Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-14
Beaches Take
Storm in Stride
BY CHARLES L. HOFFMAN
Star stan Correspondent

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del,
Aug. 10. - Maryland and Della
ware Atlantic Coast beaches took
Hurricane Connie in stride today
then settled down to a pleasant
week end despite strong winds
and drifting and singing sands
Damage along the beaches
from Ocean City northward to
Rehoboth Beach was negligible
as the hurricane veered and
threw its main force at the Ches-
peake Bay area.
At the height of the storm
winds we're running so miles an
hour with gusts above 10 at
Ocean City. Vacationers. how
ever. appeared undisturbed and
were seen along the Boardwalk
watching the storm.
Water swept under the Board
walk between Fourteenth and
Twenty-fourth streets at Ocean
City covering Baltimore and
Philadelphia avenues but failed
to stop traffic.
At Fenwick Island, just over
the Delaware line. water from
the Sinepuxent Bay rose vel
over its normal level and sur.
rounded several blocks of homes
stranding some cars in the area
Fashionable ocean front beach
homes at South Bethany were
unchanged except for a few
shingles which were torn loose
Across Ocean highway, how
ever, the Sinepuxent Bay alsc
inundated several new homes.
A mid-afternoon twister thai
STRUCK just west of the Bethany
Beach Friday ripped up tree:
and damaged buildings in s
l50-yard strip for about a Is,
mile distance to Oak Orchard.
Three chicken houses, a barr
and three other buildings were
leveled at the home Of Samue.
Piper. at Ocean View. Only Mrs
Piper and a baby were home al
: the time. They escaped injury
as the twister skirted the edge
of the house.
The twister struck the corner
OF the Lord Baltimore High
School at Millville. tearing loose
cutters and breaking windows,
Inside were a number of people
from Bethany Beach who had
gone there only an hour or so
earlier as the Coast Guard issued
evacuation warnings prior to
the 4 pm. high tide.
j From Rehoboth Beach down.
ward to the Ocean City town
limit police. National Guard,
Coast Guard and Civil Defense
units Joined in warning residents
to evacuate the low areas be-
tween the ocean and the Bay.
In Ocean City. however, Mayor
Daniel Trimper and the city
council met Friday afternoon
with Civil Defense, Coast Guard
and police to discuss the storm
situation. The city fathers de-
clined to issue any advisory to
vacationers there on whether
they should leave the low-lying
towns.
Mayor Trimper Friday night
expressed disgust with the pub
licity and length of advance
warnings given Connie.
"I've lived here SO years and
have never seen a man drown
in a storm yet" Mr.. frimper
or Hazel or something else"
said What used to be called a
northeaster now is called Connie
had followed the advance warn
I The Mayor said that If he
ings Ocean City as a resort
would have been bare since Tues
day"
The season is too short al
ready" the Mayor, who operates
an amusement center there.
added.
Some 300 persons. most of
them women and children who
were in Ocean City without
transportation, were housed at
the Stephen Decatur High
School. about four miles inland.
The beaches we're crowded to-
day and back to normal opera
ton with a large number of the
curious making special trips to
the area to see the storms effect.