Evening journal., 1914-01-03
GALE LASHES
BEACH FRONT
OF REHOBOTH
Waves Weaken Boardwalk
and Menace PaviIiOnS and
Other Property
TIDES BECOME HIGHER
WITH VIOLENT BLOW

That Rehoboth beach front is being
swept by a fierce easterly gale and
heavy seas, was the startling word re-
ceived over the telephone late this
morning by Charles S. Horn, town
commissioner and proprietor of
Horns Pavilion at that resort, who,
0 with his wife, is visiting John B.
Ritchie in this city Frank Chase,
member OF the town commission,
telephoned to Mr.. Horn that the storm
has been sweeping the coast since
yesterday. Each tide is encroaching
! higher toward the town proper, and
is battering away the embankment
along the beach front and threatening
to carry away the boardwalk.
Mr.. Chase Is the only Town Com
missioner in RehobOth today. Mr.
Horn and BENJAMIN f. Shaw OF this
city, who also is commissioner, will
90 to Rehoboth this afternoon to see
what can be done to protect the beach
front and property along it. Mr..
Horn and MIR. Shaw discussed the
situation this morning.
/ "A u AIt utNEdEt ItitlNtA
by Mr.. Horn the wind is blowing at
high velocity across the resort and
the waves are banging along the
strand with terrific force. Each tide
since yesterday morning has become
higher than the preceding one. As
Rehoboth depends mostly upon an
embankment of sand and gravel to
keep out the ocean. there IS a possi-
bility of the waves cutting away the
embankment skirting the boardwalk
and of undermining Surf avenue,
which fanks the boardwalk and ocean.
On the north side of the avenue are
cottages and the Hotel Henlopen.
Mr.. Horn received information that
the ocean had carried away part Of
the piling supporting the end of his
pavilion and pier. and that the board
walk, public pavilions also were be-
ing undermined by the crashing
breakers pounding under them. Hills
bathhouses. along the boardwalk also
we're being pounded and are in dan
ger of being carried away.
The Town Commission has just
spent $1,000 in improvements along
the boardwalk and in building com
fort houses, and it is feared that this
work will be destroyed If the gale
, persists through tonight In some
places the boardwalk already has
, been loosened and small parts of il
: have been swept away by the storm
: according to word received by Mr.
= Horn.
r The situation is all the more ser
; ious because of a severe storm tha
= several days ago swept away the pro
n tecting shelving of sand and othe
safeguards against unusually higl
Is tides. Up TO noon the waves had no
d encrouched over the boardwalk, al
l. though in some storms i'm past year
T. the water has broken over tn
= boardwalk and has filled the beds O
'e some of the avenues leading dow
u to the ocean
It Fears are entertained for the safet
l. Of Cape Henlopen Lighthouse, be
ii tween which aud the open Oceai
'r there vas but 15O feet of sand earl
IS this week Government engineer
Il yesterday were ceded a stretch O
l. land by the State Land COmmissio
$, TO permit the building of bulkhead
Is and jetties to protect the lighthouse
II The government engineers expresse
fear that a heavy storm might un
nr dermine the lighthouse and cause
~ to topple. Today's gale is drivin
IL the sea against the point on which tin
m lighthouse stands. Many years ag
It the lighthouse was a mile from TN
a. ocean. but the beach gradually ha
th heen swept away in front of the tow
j er.
IN At the Offices of the Delaware Raj
er road early this afternoon advices weI
as received that while the sea was nes
.r the boardwalk and was violent, II
Ir. serious damage had been done. WoT
e. received by the railroad officials wa
ks that the tide had about reached II
no highest.