The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1905-12-15
LONG DELAYED LETTERS
Mr.. AND MRS. BlAkELY HEAR
FROM CAPT. AND MRS. MAPES.
THE TYPHooN WAS TERRIBLE

Houses-Graphic Pen Picture.
Mr. and Mrs. c. A. Blakely Of this
city received this morning two long
letters, one from Captain w. s. Mapes
and the other from their daughter,
Mrs. Mapes, for whose safety, on ac-
count of the typhoon which swept over
the Philippine islands, grave alarm
had been felt here. The letters were
written October 27. 1t Is thought that
letters written just before the storm
were shipwrecked and that this was
the reason for the unexplained delay.
The letters received show that there
was every reason for the serious ap-
prehension of the Norfolk parents, as
the home of Captain Mapes faces the
sea and was severely damaged in the
storm. The waves from the ocean
blew into the front door and 1t was
all that the captain and three soldiers
could do, with table jammed against
the door, to keep it closed And even
then the fury of the typhoon frequent
ly blew open the door and knocked all
four of the men fiat on their backs.
Graphic Account of Storm.
Concerning the storm Mrs. Mapes
writes:
"The storm lasted from 10 o'clock in
the morning of September 26, until Z
O'Clock at night. Nobody who has not
been in one can realize the fury with
which the wind blows and twists.
First it comes from one direction and
then from another, until 1t has
with each switch it becomes stronger.
First Whit Destroyed Houses.
"The first blow destroyed the sol
diers' quarters. The house of the
first lieutenant near our home was un-
rooted and tipped in this first blow so
that the lieutenant's wife became
alarmed and ran for the home of the
army surgeon here.
Strapped Themselves Together.
"In the home of the doctor he, his
wife and this woman strapped them
selves to the servants and, all tied to-
gether, they held to door in a little
room at the rear of the house.
from a Spaniards house came flying
through the air and struck the greater
portion of the doctors house, knock
ing it fiat to the ground. The only
portion that remained standing was
the little room in which the people
were huddled, strapped together.
Expected House to Go Over
inn tn
house would go over. 1t shook and
swayed and was in greater danger be-
cause it is built high up from the
ground. AS it was the roof was torn
off and the kitchen was blown partly
down and was separated from the rest
of the house.
"The last and worst blow of all
came from the sea. Our house is right
at the edge of the water, with double
doors and the porch facing the sea.
Waves Dashed Into House.
"The waves dashed clear up into
our house and it took Captain Mapes
and three soldiers to keep the door
shut, which was all that saved the
house.
"They took long table and braced
it against the door, and every now and
then the wind blew open the door and
knocked them all down. We were all
soaked through as the rain came down
in torrents all the while.
with the roof off the house, there
was hardly dry stitch of clothing
left in the building. My trousseau was
ruined. A few bits of clothing in the
trunk were saved. The piano was only
saved by the coverings of rubber
pouches over 1t.
Awful Scene Next Morning.
Such a scene of destruction the
next morning! Not roof was left In
the town and all of the natives houses
were fiat on the ground. But for q
wonder not single person in the town
was injured in the slightest degree.
They say it was the worst storm
that ever struck the islands. The old
est inhabitants say that they have new
er seen nor heard of anything like II
before.
Finding Dead Bodies.
Three sail boats were anchored II
our bay. Two of them were blown
clear up on land and the third wen'
under, drowning all on board. There
were a great many inter-island steam
ers and coast guard steamers de
stroyed, and hundreds Of lives were
lost.
Sixty on One Boat Drown.
"a steamer went under with sixty OF
board, not far from here. (This is th'
boat upon which Mr.. and Mrs. Blakel!
feared, from cable accounts, Captain
and Mrs. Mapes had perished.) Th'
people were beaten up against th'
rocks and not life was saved. The.
were mostly Americans. Two coas
guards went down at Sorsogan ant
very few were saved.
Mountains Whipped Bare.
"The mountains are perfectly bare II