New-York tribune., 1920-02-06
Highest Tide
For "a Years.:
Millions Lost
Four Hotels, 100 Feet of
Boardwalk and Several
Bungalows at Rockawav
Are " ash ed Seaward

The highest tide that has washed up
against these shores in thirty-four
years came yesterday in the wake of
the blizzard that started on Wednesday.
Its scope was great and as it re-
ceded it left behind trail of damage
to the waterfront property that will
run we'll up into millions of dollars.
Moreover the harvest of this phe-
nomenally high water is by no means
wholly gathered, for the flood will come
again to-day, according to James H..
Scarr, local forecaster, and add to its
task of destruction.
Conditions were most favorable for
this sudden tidal wave to hit the land.
M. Scarr said, and they will perhaps
remain so until this evening. The con-
tributing causes of the flood, according
to the local forecaster, are the full
moon which appeared on Wednesday.
The low barometer from the storm
center, which was on the lower end of
the New Jersey coast, and the velocity
and steadiness Of the northeast wind
that ushered in the blizzard.
Tide Reaches Height of S.23 Feet
The automatic tide gauge operated
at Pier A, on the Battery, showed that
the water was 1923 feet above mean
low water at 9:45 a m yesterday.
Robert A. WINNER. an engineer of the
Departm of Plant and Structures.
who takes the daily readings of the
gauge, said it was the highest tide in
the records Of the city, the next highest
having occurred April II, 1918, when
the gauge recorded a height of 8.15
feet.
The water rose to a height that
lacked fifteen inches of being flush with
the Battery wall.
While the high water caused some
damage along the waterfront property
that is protected by brlkheads end
piers, its greatest destruction was
along the beaches, where bath houses,
boat houses and shore hotels with the
unstable foundations were an easy
prey for the mighty tide as it rolled
steadily, powerfully and relentlessly
shoreward.
Reports of heavy destruction along
the Atlantic seaboard have come in
from all places from Cape May ts
Newport and the toll for repairs at
all the watering places will be high
this summer Brooklyn was hard hit.
COUI 0CLelS W dSEo0 ScaW8r0
Four hotels and 100 feet of board
walk and several bungalows at Rock
away were washed seaaard about 9
a. m, when the food was at its height.
The Pasadena Hotel, occupying an area
of 1O,000 square feet at Eighty-sixth
Street and the water front, was washed
away from its foundation, and Muir
rays dancing pavilion was moved rs
feet into the surf. Another pavilion,
known as Morrison's, was lifted from
its underpinning and with a recession
of the tide was 100 feet away from its
foundation.
The Oriental Hotel was loosed from
its foundations and went out with the
flood. Firemen We're called to rescue
Edward Kelly, the proprietor, and his
wife, who were in the building. While
the firemen were working high roll
ing wave came in and washed the
| hotel further into the surf. The fire.
men, who had rugged up ladders to the
hotel, were carried out with the build
ing and were themselves rescued by
some boatmen, who went out to save
Kelly and his wife, who had sought
haven on the roof of their drifting
hostelry.
Rockaway Damage, $1,500,O00
A survey of the damage at Rockaway
Beach last night indicated that $780,
900 would be conservative estimate.
Thus far no Ii e has been lost. While
the food rolled high, the damage to the
residential section was slight. Nepon-
sits damage also was confined to prop
erty on the beach.
Among the resorts damaged at Rock
away, mostly places at Seaside, the
amusement section of the beach, were
McIntesh's baths, the Crown baths, the
swimming pool Of Wainwright & Smith,
Baxter's dance hall, Triton baths at
Holland, and scores of stands and con-
cessions. Forty small bungalows were
swept from their foundations and
strewn along the beach,
Coney Island got it's share of the
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