Peninsula Enterprise, October 30, 1897

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reprinted from Baltimore Sun, October 26.Professionals -- Commission merchants

The Ames and Fentress Company, for conducting a commission business, was incorporated yesterday by George T. Ames, Walter G. Fentress, John A. Little, Harry W. Kurtz and John H. Seward. The capital stock is $10,000, divided into 400 shares of $25 each.

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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Maryland-Virginia boundary

Governor O'Ferrall has appointed Benjamin T. Gunter, Jr., as commissioner on the part of Virginia to mark the boundaries of Pocomoke and Tangier Sounds. In a letter to Governor of Maryland, informing him of the appointment, he suggests "that the services of two engineers of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey be secured, one to be selected by each State."

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Weather -- Northeast storms

The people residing on the water courses on the seaside in the vicinity of the Court House were damaged in the loss of fences, by the overflow of water on their lands and in other respects about like those similarly situated in other sections of the county. Mr. Thos. W. Russell, however, sustained greater loss in this vicinity than anyone else. His hotel property on Metompkin beach was badly wrecked. Its porches were washed away, kitchen embedded in the sand almost to the roof and other damage done, amounting perhaps to $100 or more.

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Weather -- Northeast storms

High tide bargains, goods slightly damaged this storm, at store of A. H. G. Mears. Take advantage of the low prices and get your share of the bargains by calling on him at once.

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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Residential construction

The new dwelling now being built by Contractor Jona Parks for Capt. Lynn F. Taylor, of the Life Saving Service, at Accomac C. H., is nearing completion and will be one of the prettiest residences in the town.

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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Law enforcement

The charges preferred by certain persons against Capt W. E. Parks, commander of the oyster police schooner Tangier, for neglect of duty, were investigated last week by Capt, W. E. Hudgins, commander-in-chief of the Virginia oyster navy, and Mr. D. C. Zollicoffer, clerk of the Board of the Chesapeake and its tributaries, acting as commissioners for the board, and the persons who preferred the charges failing to substantiate them Captain Parks has been exonerated.

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Weather -- Northeast stormsTransportation -- Water - WrecksInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving serviceTransporattion -- Railroad - WharvesForests -- Barrel factories Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Watchhouses

Chincoteague.

The storm here for the past few days exceeds any in violence and length of duration in the memory of our oldest inhabitants. The distress it has occasioned and losses in property are hard to estimate. The Island was submerged by the tide in many places and houses were upturned and porches and fences blown down. At least one third of the dwellings at one time were surrounded by water and persons in the lowlands had to seek safety in the highlands. The tide at one day was from 4 to 6 feet on our Main St., and business of all kinds was suspended. The merchants lost heavily in damage to their goods and very few who owned stock or poultry escaped without some loss. No lives were lost during the storm but there were many narrow escapes. A widow named Aydelotte and five small children, whose house was surrounded by water were rescued after being without food or fuel for two days and Charles Bunting, wife and child, who occupied a house on the banks of Willis shoals, after their house was blown over and while they were in the water breaking over their heads, were picked up by two men adrift in a boat without paddle or sails, which luckily drifted to the mainland, by the aid of a bed quilt used as a sail.

Schooner L. A. Rose, bound from New Jersey to New York with cargo of wood, dragged her anchor while at Toms Cove during the storm of the 25th and went ashore at Fishing Point. She will probably be a total loss. Her crew was rescued by Capt. N. B. Rich and force of the Life Saving service.

A new wharf, office etc., for the Railroad Co., doing business at this place has been finished, which adds greatly to our shipping facilities.

Gordon B. Jones of Newark, Md., has bought the barrel house of O. M. Chandler. He will engage in manufacturing barrels and open up wood and lumber yard here.

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Weather -- Northeast stormsSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : WatchhousesNatural resources -- Conservation - Game

Metompkin.

The tide was higher in this section during the late storm than it has been since the October gust in 1878, and did some damage to the fences, small boats and small patches of potatoes. No one in this locality suffered any great loss though except Messrs. Gordy & Figgs. They had several thousand feet of lumber swept from their wharf, their cat boat capsized and schooner driven ashore, causing considerable loss to them in the aggregate.

An exciting incident of the storm in this section was the narrow escape of Capt. Parker Risley and wife from what might have been a watery grave to them. They were in a house on piles in Kegotank bay, watching the oyster beds of Gordy & Figgs, when the tide began to rise, and when it reached the first floor and raised the signal of distress. Fortunately for them Mr. James Miles saw it and went to their rescue, but by the time he reached them the tide was so high that the only way of escape for them was through the roof. He succeeded in getting them safe to land.

The birds in this section have very little protection from our game law. Many of them are being killed daily.

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African-Americans -- Work - OtherWeather -- Northeast stormsDisease

Onancock.

A red and white sign has been hung-out this week on Main street by Kwong Wing Shing, whose business is "washe, washe." He is the first Chinese resident of the town, and, of course, is a chief object of interest. He intends to put a shine on our shirts and collars -- the opposition of the "cullud" women to the contrary, notwithstanding.

While we on the bayside of the peninsula have felt the force of the continued storm of northeast wind a rain and have had consequently high tides several days, yet we have not had report of any serious damage resulting therefrom. The rain refreshed the earth and did much good.

Our town is on a boom. We are being heard of. Knong Wing Shing had come on Monday by train from the south to share our prosperity and on the afternoon train of the same day, from the north, another son of the Celestial Empire, skilled in the art of polishing linen, came to establish the same business. May we attract as much attention in other lines of business.

Last week a dog, which was owned by one of the teachers of the academy, went mad and after biting several dogs in town, wandered off and was killed near Tasley station. Also about the same time a strange dog appeared in town and was noticed by several people as being in a suspicious condition, probably going mad, and consequently was killed on North street the following day.

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Fields -- Crops - Sweet potatoes : PricesWeather -- Northeast stormsInfrastructure -- Commercial - Real estateInfrastructure -- Commercial - Residential developmentInfrastructure -- Commercial - Commercial constructionInfrastructure -- Commercial - HotelsInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving service

Onley

Sweets sold here this week at 1.25 per barrel.

George Burton, surfman of Life Saving Station on Cobb's Island, arrived here one night this week and reported the station as nearly washed away.

Several nice building lots will be laid off and offered for sale here in the near future

Boss carpenter Robbins arrived this week to finish work on our new hotel.

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Infrastructure -- Public : Towns

Parksley.

Mr. A. H. G. Mears paid our town a visit a few days ago and was much pleased with our modern dwellings and handsome stores.

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Weather -- Northeast stormsInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving service

Wachapreague.

The storms which began here on Wednesday, October 20th, and culminated in a hurricane on Monday last, was accompanied by the highest tide known here for nineteen years. The water front of the town was entirely submerged, the water standing six inches deep in the dry goods stores of A. H. G. Mears, flooding the kitchens and cellars of several dwellings, and destroying the small wharves along the creek. Besides the loss of fowls, some damage done to the boating and the inconveniences of the debris left on the shore and in the street, no particular damage was sustained by the town. Cedar Island was overflowed, the kitchen of the L. S. Station was thrown from its foundation and the crew compelled to leave the island for wood and water. The surf made a clean sweep of the island and levelled it to a mere flat breadth of sand. Up to this writing no report has been received from Parramore's, but it is probable that some of the stock there was drowned.

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Weather -- Northeast storms

Wishart's Point.

The storm of Sunday night and Monday was the worst in this section for 19 years. Much damage was done to boats and Matthews dock. The tide rose very high, carrying away over 100 cords of wood of Matthews & Taylor, quite a number of shingles off dock belonging to S. W. Matthews and a large lot of fence on the farm of Mr. Thornton and others. The oyster shucking house at one time was in danger of being swept away and the men concluded to abandon the house in doing so two of the men came very near being drowned. Two mules that were stabled near the dock also had to be taken out of the stable or they would have been drowned. The storm continued until Wednesday might. The house and dock belonging to the Wishart's Point Transportation Co., was completely swept away and nothing remains but the pilings of same. Just the extent of damage cannot be ascertained at this writing.

Effects of the Storm.

Weather -- Northeast storms

Some idea of the fury of the storm which swept along our coast for several days of last week and the losses caused by it may be obtained from the reports of our correspondents from various sections of Accomack, but they stop very far short of the damage done and distress occasioned by the storm all along our coast from Cobb's Island, obliterated from the map of Virginia to Franklin City so entirely submerged, that is was practicably deserted, we are advised, by its inhabitants. From every intermediate point which we have heard from, loss is reported either in wharf property, boats, fencing, crops or in some other way difficult to estimate but amounting to thousands of dollars.