The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-16
OFFICIAL REPORT
OF GREAT STORM
A Night and a Day in the Most Awfu
Hurricane and Flood Of
Modern Times.

ana just ClOuul enough 10 Nldht tlf libht
pleasant. a very pleasing change from the
glare under which Ponce lies during the
summer. There Is properly speaking NJ
rainy season here. as they know 1t In
Cuba. yet rainy season 10 is. consisting
OF mild soft showers which lay the dust
and make the heat of the summer toler-
able.
Everybody thought 70 was preparing for
a thyee.day rain. so there was no alarm
felt when toward night, on that memoir
able Monday. August Z, the wind arose
and the clouds massed before the breeze.
That evening a few stirred out In Ponce.
Although Sc IS city Of many inhabitants
few are abroad after HIghtfall ana SO IL
happened that. under the clouds ana the
threatening rain the city was asleep 10y
II o'clock Even the Alcade had retired
with his household and there were no
clerks on watch for the Alcade that
relic OF the days when Porto Rico was
a Spanish island. is lazy and VIII DO no.
thing ne is not compelled 80 do. HIS
clerks had an gone home and Porto Rico
might as well have been an island lying
unprotected in mid-ocean as part OF
the great possessions Of the United States
so far as civilization was Of use TO her as
a warning of the impending calamity.
Finishing up my duties which that
evening kept me until late ! went to my
home. opposite the Old gray stone church
and closing the storm doors after me- IN
good American fashion and barring the
blinds went 10 bed. The act saved my
life Had I left my windows and doors
open my house would have been unrooied
and I and my family would have stood
as others did, homeless in The streets by
morning.
THE STORM COMMENCES.
II might have been midnight. it might
have been later. whom l woke to hear
/ tearing noise succeeded hy "a lpud ihuo.
At The same time ] heard the wind howl
and shrek. Going TO the window look
ed ont I'm time % see sign torn on
bouse hair way down Che block on the
opposite side of the street. and borne by
the wind. come flying down toward me-
until fl landed plump upon the poruco
of the church opposite and dashed Itself
10 the ground.
Othor signs came floating down the
street then came chimneys and window
blinds. and here and there through DO an
sailed board lifted from q pile Of build
ing material that had been deposited
somewhere in the city by some enierpris-
ing American builder.
Calling my wife We sat hy the WINDOW
ana watched the destruction 20 ON. How
long we sat I do not know. but ] remem-
Der my wife's telling me that 1t was 1
o'clock and reminding me that I had had
no sleep.
started for my bed when suddenly
outside there rose such whirl and such
a swirl such a mad rush. such a wild
s0ushing that ] started back DO see what
was the matter outside. Just then the
bouse rocked. and FAR beneath as there
came singular crushing sound as though
the foundation stones were being ground
against each other.
Another wild whirl came aud again the
house rocked. Calling my wife ana tell
ing her to dress herself and the little
ones. / ran through The house closing all
the doors and Windows. I debated as [
ran whether 10 remain upstairs Do the
second story or 80 gatheNtogother on the
ground floor; the latter plan j adopted
ana I'm five minutes we sat huddled by
Tho front door binding our ears 10 the
wind ready 20 rush forth should the
house begin to toPple over us.
A PATHETIC TRAGEDY
euch a Wild time as was going on out
sidei The street might have been filed
with artillerymen firing their Voheys,
stones might have been hurled from the
hands of a frantic mob. sledge hammers
and battering rams might have been at
work upon our doors and windows yet
there could have been no greater noise.
II WAS as though an the demons and fu-
ries were at work en- their Wild task OF
singing the furniture Of the streets
apainst our households. And stiii the
din increased 10 was terrible. My wife
and children covered to the floor budding
close together with shawls over their
heads. and at each wild gust / sprang
TO fhe door ready 10 take down the bar
and let them out into the streets should
the house twist over our heads
AS line day drew on &c grew lighter. At
nv wife prepared hastily "a cup of COT
fee and we drank 70 standing near the
front door. Outside there were no pedes-
TRANS unless they could have been the
sharcless things that went flying past
torn out Of all sembiance to human
beings
one woman I did see attempt to cross
the street She was a work-maid anu
wished 10 cross 20 the house where she
served daily. Supporting herself by the
tree trunks she managed 10 gain the mid
| die Of the street, L On all support failed
! her. She tottered. raised herself TO her
feet. staggered and took wild step
across. Just az this minute a great piece
| % zinc loosened from some roof came
I fvine down the street. Hearing the whiz
| zlng sound she turned. Strengthened and
/ gave a dving leap But the zinc caught
her. Before she could get out of It's path
the great sharp knife-like edge, at least
ten feet broad struck her below the knees
| and cut off both her legs as clearly as
though chopped off by the gu'llotine. For
| a second the poor thing struggled on, the
stumps half on her knees and half on
her hands she crawed a step, and then
before I could open the door 10 risk my
! life 10 bring her back she was buried
hidden three feet deep beneath great
Aving avalanche Of furniture. chairs, bu-
re,us fables and over all a deposition Of
brick. A whole house swept down upon
ber and mercifully crushed out her suffer-
! ings. -
AN AWFUL SIGHT
nv O'clock L had subsidized a little
! and people began TO come forth. Scared
faces peered from roofless houses and
from the corners OF streets where they
/ had crouched under stone poriicoe'
crawled wounded people whose homes
haa been torn down II was an awful
| sight. Against the big stone church laid
a man his face toward the casing. When
we lifted him up his face was battered
| 20 a telv though his heart still beat.
There could be no Identification Tor him
no, a. much as an inch ~ forehead re.
malncd. nor an inch Of skin 20 tell his
color. lie had been swept with the rest