Betty's Critters - & History Views

    Two hurricanes affected Chincoteague Island in 1933: the first was the Chesapeake-Potomac Hurricane in August and a brush-by with the Outer Banks Hurricane in mid-September.  The September Hurricane had the most impact, with 20 to 30 inches of rain falling before the winds hits the island.  Storm warnings were issued on the 21st of August by the Weather Bureau regarding the hurricane.  On the 22nd and 23rd, 25-foot waves destroyed the dunes on Assateague and then rolled onto and across Chincoteague.  By early morning of the 22nd all power, water, telephone and telegraph services connecting the island to the mainland were cut off by the wind and waves.  Later, tides on the island were reported to be five feet above normal high tides.  At what is now 3747 Main Street, Charles Gall's store had 18 inches of water  inside.  Coffins washed out of cemeteries and were found in yards and streets as the high water receded.  (It was after ...

 From  The Peninsula Enterprise  of Saturday, 8 January 1887, on page 3, column 2, under the heading "Local News:"      "Chincoteague.   Our remarkably quiet community was thrown into a state of excitement the day before Christmas, by the announcement that Captain Lawrence, whose vessel went ashore on Wallop's beach not long ago, had arrived from Philadelphia with a cargo of "Jersey lightning" labelled tobacco.  Having rented Mr. J. W. Duncan's old bar, he proposed to retail 1400 cigars at 10 cents each with a drink thrown in, local option to the contrary notwithstanding.  He was waited upon by a committee of our citizens who threatened him with immediate prosecution did he commence his illegal traffic.  The pleadings of the captain for permission just to close out this purchase to save him from pecuniary loss and assist him to care for his afflicted wife and helpless little children had no effect upon the hard hearted committee, and tho...