Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-22
WORST STORM IN YEARS
ALONG VIRGINIA COAST
Baltimore Boat in Collision and Ia
Beached to Save Her. =,
Velocity of Ninety-Six Miles Record
ed at New York-Blizzard
Weather in the West
and South.

NORFOLk, Va, February 22-Six
steamers have been swept ashore in the
outer harbor here by the worst storm
that has swept the Virginia coast since
the great August gale of 1879 The blow
began last night and continued unabated
today. At 1870 am. two scows were re-
ported by Cape Henry as being blown
rapidly to sea through the Virginia capes
No loss Of life so far has been reported.
The Old Dominion liner Madison was
partially sunk In collision with the Nor
wegian steamer Hippolyte Dumois today.
Fl. B. Walker of New York, president OF
the Old Dominion Steamship Company.
was on board the Madison with w. H.
I-andon. the company's agent here. but
both escaped injury.
No Passengers on Board.
No other passengers were on board the
Madison at the time of the collision. The
Madison was returning to Norfolk from
Newport News. prior to sailing for New
York. when the Dumois struck her. A
large hole was cut in the Madison, and
Capt. Hulphers beached his vessel at the
edge of the channel near Bush bluff. The
rudder chain of the Dumois broke. and in
the strong wind she became unmanage-
able. After being beached the Madison
sunk as far as her main deck The Du-
mois, with her stem badly twisted and
port anchor gone. proceeded to Newport
News for repairs.
The vessels ashore besides the Old Do
minion liner Madison are the Norwegian
steamer Hermes. from Baltimore: the
British steamer Strathallan, loading for
San Francisco; the spanlsk steamer Nord-
| stjernen, from Bostdns the British steam
er Elswick Manor, from Philadelphia. and
the Norwegian steamer Cecil. The latter
vessel lies near the railway terminals at
Lamberts point.
With the wind from the southwest ships
passing along the coast were blown sea-
ward, and this accounts for the escape Of,
many. 1t is believed.
The government quarantine ship James |,
town was swept from her anchorage on
Old Point Comfort early this morning,
but the vessel has been safely anchored
off Battery Barrott. Fort Monroe.
The three men aboard the vessel sig
| nailed they were safe.
Small Craft Ashore.
Numerous small steam craft. and sailing
vessels are reported ashore or in trouble
in Hampton roads and lower Chesapeake
bay. - /,
The big coasting schooner Ruth L. Mer-
rill, from Portland. and the coasting
barge Ohio also were swept ashore by
the gale near Sewalls point. The crew
of the steamer Madison were landed here
safely, but Capt. Mulphers refused to
leave the vessel. which lies in forty feet
of water with her saloon deck awash.
NEW YORK. February 22.-No word Of
the plight Of the steamship Madison. re-
ported to be partially sunk in the outer
harbor of Norfolk. had been received here
by Old Dominion line officials today. w.
L. Woodrow, trafilc manager of the line,
said that it was his opinion that the
Madison had been blown out OF her chan
mel into shallow water and on Mud Flats
while returning to Norfolk from Newport
News. The Madison is propeller Of 4.O0O
tons burden. She left New York for
Norfolk Tuesday and was reported to
have reached her destination yesterday.
She was due. Mr.. Woodrow said. to sail
for New York tomorrow.
Wind Reaches 06 Miles an Hour.
NEW YORK, February 1.-The gale
from the southwest which swept the east
last night and early this morning, attained
in New York and vicinity a maximum We =
locity of ninety-six miles an hour. This
breaks all weather bureau records here,
the highest previous wind velocity hav-t
ing been eighty-three miles. in April
1908. !,
Telegraph company officials say it was !:
nf thn hord docf niOh in,
the history of this country. Wire services
is generally demoralized east of the Mis-
sissippi. No loss Of life is reported FROM
New York and environs. This morning Z
fine snow was falling.
Coffyn's Hydroaeroplane Wrecked. 4
Frank S. Cofryn's hydroaeroplane wass
wrecked on a raft in the North fiver and
the tugboat Margaret D. was sunk in the
East river. Brick chimneys were topp1ed
over by the score
Wireless reports. received here today
said that three barges were adrift be-
One barge was later sunk. and the rev.
enue cutter Mohawk was summoned to
the assistance Of the others.
Western Pennsylvania Suffers. u
PITTSBURGH. February 22.-Damage
estimated at half a million dollars has.l
been done by the seventy mile an-hour :
gale which swept over western Pennsyl-
vania last night and today. Hundreds Of
derricks have been blown down i'm the oil
fields, telegraph and telephone wires
ripped from poles and all trains delayed 1
Scores of windows in business buildings
and residences have been demolished. and
at Washington. Pa. the roof was torn I
from the main building OF Washington !
and Jefferson College and deposited in .
the streets.
though the terrific snow and wind storm
that swept the lower half of the state
yesterday and last night had abated
somewhat today, traffic In all directions
is practically at q standstil
CLEVELAND, Ohio, February pa
northern Ohio today. TranA Is badl