The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1900-09-22
A storm Experience.

MIS-. lfNlH gave IleI experience
to a reporter as follows:
"When we realized that a storm
was on we went to Mr.. Goram's
residence which was about foul
feet above the ground where the
hotel was located. | had with ne
Mrs Frank Keith's two children
and the other parties in the build.
ing were Mr.. Patton's family OF
nine, Mr.. and Mrs, Goram, Mr..
and Mrs, Snoddy, Tom Smith a
yard man and a colored servant.
"Thc waters continued to rise
and the first wave put the floor two
feet under water. hir. Patton
suggested that we 60 to Mr.. Aber-
sons two DRY residence further
up the ridge. We hardly left the
house until it became evident that
we could not make it. | had Mrs
Keith's two children with me and
would have certainly been lost but
for the timely appearance OF a
tramp. who came to our assistance
Little Alice Keith was unc0nsc.O uS
and had no hope of ever reviving
her. Olga Keith was washed
clear away from me and L fell
myself for the sccO-id time and had
become too weak to rise when the
tramp reached out and saved us.
| turned Alice's face to me and
wiped the water from her face
when to my joy she gasped for
breath and showed signs of re.
turning life. | never was so hap
py III my life as when she opened
her eyes and spoke to me. We
made our way back as best we
could to the house we had just left
and went into the kitchen where
we secured an old-fashioned home
made table that we placed against
the wall and put the children on.
| held the two Keith children in
my arms that ] might best pro
tect them from the incoming
waves and prevented them from
strangling by passing my hand
over their faces after each wave.
We held tn to the table and would
rise with it as each breakerpasssed
over us, and had it not been for
that none would have been saved.
While the storm was at its highes'
Miss LIZZIE Patton started singing
Jesus Lover of My Soup in the
sweetest voice | ever heard aud
PRESENTLY all that could sing joined
in the song. |, myself was too weak
10 give utterance TO the words that
were passing in my heart. but was
itn them in every word. We had
I'll given up all hope, told each other
good bye aud were expecting every
wave to carry US home to Jesus.
When Miss Patton sang
Jesus lover CT my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly
While the nearer waters roll
fl"It seemed that Heaven opened
to me and | was at home at las.
had no idea of ever leaving thai
place alive, as neither did any one
else of thee party, and we firmly
believed that that was the last mes
sage we would ever send from ealth
to Heaven. could never bear to
hear that song again
"Everytbing that I possessed On
Earth was washed awaysaud when
the storm broke l. did not have
enough to protect my body.
The rain beat oniourtfaces like shot
and the blood was streaming from
little Alice's face as If had beer
|aceratei with knife. We stayed |
N this house all night aud no ore
ian describe the agony we endured
turing that time, expecting every
to be our last.
Mrs. Twins tated that not sin
gle house save the two mentioned
we're left standing and one portion
IF the depot tilted, to one side.
Where the hotel and cottages stood
yhere was not enough timber, left |
o make a match. My loss at a low
sstmate will be 5000 or $780,
Be0nnaO1t Enterprise.