eight smacks. which formed
| part of the fleet ovevtaken by the hurricane
| at Five Fathom bank. arrived to-day. but
Sunshine, Daisy, Mercedes. Gaffney. Emily
p Wright, Orient and Lillian Fernald are
vet TO be heard from. Among the men v. nc
were drowned were Capt. John G.. Morgan
and Fisherman Ned Petersen, of the schoon-
| er NJ. A. Baston. and Capt. Silas Latham
and Fishermen Peter Barr and Lewis Will
| cox of the schooner Esther and Anita.
During the height of the storm one of the
| United States cruiser Chicago's launches
carrying the paymaster. an engineer and
| four men. put of from shore at Tompkins-
vile, Staten island. Out in the stream the
/ launch was swamped and all the men went
f, overheard. The paymaster had with him
| a satchel containing $1,000. but, according
| TO the regulations IL was attached 10 a
buoy. The lighthouse tender Daisy pu,
out from shore and saved the men when