Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-05
Shipping the Harbor at Lewes Battered About by the
Gale, Causing Much Damage But No Loss
Of Life, as Far as Known.
.REHOBOTH BEACH FRONT
ALMOST ANN|h|LATEO
Battered by Terrific Storm and
Exceptionally High Tide,
Front is Yielding.
Special Dispatch to Every Evening
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Rehoboth Beach, Feb. 3
A survey of Rehoboth made at noon
today, showed the destructive work of the
storm, which was still raging, with the
sea running higher than il had ever been
known before The storm started Tuesday
night, with wind and rain, ragged all day
yesterday, and is still raging, with no
signs OF abatement.
Every foot of the boardwalk and the
bulkhead at Rehoboth has been washed
away, part of some of the cottages on the
beach front have gone the foundations
have been washed from under the porches
Of others, and unless the wind changes,
the high tide tonight is expected to carry
several Of them out.
The wind last night at Rehoboth was
blowing at a higher rate than ever known
before. The sea was washing across the
fiat between the canal and the beach,
with the waves on the fiat five ard SIX
feet high, and every boathouse and boat
on the canal WAS swamped and under
water The canal now has the appearance
of being quarter of mile wide
From the extreme north end of the beach
at Rchoboth down 10 the cottage owned
by DIR. Frank l.. Grier of Milford, not
very much damage has been done rs vet
The cottage owned by State Senator
James T. Alice of Dover is in very great
danger. with everything in frnt of It
washed away, but the porches are still
hanging Unless the wind changes, the
cottage will 60 out with high tide tonight.
The Hotel Henlopen Is completely sur
pounded by water for the first time in its
history The waves Of the sea have bro
ken over and are carrying wreckage in
back of the hotel The cottage owned
by George W. Mccullough Of Wilmington
adjoining the hotel, Is being undermined,
and Is in great danger The porch has
fallen in, and il Is expected TO collapse
under the attack of the high tide tonight
unless the wind changes. The wind and
weather has been such that II has been
impossible for anything TO be done for the
protection Of the cottages along the front.
The waves are breaking over the street
and running back to Lake Cerar. the little
lake in the rear Of the hotel.
The : ". Hull cottage Is safe so far.
In the next square the cottage owned by
Mrs. = W. Parsons of Wilmington and
the cottage OF Rev. J. W Buckson are
both In serious danger. The cottage that
has weathered the storm most successfully
50 far Is that of Il. i Shaw Of Wilmington.
II is in very good shape. but not free from
danger unless the wind should change
before high tide.
In the next square the cottage of ]. NJ
Poole Of Wilmington and one owned by
Mrs Owens of Baltimore arc in great
danger. Everything has been washed
away IN front Of them. and they. arc being
undermined
The Bellhaven Hotel. on the other
corner, is being undermined, the waves
being under the porch. Should the wind
change it viii not be in great danger, but
high tide tonight may be dangerous to il.
The cottage owned by s w McCaulley
of Wilmington, adjoining the Bellhaven.
Is about IN the same condition.
COTTAGE FALLS INTO THE SEA.
The cottage wned by Harvey Cooper,
which was one of the finest on the beach,
has fallen into the surf and is a complete
wreck. Another fine cottage. that owned
by Joseph Harper, Is IN serious condition,
and may collapse at any time. The founda-
tions have been washed out and the porch
is about TO fall From the Harper corner
down TO the south end of the beach, while
all the bulkheads and walks have been
washed out, none of the colt ges hav been
seriously damaged yet, although everything
in front of them is gone. the Of these
cottages Is owned by the Franciscan Sis
ters Of Wilmington, and two others by
Sister Monica of Wilmington.
The sea at u clock was running high
er than it was ever known at Rehoboth
before, according TO the Oldest inhabi-
tants here, and there seems to be little
ecrease so far in its velocity All wires
are down, except one or two, the water
pipes are in very bad condition. many
places having TO cut water off. The only
hope felt here for escape from much more
serious damage than has already happened
Is for a change In the wind before high
tide tonight. The foundations have been
SO weakened under some of the cottages
that it is felt to be practically certain that
some Of them will collapse when the high
tide comes Oh tonight, unless there is q
change In the course the wind
report has reached Rehoboth that
barge toundered off the cape last night
and five men we're drowned