, 1898-11-26

Ground well from otubbs. The night was
flowing, bat nothing extraordinary; but at
s am. the wind. became violent. Ne got up
quickly, aud then epsned 0 time oftsnnSpense .
which was, 1.tGink almost worse than any
thug. We clored every shutter and window
n tree top go, ana ! insisted on every one
'roing to the cellar. The three hon er were
brought into the covered gallery in front of
the cellar. From 9 to ia tM wind was
nwfu, but I think the hurricun" Was at it's
Height at Ii O'clock. ! must tell you now,
because / wish to ]At it from me and forget
i'll can. THIS is Monday night; | have been
in bed some hours, but can't rle,p for horror,
aud | shall be glad TO have written this
letter. l can't describe the scene it is like
an evil dream already. First, here WIS n
shock of earthquake, then the shipping in
the bay got adrift, and some went out to sea,
some broke up on shore. The msgnifoent
palms, he pride and delight of ON eyes, lost
every portion of tn cir crowns, AID now stand
like hideous scarecIOws; their great limbs
few from every big tree; the sound was iu-
dcscIibuble. 1t was what one would ~l'ictuIe
hell-a boiling, whistling howl that drowned
the world in horror. ] saw "a vNtt treefAll near,
but could hear nothing, and lie room where
we dined ut MontrOse blew over like q card
house, but We could hear nothing but this
flighlfui wind. 1t came in gusts Of frantic
violence; the poor horses were terrified, shiv-
ering, and mad 10 escape. ] felt i~nwndly
mad with terror, but one had to be- quiet for
the servants SAKE. Humanity sp' aking, we
were quite safe; even if the house had blown
down, l think the vaulting would have
stood. 1t was very cold 1T times, and yet
] felt | could not breathe for horrible opprea-
sion. The ser wants behaved Odmirably-~So
quiet and resigned and sensible. AZ ll.46
came ~ lull; we thought 1t was oyer and
came out. Such - scene of hideOus desoIn-
lion. The lovely gardens laid level to The
ground, and there below nothing but stript
trees, broken limbs and q grey, hurrying
sky. We saw at once that two houses-the
C.'s, on Dolsetshire hill, aud the DIS, ON the
Fortroad-were oblit6IsIed. There WAS
great rain all the time. II. said lie must get
III down to the town at once and see whit
damage was done. ! would have given all
] had TO keep him, but it WAS his duty. and
| did moi ask him to stay; but | remembered
something about the baUk-IuSh of q hurricane.
We got upstairs and tried TO get a meal.
Two black families came round for shelter;
their houses were down, and they had es-
cnped with their lives only. In about half
an houl it grew dark "galn aud the wind
cume hack, this time from The south md
west; the first time il caine fem north and
east. l got them alr down again inlo~ the
cellar aud the horses brought round Hgnin-
only just in time. They would not come,
] had to drive them all; it was like OH awful
nightmare, and then it burst OIL us again a
hundred times more violently; but the agony
was ] knew Il. had not time 10 lIuve got
into the town, and ] felt for Two hours that
should never see him again. / just spoke
to the poor souls and told them to ask Gods
protection, and then A. says | sat like a
dead person for the awful two hours. / pray
l may never live through such again. We
stayed there till Sit seemed q year-and
one could not trust the gradual abatement
OF The storm. When We came out tRe desc
lation had increased a hundred-fold. Tie
great trce.by the stable was ST. Ipped Of lis
enormous bougha; the mahogany grove above
nearly all down. Every ridge III The view
d%eRuded, misery everywhere, and then one
began to realize what it had been. II. sent
me a scrubbed line saying he was safe.
The house stood The gale marvellOusly, but
1t looked as though ariveI had been through
It. 1t was 50 strange to see parts of the
drawing-room in perfect order, flowers ar
ranged, aud everything SO fresh AMI pretty.
Well, we tried to get ihirg So dried and a
meal at last. And then poor souls came
Tor refuge. Finally We sheltered 80 houee-
e. - 1900