The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-09-05
BURR LEITZSEY IN THE STORM.
He Retired at 1.15. But Was Up Lead
ing in Song and Prayer Fifteen
Minutes Later.

Mr.. B. B. Leitzsey came home from
i Charleston on Saturday morning to
spend Sunday at his home in this coun-
ty. Mr.. Leitzsey's many friends here
haHa been very much interested in his
graphic descriptions of the terrific
hurricane which, swept Charleston on
! Sunday night, August q, and NJ"
! LeitZsey did not tire in satisfying their
! interest.
Messrs. Tom, Marion and Will Wick
e-. Of Newberry, who were in Char
lesion the night of the storm, came
home aNd told that Mr.. Leitzsey sang
hE*mns while the wind was at its
height. MR. Leitzsey says that not on
! ly is this true, but that he led iii the
singing, and all the others in the house
; Joined n heartily, and then each Cor
himself or herself offered as 1arvont
and sincere prayers as they ever Of
fered in their lives.
Mr.. Leitzsey was at his lodging
place, 139 Calhoun street, opposite
Marion Square, where the Citadel IS
located. He did not get to Meeting
street for supper on Sunday night of
the storm, it being dangerous to use
the streets even so early in the even
ing.
Mr.. Leitzsey and Mr.. Field" Cole
man room together, but he says all
those in the house, including Messrs.
Will and Marion Wicker, stayed to-
gether that night. Mr.. Tom Wicker
had gone out early in the evening to
visit some friends and was unable to
get back.
About Ills, says Mr.. Leitzsey, it
was decided that those in the house
would retire and seek a little rest
He and Mr.. Field" Coleman went to
their room. The wind continued to
roar. At 11.30 he arose, and called
over to Mr.. Coleman telling him that
he couldn't 90 to sleep and was going
downstairs. Mr.. Coleman, he says,
told him he had already made up his
mind to do the same thing.
Mr.. Leitzsey led the way down into
the parlor, and was soon Joined by the
others in the house, including the
landlady. He began to sing "The Old,
Old Story" but some of the others
didn't know it very well, and he struck
up Nearer, My God, to Thee" song
known by everybody, and sung right
heartily by everybody III that house
that night says Mr.. Leitzsey. Then
came the prayers, each, ho-7ever, do
ing his own praying.
The house is a four-story building,
and Mr.. Leitzsey said he wished ev-
cry minute of the terrible night that
he was up at the Office in Society
street, which is a low one-story brick
building, and where the only danger
would have been from other build
ings falling in on it.
Between - and l o'clock the house
in which Mr.. Leitzsey was staying
was unroofed, and the roof was car
ried out into Calhoun street. Every
tree on Marion Square, he says, was
blown down.
Mr.. 1eitzsey tells a little joke on
himself-at least, he says it is joke;
the others say it is true. Shortly be-
fore the roof was taken off the house,
one of the gentlemen in the party saiu
to Mr.. Leitzsey:
IF I had a drink, I declare I believe
would take it."
Mr.. LeitZsey answered.:
"No, you wouldn't, because + would
mt let you, in such time as this
In about a minute the wind picked
up the roof and landed it out in Cal
houn street.
If you had two drinks, would take
one with you,' the others say Mr..
Leitzsey said. 1t is we'll known that
Mr.. Leitzsey is a teetotaler, and he
says he didn't say it, but he admits
that the gentleman who says he did
say it proved his assertion next morn
ing by every one who was in the house.
Mr.. Le'Jzsey says nothing was fur
ther from his thoughts at that time
that the only thing he was thinking
of was the promise of immortality in
cluded in the eternal plan of salvation.
The house in which the party were
IS only short distance up Calhoun
street from Meeting, and at the cor
ner of Calhoun and Meeting streets
the water was about two feet deep.
Mr.. Lsitzsey says every time one