Ross's bathing grounds as never before. An immense amount of sand and solid earth was washed out, completely undermining the plank walk for a hundred yards or more, and but for timely intervention portions of it would have gone out to sea. The cut was so great that, without aid in the way of jetties, or something of the kind, it was feared it would not make up. The beach at that point was sixteen feet below the surface of the walk, it was still washing, and the planks were sustained by stanchions only.

It became necessary to move the Board Walk back some distance, and the beach in the meantime regained some of the sand it had lost.

THE GREAT WASHOUT

On September 18, 19, and 20, 1895, a heavy storm occurred, coming from the northeast. This storm lasted over five "high tides," and created a dangerous current, running south along the beach eight to nine miles. an hour.

The sea being heavy and the tides high, their united action made a dangerous "sea push" nearly opposite Surf Avenue. This "sea push"

showed by its work a break in the outer bar, which allowed the heavy swell to force itself directly on the shore. As these long-reaching seas struck the beach north-end first, they created a "swirl" which carried out vast tons of sand at each recession.

The beach was thus cut from the "Camera-obscura" south to Bath Avenue, and the sand carried out between the shore and outer bar, not very far away, but for the time lost to us. The heavy cut under the plank walk

left many of the piling barely touching the sand, while many were floated entirely away. This cut in the bluff between Atlantic and Bath Avenues reached back in many places from twelve to twenty feet.

Something had to be done at once. It was finally decided to build a sufficient number of jetties between the North End and Ocean Pathway to hold the sand and protect the bluff.

A contract was immediately entered into to build four of these obstructions, starting on a line with the west side of the Board Walk well into the bluff, and extending one hundred feet seaward from the east line of the Walk, the level or top of the jetty to start seven feet six inches below the top of the Walk.

By November 2, 1895, these jetties were well under way. The Jetty Committee labored hard to get them in before the heavy storms that were likely to visit us at the beginning of the winter.

It was decided at this period to put in a "bulkhead" running parallel with the Board Walk, ten feet east of the same, beginning at Jetty No. 1. This bulkhead was built as strong as iron and wood could make it, thor

oughly bolted and braced at every joint. It must be remembered too that this work of building the jetties and bulkheads could not be done without severe battling with the high tides and terrific seas.

On November 10, 11, and 12, 1895, another storm broke, and for two days the wind blew heavily from the north. On the 12th it veered eastward. The tides were extremely high, and from the south side of Atlantic to Bath Avenue the pilings under the Board Walk were cut out, and for a distance of four hundred feet the west side of the walk sunk from two to four feet. Another bad cut was made in the embankment; for a distance of five hundred feet uncounted tons of bluff were washed away.

As soon as this storm subsided the work went on.

Extensions west

ward were added to Jetties Nos. 2 and 3. Jetty No. 4 was badly weakened while in an unfinished state.

On the 24th of January, 1896, a heavy easterly storm set in, raging

about 26 hours, damaging bulkheads and completely destroying Jetty No. 4. It was a wonderfully grand sight to see with what resistless force the waves dashed against all resistances, while the sea carried them away as if they were but cork.

The bulkhead stood the storm long enough to protect the bluff from the high tide and seas, and but for it Ocean Avenue, between the points named, would have been destroyed. All day Captain Rainear, the superintendent of the grounds with his men, battled with the elements. Sometimes, as the seas struck the bulkhead, they would bound 30 to 40 feet in

the air, while the high winds carried the spray 150 to 200 feet over the walk and beyond Ocean Avenue.

It was ordered to replace Jetty No. 4, which was soon done. A row of piling was driven 10 feet outside the bulkhead, as close together as their formation would permit. Fifty-seven of these were placed in a single day.

The contractor having finished his work, Captain Rainear was directed to build two additional jetties between Ocean Pathway and the fishing Pier. The high tides of November 12, 1895, February 8 and 15, 1896, having cut their way from Pitman up to and south of Maine Avenue from 6 to 15 feet into the bluff, a jetty was located just north of the Fishing Pier, and another opposite Main Avenue. Fifty feet were also added to Jetty No. 1.

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