Peninsula Enterprise, March 24, 1888

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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Lighthouse service

A bill has been reported favorable to the House of Representatives, appropriating $25,000 for a lighthouse at Tangier Island.

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Transportation -- Railroad - Litigation

A special dispatch to the Baltimore Sun, March 18th from Princess Anne, Md., says: Mr. Lloyd Wilkinson, of Pocomoke City, Md., has brought suit for $75 against the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad for sickness caused by riding in one of their cars from Salisbury to Pocomoke City, on Monday, February 13th last, without fire in the car. The case was heard in Pocomoke City, Friday before Justice Robinson, who rendered a decision in favor of Wilkinson for the full amount.

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Fields -- Crops - StrawberriesTransportation -- Railroad - FreightFarmers -- Farmers' organizations

The strawberry growers of the Eastern Shore have been assured, we are [illegible] of the N.Y. P. & N. R.R. Co., that [illegible] no cause to complain of the facilities which will be furnished them for shipping their berries to market this season. They agree to furnish them with a berry train, which leaving here about midday will arrive in the city, early next morning.

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Fields -- Crops - StrawberriesLaborers -- Farm

Capt. E. L. East and Mr. A. T. Scott, two of the largest berry growers on the Eastern Shore will build a house shortly at Onley station to accommodate about 100 "pickers," whose services they will need during the berry season.

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Transportation -- Railroad - Regulation

The committee recently appointed by the Accomac Truckers and Fruitgrowers' Association to inquire into the discriminations said to be practiced by the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad have received letters from persons in Delaware and in some of the Eastern counties of Maryland promising co-operation in prosecuting the case against the railroad before the Inter-State commissioners. The Delaware State Grange has taken the matter in hand and employed counsel to argue the case before the commissioners, who have indicated their willingness to come to [illegible] Delaware to hear the charges against the railroad.

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Transportation -- Water - Sailboats

The sloop Three Sisters, 27 feet long, 11 feet 5 inches wide, with capacity 200 bushels of oysters, belonging to Capt. Thomas Milliner, will be sold at public auction for cash at Accomac C. H., next Monday, court-day. She has been recently rebuilt and is as good as new, has good sails, anchors, &c. She can be seen at Capt. Wm. R. Bunting's oyster house on Folly creek. She will be sold positively without reserve bid, and some one will get a bargain.

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Infrastructure -- Utilities - Water Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : PricesTransportation -- Railroad - FreightInfrastructure -- Public : Churches

Chincoteague.

The contract of Messrs. Risley & Son, with U.S., for boring an artesian well on Assateague has been completed. The depth reached was 263 feet at an expense to the Government of $657.50. The flow of water is 700 gallons per hour.

Our oyster planters still continue to ship the bivalves and the returns are satisfactory with a prospect of higher prices. The shipments by steamer Widgeon from here daily average about 400 barrels. The primes sell in market from $5 to $6 per barrel and the culls at $3 to $4.

Rev. Mr. Street preached in the Union Baptist Church here on the Sunday that the blizzard was raging and the hat being passed around $265 was collected and subscribed for parsonage purposes. Bro. Street complimented the congregation by saying that the collection was the most liberal he had ever witnessed.

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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Residential constructionWeather -- Snow stormsTransportation -- Water - Wrecks

Hoffman's Wharf.

A stranger would hardly know Hoffman's Wharf at this time. Eight vessels are piled up along our shore, some of them 50 feet beyond ordinary high-water mark, all more or less damaged, one of them the police boat with both masts broken off, and the schooner Fashion is sunk in the channel. Mr. A. J. Morse was the greatest sufferer by the storm, probably on the Eastern Shore, and his damages are estimated by some as high as $5,000. Here as elsewhere the fields were swept by the floods with probably great injury to the crops this year, many fruit trees killed and stock damaged. -- Mr. Wm. T. Mason who lives near here had 10 lambs drowned in his pound -- and others one or more.

A handsome dwelling is to be erected shortly by Capt. Thomas Mister at a point near us known as Smithville.

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Sea -- Finfish - Methods : Pound-netTransportation -- Road - ConstructionTransportation -- Water - Wharves

Sykes.

The fishing business is a growing industry with us. There was only one fish pound in our waters last season -- this year there are five.

A movement is on foot for the opening of a new road through the northern end of the island, and the establishment of a public wharf there from which the steamers of the Eastern Shore Steamboat Company will ply between this point and Baltimore. The initiatory steps were taken on Wednesday, the court having appointed viewers to examine and report on road, at request of petitioners.

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Transportation -- Water - StrandingsWeather -- Snow stormsInfrastructure -- Public - Government : MilitaryInfrastructure -- Commercial - Real estateMoral -- Alcohol

Wachapreague.

Capt. Wm. J. Richardson of this town narrowly escaped with his life on Sunday night, 11th inst. He was on board his small sloop anchored in Machipungo creek when she dragged her anchor to the leeward shore, where he escaped by swimming through the breakers.

Our town escaped the ravages of the Sunday night blizzard, by the change of wind from S.E. to N., about 9 o'clock on that night. Had it continued blowing all night from the S.E. great damage would have been done, but fortunately there was none, with the exception of some 5 sloops and lighters blown ashore and several outbuildings turned upside down.

Three companies of cadets have been organized in our town and drill every Sunday.

Mr. E. T. Powell recently sold a house and lot in this town to Mrs. Sarah Bell which she will occupy next year.

'Uncle' Betty East, mention of whom was made a short time since in your columns, has started out on his lecturing tour, having delivered his first 'broadside' against intemperance, and also at the same time in favor of 'Woman's Rights' in our town.

THE STORM ON EASTERN SHORE. FURTHER REPORTS.

Weather -- Snow stormsTransportation -- Water - WrecksTransportation -- Water - StrandingsInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving service

Further reports of the late blizzard which have come to hand since our last issue, show that the damages instead of being exaggerated as they are likely to be at the time of the occurrence of so violent a storm, were much greater than at first reported.

In addition to those already given to our readers, advices from Tangier and Chincoteague show that the damage to the shipping and other property at those points were considerable. At the former place about 30 vessels were blown ashore and stranded on the sand beaches, and the schooner Fannie Southward, belonging to Capt. John D. Parks and Frank Dies was so badly torn up that she will probably prove a total wreck.

Our Chincoteague correspondent reports that Messrs. Kendall, Jester and Sons, Lambert & Reuben, lost at the upper end of the island twenty head of cattle by freezing, estimated to be worth $600. The schooner Recruit, Capt. Jas. Taylor, was driven ashore at Delaware Breakwater, but will probably be gotten off without loss. She is valued at $1,200. The sloop Recruit, Capt. Rufus Lewis, went ashore at the same place. Her decks were ripped off doing great damage. She was gotten often otherwise in good kelter. She is owned by Messrs. Eba Lewis and Jos. T. Kenney, who valued her at $1,200, and had goods worth about $300 on board for the latter. The Island was terribly swept by the sea. Thoroughly inured to danger as so many of these people were, the terrible storm of Sunday, Monday and Monday night drove terror to their souls. The wind southeasterly in the morning swept the island to the northward and by 10 p.m., a terrible [illegible] sweeping waves, made the boldest quail. Houses were blown down, fences swept, chimnies blown off, cattle swept off or frozen to death. Messrs. Gum & Jeffries had their fish factory blown down. Capt. Jas. Williams valuable schooner lying at J. T. Kenney's wharf was blown over and over.

Capt. Polk Lang who reached home on Tuesday, reports a narrow escape during the storm of Sunday night of loss of his sloop Florence Killinger, together with himself and hand, Jeff Potts. He was lying at Fisherman's Inlet when at midnight she parted cable and drove on Smiths Island. She had lost her rudder and consequently drove at will. Had she missed the Island the gallant Captain would have been helpless at sea in a gale such as rarely visits our coast, and must have been lost. At the earliest possible moment, the Life Saving crew on the Island, under Capt. George Hitchins, reached him, and provided for him as best they could. The crew worked five days on his boat, and finally she was found in sufficient shipshape to sail for Norfolk, which port she reached safely. She was valued at $4,000, and Capt. Lang estimates his loss at about $400. He had bought her only a few months ago and the loss entailed is a heavy one upon him. He is loud in his praises of Captain Hitchins and his crew -- each of whom vied with the other in their work and kindness.