The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-17
TIE WAS In THE BIG STORM.
DR. sIDLET, or CHICAGO, TELLS
Ur pORTo RICOS PLIGHT

IN tho Rcd Star Liner Philadelphia IRON
popcs Porto Rico. which reached this port
Yesterday were many passengers VINO hau
dtr.rt personal experiences with the hurricane
wbich devastated tho Island little moro imam
aweck ago Among them was DOCTOR F. ~
Sidlcy. a young Chicago physician. VINO went
o. porto Rico about n year ago. after the
.,ar,,,n occupation, and established himself
in PONCE. DR.. Sidey was in Ponce on the day
and tho night OF the great storm and barely
nsc,naa with his life. He lost everything he
,.osaesscd except a suit OF pajamas and one OF
a pair of gold cut buttons.
'rbc Monday before the storm. ne says.
.vns n most beautiful day. the sunset aud
thr GOODNESS OF the air were the topics OF con-
vcrsation everywhere on Monday night.
rv.rybody said that 1t was Just such days that
showel how beautiful Porto Rico could DE. AT
about half past eight O'Clock Tuesday morning
tbe wind began to blow and tho rain to fall
Tho winds velocity increased steadily ana Tor
two hours the city was swept with terrlnc
-o,vnr The rainfall was very heavy. The tin
-o,fs AMI sometimes tho entire upper frame
,rork Of the houses were torn away. and the
str,c,s were file with flying fragments. Many
roorl. were struck by them. little before
noon tn. storm decreased in violence. Halt an
hour later II app-na ,hed again I'VE thought at
m, limo IL was n new storm. but we know now
,h,, IL was merely the old one coming back
along its cyclone path and it was herccr than
before At two O'Clock in the afternoon the
second visitation had passed away aud the sun
shore through the clouds ut more and more
trnuuent intervals. BY Ave o'clock the sky was
clear Had it not been for the wrecked houses.
thoir contents soaked by the rain. the lit; erlng
nm tho streets with debris and the lamenta-
tions Of tho poorer people whose shnnties had
been mashed fiat by the wind and rain. the
awning might perhaps have seemed as beauti-
full as was that OF Monday
At about six O'Clock n fireman tbombares We
calI them down thero) came to thu house with
a warning that the Portuguese River was rising
and would probably overflow its banks. and
that We had better get out The BON bares and
the soldiers had been sent to every house to
give this warning went to the owner OF my
house and he told me not to be bothered. the
house had stood throug h the flood OF 1885 with
ont the slightest injury and would doubtless
stand this one Everybody thought that tho
heavy rain Of the afternoon would cause the
river to rise some. and while duly approaching
tho vigilance and thoughtfulness OF the
military authorities in sending out the
warning We none OF us believed that the river
would rise to such an extent that 1t would
reach the main business part OF the city. But
we did not know that back in the mountains
the rain had been falling without the slightest
let up all day long. in even heavier torrents
than had come upon the city. Very roughly
speaking. the upper rnrt OF the business dis
trict Of Ponce begins at the Military Road to
San Juan. which is about mile north Of the
Plaza or Central Park. The Portuguese River
crosses this Military Road about the same dis
lance east OF the Plaza Tho river sweeps down
along the foot OF the hills to the south and then
turns to the west and circles the lower part Of
the city until it is directly south OF the Plaza.
whence 1t runs into the sea- The city itself Is
practically on fat. although there Is q slight
elope toward the sea.
AT about eight O'Clock. water began coming
down across the Military Road past my house
and running down Salud street. Its depth
grew steadily greater until ten O'Clock. when it
became three feet deep and Salud street was the
bed OF a torrent. l had perfect confidence in
what the owner OF my house had told me. that
It would stand the storm. and lay down
at seven o'clock to get some sleep. The
house had been unroofed with the
others and things were pretty we'll
soaked. At half past nine o'clock I was
walked by the sound Of water gurgling against
the foundations. The house was trembling.
That's q sensation never care to feel again :
1t is worse than an earthquake. In an earth
quake you can get away from the house be-
fore 1t falls and find place OF safety. but no
one knew what would happen to him IL he
went out into that raging torrent from house
that was likely to fall about his head. took
all my clothes and was packing them into
trunk when the house swung around several
feet. l stopped only long enough to blow out
the lamp. II the house was not to be swept
way, did not want 1t to be burned up. and
Ali IT,
street,
Il landed UP to my neck In the torrent that
was tearing down Salud street. which had now
become the centre OF the Portuguese river. 1t
was impossible to attempt to guide myself. All
my strength was exerted in pushing aside the
crates. and boxes. and beams. and tree trunks
that came ripplipg down the stream. saw
ahead Of me as was whired along. the lights
In house which knew was near the junction
Of salud street with the street that runs from
the Plaza down across the river to the Playa.
as they call the Port OF Ponce. was filed with
hope that they would not put out the lights
until was opposite the house. so that hearing
me cry out, they would perhaps throw a rope
to me and save me- You must unders tand that
since nine o'clock the only light In Ponce had
been the glare from the sheet lightning which
played almost necessarily. The electric light
plant had been swamped. As approached the
house l saw. in the stream OF light from the
window. that it was tho house OF John Costello.
Brooklyn man who has established large
mercantile business In Ponce. Miss Costello.
his sister. had put candles in the windows to
guide those outside.
Il saw Porto Rican boy olnRlng to an iron
telegraph pole. turn In the street caused
the current TO throw me toward him. and at
the risk Of his own life he reached out and got
me by tho wrist. We chung there until l
thought should drop into the torrent again
from sheer exhaustion. After midnight. the
soldiers formed Q hand to hand chain from the
higher ground toward the Plaza. and succeeded
In pulling me and the boy out OF the current.
The soldiers barracks were nearer the river
than any other part Of Ponce. and the hills on
the farther bank had turned tho OVERLOOKING
stream against them first OF all. Fleeing for
their own safety. they had turned back as tho
flood rose in the city to help the suffering.
They had been scattered everywhere running
for their lives. and it was quite while betore
they could organize themselves for the work oil
life saving"
After ! was pulled out OF the stream. al
though [ count myself quite familiar with