The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-10-26
DAYS WITH
THE RECENT STORM

Mr. VIII d. Graham, route agen, for
the Southern Express Co. had a har-
rowing experience during the storm
on the little island town of Boca
Grande. at the end of the c. H. & ~
Railway. TWO and half miles from
the mainland and Joined only by the
long railroad trestle.
Mr. Graham reached the island dur
ing the storm four hours late and
drenched to the skin. as every other
passenger was. with all of the win
dows on the windward side OF the
coaches blown out. Manager Fouts
of the railroad. gave out the informa-
ton 10 the citizens of the island
about 200 in number. who were hud-
died in and around the new solid
brick depot that the train would be
run back 20 the mainland as relief
train.
They reached a point Is miles from
Eoca Grande and the track was wash
ed out ahead and behind them and
they had to stay there from 10 o'clock
on Tuesday morning till o'clock
Wednesday afternoon in the fiatwoods
with water knee deep all around them
in the raging storm with no windows
in the coaches, not a dry rag on them
and not a mouthful of anything for
even the women and children to eat.
The track was then repaired suf-
fciently for the train 10 return to the
island. where those who had rema ined
in the shelter Of the depot had Jared
better than they.
Mr.. Graham watched a double brick
block. two-stories high across from
the depot. crumble and fall like q
house of cards when the gale was at
its highest Eight or ten children had
been put TO sleep in a narrow two
story frame building. in the lee Of the
brick building. Strange to say. the
frame buildin. stood. one of the very
few that did resist the storm on the
entire island. Its roof and side next
TO the brick structure were mashed in
and the children were covered with
falling debris. but not one Of them was
seriously injured. They were taken
from the building TO the depot.
There was little rest. no sleeE and
no food to eat scarcely for two days.
MIR. Graham said there was not a room
in house in that section that was
not deluged with water and everything
in the houses soaking wet. All
glass was blown out Of the houses
and the sides and roofs OF the best Of
them badly injured.
The tide and breakers came over
the island in the low places and the
highest portion was awash. Had the
wind changed to the south and west
earlier in the storm the island would
have been literally washed away.
After the two days storm had abat-
ed. Mr.. Graham went out with the res
cue party on the third day and as
sisted to bury eight sailors who lost
their lives near the island. where they
had run their small craft for safety.
There were Is others not accounted
| for and most of them were undoubt-
! eddy dead.
Realizing that it would take weeks
| to repair the railroad, Friday morning
Mr.. Graham found a fisherman with a
small motor boat who agreed to take
him to Tampa for SIS. He arrived
there Saturday at o'clock a. m. maxi
| ing distance of Us miles in the
| rickety old boat. Mr.. Graham said the
motor never missed an explosion in all
of the time and he was a proud man
when he struck terra firma and a
country that was not desolated. Mr.
| Graham says the orange crop in that
| immediate section is total loss