Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-04-24
A STORM CHILD.
Story OF a Garnett Baby Born
the Night of the Calves
ton Flood.

| Last sundays Kansas City Star con
tains the following interesting story o
the birth of a little Garnett girl;
She is a Kansas girl Her name i.
Edwinna Pearl Rice, and she lives a,
Garnett. She is few months past .
years old. She celebrated the sccont
anniversary Of her birth September 8
She was born in the city OF Galveston
oil September 3. 1900, and while the
story of the lives of thousands ended
with that day, the story of her lite he
gan then.
She was born in the Ursuline convent
Just as the sun was rising upon the scene
OF death and destruction wrought by
the storm OF the night before. In Ursu.
line convent, at the moment of her birth,
lay l,5oo injured people, some dying
Her first cry found echo in the last moan
OF Others; her first lullaby was the wal
OF people stricken and afflicted But
this is not the strangest part of the he
ginning of life.
Five minutes before the birth of little
Edwinna Pearl, her mother was rescued
from the roof OF house upon which she
had dritted all. night. driven sometimes
tar out by the storm. Tossed waves, and
sometimes i'll among the houses of the
city, but all through the long hours,
helpless and at the mercy of the Incrciless
wind and rain, which abated not until
its fury was spent and its havoc made
complete.
William Rice and his wife lived in a
large house of the Southern STYLE at
250G Twenty-flflh street, Galveston
The house had stood many fierce gale,
and no thought of danger came to them
when this storm broke upon Galveston
Eleven people were gathered in their home
that evening to find protection. But
the big house which had withstood the
storms OF years was not able to with
stand this one, and at Z o'clock the even
ing of September s. it collapsed, and the
eleven peonle were hurled into the water
The darkness OF the night was already
upon them. Mr., Rice held little daugh.
ter of 8 years in his arms as they went
down. dark object struck Mrs. Rice
upon her head, and she sank into the
water again unconscious. SHE was saved
by her mother, Mrs Neeland who had
heard her response to her husbands call,
and who caught her by her hair and
pulled her onto ,the roof upon which
they floated all night. Both women
were faint from injury. Mrs Rice was
In this helpless condition these women
remained until their strange craft logged
upan great heap OF wreckage in the
early morning Roth of them were EN-
tirely hereit of clothing, and the rain,
driven by the gale, beat upon them with
the force of hail stones. They were taken
from the root and led over the drifss of
debris to the house of Philip Brotherson,
which they entered rom the top. Here
they were provided with scant clothing,
the clothes dripping wet from exposure
to the rain, and Mrs. Rice was led by her
mother to Ursuline convent, three blocks
distant. Every step was oYef The bodies
of storm victims, The convent was
reached and Edwinna Pearl Rice was
born, five III nutes later.
Put away, somewhere. in the big
house at 2506 Twenty-Gith street. there
had been prepared long flowing dresses,
in daintiest ribbons, tor the re.
ccption of Edwinna Pearl, but in Ursu
line convent she was wrappSd Ia wet |
bathing skirt Mo care could be be
slowed epon the littleone, for death, and
not lite, reighed in Ilrsulioe convent that
and Edwinna Pear, sor forty
light hours had absolutely ito at tention,
either from nurse or physician, save only
what her almost helpless mother gould !
give; not even Mrs. NeelAnd was there |
In another room IN the eonvent, Mrs |
Neeiand lay unconscious and near unto
death,
Two tIavs after her birth. Edwinna |
Pearl was christened bv Father KirN.,i, /
d the convent, and the notb2f superior |
vas her godmotber The maize she was
sven WIS Mary Josephine Edwinna
feaiI The story of her birth was written
b' the sisters aud sent to Rome. The
pcturc of an angel looking down up
IN the scene OF ruin and death, and /
barring in its hand star to represent I
tie life OF the little one cast up, as it |
seemed, by the death-dealing wages, !,