Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-10-17

The northern portion of the beach is
much more elevated than the rest and
this accounts for the houses there not
being injured. The cottages owned by
Baltimoreans are all situated along the
northern end. Police Commissioner
Upshur's cottage is protected by a
breakwater which kept it from being
injured.
Mr.. Lee Carey, Democratic candidate
for the Legislature from Worcester
county, was on the island all day. as
sisting in resculng the property of the
residents. He says the damage will be
repaired, and, as the destroyed houses
were all old. the storm will eventually
result in the improvement of the town.
The saddest feature of the storm is
the fact that so many of the persons
who lost their all are the poorest of the
town and will feel the blow most keen.
ly. The lower portion of the place is
inhabited principally by fishermen, and
in most cases they had nothing but their
boats and household goods, and these,
of course. are destroyed.
DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT $4,000.
Conservative estimates place the total
damage at $4,000.
Old fishermen and seamen attribute
the great height of the waves to the
fact that the recent gales had piled the
water of the ocean against the coast
and the northeast wind drove it over
the island in immense volumes.
Capt. L. P. Ayres, who is one of the
heaviest losers among the fishermen,
says the loss to the fishermen alone will
go over $4,000, and that this does not
include the loss from idleness at one of
their busiest seasons. He says many of
them will be put out of business. Capt.
Ayres estimates his own loss at $4,000.
Capt. Christopher Ludlam will also lose
about $4,000, and there are a number
who will lose from 81, 900 to $4,000.
ON sICKBED WHEN RESCUED.
Mrs, w. R. Rayne, wife of the pro-
prietor of Rayne's Hotel. on the board
walk, was ill in bed when the storm
came up Saturday morning. She was
carried OH cot to one of the passenger
coaches and taken across the trestle,
from which place she was conveyed to
Berlin by the train. Only three women
and six men stayed on the island Satur-
day night besides the members of the
life-saving crew. They were Mrs. Eliz-
abeth Powell, wife of Postmaster James
z. Powell; Mrs. Joshua Dunton, wife of
Captain Dunton, of the life-saving crew;
Mrs. Milton Wagner, wife of former
City Councilman Wagner, of Baltimore,
who was visiting ner sister. Mrs. Dun
ton; Postmaster Powell. and Messrs. R.
Q. Quinn. Zed Purnell. George Lewis,
Reverdy Dennis and Cyrus Purnell.
The members of the life-saving crew
besides Captain Dunton are Messrs.
William Purnell, Joseph Quillin, Chas.
Soper, Sidney Pruitt and Thomas Hud-
son. The crew patroled the beach Sat-
urday and Sunday nights in bathing
suits, expecting at any time to be com.
PEELED to swim for their lives.
When the storm arose the families of
Messrs. r. J. Dennis and S. j. Massey
and Mrs. Sarah Purnell, proprietress of
the Hotel Purnell. took refuge in the
cottage on Tabor's Hall. just across the
bay on the mainland. The hill is moth
ing more than knoll. The rising tide
surrounded the place and flowed up unto
the porch. to the terror of the refugees,
who expected any minute to see the
house swept from its foundation.