Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-10-11
VIVID STORY OF A STORM
A Correspondents Great Work
Seen from the Inside.
How REPORT Of the Southern Tempe II
Was sent Ia New York Paprr after
wild Ride In a Tug md a strux-
gle among Uprooted Trees.

coilioTlaDIy READS the story or great
disaster little imagines the terrible ex-
periences through which the reporter may
have passed in securing the details and
forwarding the narrative to his newspaper
offlce.
published by the New York Times last
Saturday, was prefaced by a telegraph
operators note saying that the despa tch,
dated Bay Minnette Ala. was relayins
at F'lomaton, Ala on a train wire, the
only circuit working, and sent from box
car by ]. b. Calvert, assistant superinten-
dent of the Western Union. while he was
handling force of 100 men
The news was gathered by William j.
Carver. city editor of the Mobile Register.
After telling about the havoc in Mobile and
in small towns. he gives this account of
his fight to get his story to the Times:
When IT became evident that Mobile was
to be isolated from the world by tho
storm for at least two days and that many
persons in other parts of the country we're
anxious concerning the welfare Of rela
tives and friends. ! endeavorcd to obtain
horse and drive inland 7 was unsuc-
cessful in my effort. At midnight last
night decided to get tug
Accompanied by Passenger Agent Pow
ers of the Louisville and Nashville rail-
way I started for the river When four
blocks from the wharf we started a.
wade. Soon We were deep in the water
and at times up to our shoulders When
we reached the dock we managed after
hard work to procure a tug. The captain
was alone. We hired an engineer. cast
Off, and started after getting mlitiamen
to act as crew.
1t was with difficulty that We made
Roadway against the turbulent curren'
speeding Ike raceway and hearing with
logs, trees and debris that threatened to
sink us AT every throh of the cngin,
The engineer was acting as fireman as
we'll More than once while firing he
would get the signal for the reverse. I2n-
fore he could obey the boat would strike
sunken logs that, after rising high in
the air for Few seconds, would he swept
along in the current. The moon. low or
the horizon. did not aid us in avoiding the
logs, but. casting a dim light on tn,
the danger were in.
Our dc stination was Mobile river bridge
Is miles up the river. We thought thai
the wires might he working. and Mr.. Pow
ers. who is an expert teegrapher. nigh
rise the wires. We figured on two hour'
for the trip. The captain shook his head
and said: at is suicide" but the captain
was under orders and he obeyed. Th'
tug was pushed ahead at full speed, anC
all thoughts of danger became subservien
to the thought Would we reach Mobile
bridge? At o'clock a. M, eastern time
we did.
Mounting the breakwater and ther
climbing the girders to the track. we
succeeded after a twenty-minute search
iu finding the cable box. Here Mr.
Powets, with the wrecker, tried to make
a connection. He failed. The wires Were
down. and it looked as If our errand was
to a1i in failure. We decided to wall
track to Hurricane, two and half mile,
away Accompanied by the draw tender
at the bridge, we started. The moon NJ
longer was to he seen and We advanced
gnided by the faint glare OF the tender.
lantern.
Mr.. Powers and become dizzy as We
stepped from tie to tie, for they We're wild,
apart, ard we saw the frothy river fal
below dashnG madly on its way to th'
bay. Rather than be left behind by tn,
| tender who was a rapid walker, VT
| plucked up courage and fastened along
We We're not long in reaching the end OF
| the bridge. Then we walked along on tht
gravel rocks used between the rails. Oui
| shoes were quickly cut and sore feet re
suited from the two-mile walk.
| We reached the bridge over the Tensa;
River. Here we paused No one, as fal
as known had tried the bridge. Tn,
water was but a few feet below the rail.
and looked ominous as the waves DASHED
| against the supports Of the structure
After elaboration we walked to the mid
| die where the tender told us the storm
was the worst he had ever experienced
His assurances that the bridge was SAFE
spurred us on. however. and we soor
reached Hurricane.
| Here disappointment again awaited
us. The operator was not to be found Mr.
Powers entered the office and soon founC
the wires were all down, 1t was now "a
o clock and Mr.. Powers decided that +
was useless for him to continue further
crew on the wires. decided to go for
ward until 7 reached a wire telling Mr.
Powers to wait two hours, then II l fail
ed to appear to start back on the boat.
| Went on After a four-mile walk, suf
ferng rgeat pain from the soreness o
my feet. caused by the gravel rock,
reached Carpenters. Here lived j. +
Green, a prominent lumberman. After
told him my errand he gave me food an'
then hitched up horse and a mule anC
allowed his son TO guide me to Bay
Minette, ten miles away, where l hope,
! to get wire.
| The condition OF the road, If it ever de
served to be called one. was dispiritng
1t led through what had been a pine for
est. Trees, many of them gigantic, ha,
been uprooted, and lay across the path
Mr.. Green's son took the lead when W,
came to n tree lying directly on our path
The mule, after considerable coaxing
leaped the obstruction. My horse followc,
and /. being an inexperienced rider, wa
unseated. | remounted and followed m!
guide.
| 1t was difficult task to find a path
but young Green kept on, and | had t,
follow over the fallen pines. We wen
countless times into swamps. into which
we drove until the animals sank t,
their knees. After tortuous ride of fou
hours we reached Bay Minette, twenty
five miles from Mobile. Here at last
found one wire working and goo,
operator at the key. After dispatching
countless number of train orders ne open