The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-11-02
Jubn teaIey Describes Cy-
clone at Havana.
SOLDIERS DRIVEN BY RAIN
Camp Columbia Struck and the Boys
in Blue Peited; Pass Through
Many Hardships.

Mrs. John E. Healey is in receipt of
letter from her husband who is sta
toned at Camp Columbia, Cuba, in
which he gives very graphic descrip-
ton of the awful storm which swept
over the Cuban coast recently. Mr.
Healey and his wife were here on Wis
it to Mrs. Healeys mother, Mrs. Al
bert Dueball, when Mr.. Healey was no.
titled to join his company and proceed
to Cuba. He is the bookkeeper in the
quartermaster's department. He has
been in the service sixteen years. At
present he is a member of the Twenty
seventh Infantry, Company H. He has
been stationed at Fort. Sheridan.
Mr.. Healey's letter follows:
Camp Columbia, Havana, Cuba, Oct.
Is, 1906, 10 A. NJ. Thursday, just Aft
er the Cyclone-A cyclone struck Ha-
vana and our camp about eight o'clock
Wednesday night, and tore everything
up in sight; blew all our tents away
and rained torrents all night until day
light. Tent poles, stove pipe, kitchen
utensils, field desks and everything in
camp flew through the air all night
long. Field cots, blankets, clothes, hats,
shoes and everything in sight, men
naked ran around camp all night, some
without shoes, others with only pair
of pants or drsAvcrs, and the rain COM
ing down in torrents, you could not
see as far as your nose and the wind
took your breath away. Trees were
pulled up by the roots all over camp
and Havana. All telegraph, telephone
and electric light and car lines are
broken, the water system is bursted; the
boats in the harbor were all smashed
to pieces. A wagon master of the
Twenty eighth Infantry getting to
shore after sending horses in had the
whole side of his head torn off from
the left eye to the chin, and will die
in Havana hospital. Three other men
with him are nearly dead as | write.
Our wagon master, Mr.. Holmes, just got
ashore with sixty-eight mules from the
ship when the cyclone struck, and he
and his men with the siXty-eight mules
are wandering around the country some
where, we don't know where. This was
the worst storm | ever saw in my life.
The water ran over the ground to our
waist and after | attended to our field
desk and records, and my tent blew
away, | took my lantern and stood all
night at the corner of an old build
ing with the light to guide the men to
shelter. Some fell down from exhaust
ion and fatigue before reaching the light
and I would 90 out with the lantern
and give them my hand to lead them to
safety. The colonel and two other Of
ficers got lost in the storm, going
around camp and saw the light and
came to it and went in the old build
ing. 1t was so fierce the rain would
cut your skin to the bone and you
could not see where you were going it
blew so. We saw snakes climbing up
poles side of the house to get on the
roof because the grass had about three
feet of water over it.
We can't get any word from Havana
to know just the damage there, but it
must be awful. We have not a tree
standing in sight, all down, also most
OF the buildings around here. l write
you this so you will know 1 am alive
and well under the circumstances. The
chaplain, colonel and quartermaster all
stood by while | was tying my desk to
the ground and then they got lost, but
turned up at daylight. 1t was the dark
est night L ever saw, the rain beating
down just as if you were under dam,
and the wind was strong and must
have blown 100 miles an hour. You
may see in the papers where we were
struck by the cyclone, but you will
know | am safe. We had lots of men
who were hurt pretty badly by falls,
and being hit with big boxes flying
through the air, but none dead in our
regiment that [ know of. Lots of men
fell on the floor after 1 got them in
side the building, from weakness, it was
so hard to 90 against the rain, but
they could not stay in the tents as they
all went down.
There is not a dry stitch of clothes in
camp today, and while | am writing
this my feet are swimming in my shoes
and every stitch | have on is soaked to
the skin, but I thought you would be
worried when you read it in the papers,
SO | am writing. | longed to be with
YOU: and while | was standing all night,
the wind and rain beating down on me,
was wondering if you could realize
our position-wallling around in the rain
to keep from lying down and falling
asleep for fear of downing. Meisel and
Fleming slept against the wall stand
ing I'D with their hats over their faces
and their arms folded. Another fellow
was standing in the middle of the floor
when | came inside and he was aleep,
the water was all over the floor, and