Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-09-23

The storm was accompanied by a
cold wave.
The u. 5. Treasury Department
has sent revenue cutters to the rescue
of bay vessels.
Requests were received hourly ask
ing for help by bay craft. Numerous
cases of strandiug are reported from
Deals Island, Tangier Island, Girls
field, on Eastern Shore, st. Georges
Island in lower Potomac-in fact,
all along the shores. Some vessels
so far reported are: Schooners Oracle
and Alva and Hattie, at Jackson's
creek, Chester river. Schooners Mary
A. Kirwin, Mary j. Bond. Mary
Ellen, Ida, II. B. Rowe, Woolford
and Frercby, at Deals Island, Md.
Schooners Elnora Russell, Martin
Wagner, Eta, Tropic ard Avalon, at
st. Georges Island, Md.
Any owner or master whose vessel
has been stranded by the recent
severe storm, by communicating with
the Baltimore Collector of Customs
at once, noting name of vessel and
location, can have assistance rendered.
The severe storm of Wednesday
last week terminated the glus of soft
crabs that has prevailed for several
weeks past In u orthern markets. The
price advanced to 80 cents per dozen
for primes, and most dealers cleared
all their stock at that figure. The
Order of Eagles partook of an en-
joyable crab feast in Baltimore, Md,
on Monday Three hundred barrels
of crabs were consumed.
A PASSENGERS EXPERIENCE.
DEAR CITIZEN:-I wish to give
you an account of a trip l had on
steamer Enoch Pratt on the night
of the 14th inst. up the bay. 1 have
been a sailor for about 25 years, and
been In many storms, but the one
just mentioned was the worst ever
experienced. The night was very
dark and thick nearly all the way,
and when we were about off Barron
Island the wind from the northwest
burst upon US with The fury of a
tornado aud the steamer soon began
to roll and lunge in a terrible way.
The wise and proficient Captain John
Hurt deemed 1t best to head for
Patuxent. will say right here that
Capt. Hurt is in every sense of the
word steamboat man, and deserves
all the praise that words can express
for the way he handled the Pratt in
that mountainous sea aud inky dark
ness for Al long hours. l think very
few OF us if any, thought harbor
would ever be made in this world
but through the great nerve and
good Judgment of Capt. Hurt and
his mate we weathered the storm.
Yet not without accident the good
boat. When about middle of the bay
mighty waves swept her from stem
to stern, and carried away head light
aud side lights, and smashed the rail.
ing on the upper deck, and in a very
short while her starboard bow was
smashed in about 80 feet, and the
lower deck was flooded, washing
barrels of sugar, boxes of meat, etc.,
down the deck like corks, and her
deck on the port quarter was started
UP. Soft, good times were very
scarce about then, and after light
there was work for the carpenter,
shoreing the deck up so the trip
could be finished. 1t has been said,
the Pratt was unsafe, but she is in
my judgment all right, and the b.,
=. q A. Company should feel proud
of her. / am sure all of the passen-
gers are. Most all the passengers
displayed considerable nerve, and the
ladies especially. Among the ladies
were two from Hollands Island, Mrs.
Sadie Todd and Mrs. Mollie Somers,
who were very cool and nervy. May
we never have to pass through
another like experience.
Yours truly,
II. Q. SANFORD.