Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-09
IN THE GUAM TYPHOON
OFFICERS WIFE GRAPHICALLY DE-
sCRIBEs TERRoRs OF STORM.
A Picture of C0ntentment Changed in
Few Moments to n Scene
of DesOIatfOn.
From the Jacksonville Fla) Times Union.

Below is an extract from a letter written
by Mrs. Harry Kidder White from the Is
land of Guam, where she went with her
| husband, Major H. K White of the United
States navy, who was ordered to that sta
| ton from Cavite. Mrs. White is the only
white woman on the island, and there is
no communication whatever with the out
side world excepting once. month, when
transport carries the mail over from Ma
Mia. The fearful typhoon occurred at
Guam on November ID. The papers stated
that Major and Mrs. White took refuge
with the governor of the island in the cell
lar of the palace, which was partly filed
with water. Naturally, her friends and rel
atives were extremely anxious, and until
one week ago her fate was unknown to
them, although the letter was written on
November 81 Mrs. White is a daughter of
Captain Thomas Thompson of Southport,
N. c., and a sister Of Mrs. A. W. Rieger,
formerly Miss Sarah Thompson, and Mrs.
Charles Henry Fisher, formerly Miss Lily
Thompson, who used to spend their winters
here in Bishop Young's priory, and they
still have many friends in Jacksonville.
The extract from Mrs. Whites letter fol-
lows:
THE night Of the 18th was warm and
sultry, with occasional showers. We were
still living at the palace, and when we said
good night we none knew or dreamed of
WIdt the morrow WOulQ DrlnS. Inc VIM
began to blow at II o'clock, and by day
light we knew a typhoon was upon us.
Well, it continued to gather force till IL
o'clock on the morning of the 18th. We
had men and marines in the house trying
to secure doors and windows, &c, and Hal
said he would try to get across the way
to our house and see If he could do any
thing there. The governor and 1 decided
to take cup of coffee while we could, and
at II o'clock, just were taking seat
at the table, the most terrible crash came
right over our heads, binding and dazing
both of us with dirt and mortar. The en-
tire corrugated iron roof had been ripped
off at one fell swoop. and the rafters, CELL
trg, &c, had fallen in. making our escape
impossible. except by one door. We ran out
and tried to rescue few things, and final
ly succeeded with the aid of five men in
bursting in my door, which had been forced
[ ran to my bureau and pulled out a shawl,
when the same crash came that had taken
place in the dining room. Some one pulled
me out, and all rushed down stairs
with beams, rafters and lime falling as we
went. l almost crazy about Hal, but
just then he appeared. In all that storm
of wind and rain he had remembered my
pigeons in the cellar of our house, and had
gene back to open the hole so they could
escape and not be crushed when the house
fell.
I'VE all stayed huddled together in
little hail. which seemed safest, the water
pouring down on us from the floor above
shutters and everything else falling around
US. Governor Shredder had grabbed a little
macintosh cape the coat being caught I'M
der the debris) which he put about my
shoulders. and SO managed to keep them
warm I hadn't even a hat to protect my
head. The men all offered theirs, but 1
saw that they needed them more than did
Every one of us was soppng wet from head
to foot. When, at o'clock that night, /
got to my room I found a few things in the
bottom of drawers to put on.
In Fear of Death.
'Well, we waited, expecting every minute
to be the last; simply waiting for the final
crash and collapse Of the building, and all
the while We could see through the doors
and windows that were blown in rescning
parties Of marines rtskirg their lives to
save the natives, carrying the sick and
wounded from place to place and probably
having to move them three or four times
as the fury Of the gale increased The last
straw was when we saw the sea coming in.
The palace is on very hign ground, so 1t
was. only just reaching up when all the folk
on the water front had four and five feet
of water in what was left Of their houses
The wind shifted then, and the water re-
coded. Every house in town was unroofed;
in fact, every one on the ISLAND, and Moth
ing but destruction and devastation could
be seen.
THE entire naval force organized parties.
and individually officers and men, side by
sue, "oIheu uOUly ana lnQuStclOuSly, WaG-
ing IN water up to their arms, and in boats
rescuing the helpless folk, especially wom-
en- and children, from drowning, and drag
ging them from beneath their crushed
houses and roofs. They all, every one of
them, risked their own lives to save 9TH
eIs, as the air was filled with lin roofing,
Tiles, tmbers, green cocoanuts and debris
of every description. Toward night it be-
gan to moderate; then the marines began
to feed the hundreds of destitute crea lures
they had housed in the school house, Jail and
what was left of their own quarters Hal
gave orders to distribute to all who needed
1t, and whole sacks of coffee and boxes of
bareback We're prepared and given out to
them during the night. Every dry spot was
cheerfully given up to the SEX and the
work of caring for them continued through
the entire night.
when the storm had ceased sufficiently
for US to get upstairs We looked for some
thing dry, and were fortunate in finding
some winter clothes. Then the steward
brought Hal, the governor and myself
some coffee, bread and canned meat, which
we ate standing in my room, the Chairs all
being too soaked and soiled, but they final
ly unearthed an arm of a rocker for NE
to Sit on. OF course, all the officers came
up and offered to assist IN any way, and
folk who had comparatively dry cellars
put them at our disposal. Those whose
roofs were not entirely destroyed begged
that we would take the covered spots, but
the governor had recently rented a tiled
roof house for the Japanese boys (servants)
liable, we decided, as we three had wealth
cred the storm together, we would stay
together. The boys got some rubber bian-
kets and what comforts they could find
that were left dry in the quartermaster's
department, and by putting the rubber
blankets over the wet mattresses We could
sleep on them, or. at least. rest till day-
light, and glad we were to find a place
after such day Of horror and excite
ment.
ITO show you how little an idea we had
OF escaping, ran back after the roof fell
to little room next to mine, where my
laundry had been placed the afternoon be-
fore, and as my clothes were fearfully
stained and soiled, / changed them in order
that my body would not be found with
soiled clothes on.
Old Glory Flies Once More,
1.-The next morning the governor and Hal
were up early. and went to the palace, and
when I could pull myself together 1 fol-
lowed. Imagine my surprise and mingled
feelings of sorrow and patriotism to find
that the men had been to the hills be-
hind the palace and cut down a bamboo