The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-02-16
"reminiscences of
Alaska
49, u. :. noiey.
The Blg storm 81 October s.a. 1919,
az Nome.

Der 8, 1918 at nome. Alaska. the
southern gale. watch had been blow
ms Tor more than two days previously
reached a fury equally In the opinion
OF old timers ns gfout as the Oft rec
ferrod Co storm of 1900. Most people
went to bed believing the Gilman had
been passed. but towards morning
hundreds uf them who lived along the
beach were rudeiy awakened by the
storm ana by those who had remained
M all night. This was about 3 q. M.
by 9 o'clocK the climax had really
been reached. out % remained az tho
climax most ~ Monday and part of
! Tuesdaf.
In two or three hours the havoc was
wrought. The town. the remains %
former greatness, extends east ana
west along the beach 81 Herring sea
Tor about two niles. ordinarily
there u nearly n hundred yards of
slnntinE beach between thc high bulk
headed rcars Of the bindings and the
sea. The south wind. the rain and
the waves pushed and beat up this
long beach mountain" high as the
waves. and batterlng-rammed the
buildings and IN n short time had
made kindiing wood OF most Of them.
pushed many Of them clear across tho
street into the glass fronts Of the
structures on the other side. and left
nothing standing on the south side OF
the street except a few bob-talied half
wrecked buildings In cases where the
front end was stronger than usual.
Peopie-and there were hundreds "
them-hnd hardly time to get out
with their lives. The sea was strewn
with wreckage. and with merchandise
Of eyery kind sold In the community
and with an sorts of furniture. stocks
! OF whiskey, cigars. dry goods. hard
/ ware, furs, clothing, provisions cold
storage wares such as lard. eggs. meat.
etc. timhors. boards. sticks. water
sand. boats. wires. furniture and conn
modities Of ati kinds were Using iu
all directions. aud dashiuC in and out
Of and through wrecks Of houses.
boats. hargcs and wharves. Whis-
Ting wind. yelling men and women.
screaming children. crashing build
ings and bowling DOGS oh. what a
p0ndcmonium Al the east end Of
town the sea came up out Of It's bed
with the speed ana furv of e wounded
lion, OF a charging %rhinoceros. put It's
horns under every cabin. house ana
building 10 encountered and rushed
onward without shaking on the inn
paled material and then away up the
slope across the main street made
kindling wood out Of a hundred, yes
many hundreds OF huuses. cabins and
structures and smeared The wreckaee
/ and the street and the buildings
higher up. with e mass OF thick black
/! oil from several immense bursted oil
tanks.
Nome has always had tin cans tied
to It's sea-front tail. but now h Is sea
! fenced by q mass Of %wreckaRe for a
mile n q hall like a house-hiRh wall
81 driftwoOd. stumps. rooted out 81
a logged on swamp II Is a sight
And thank Providence. not O life
lost II is marvellous. how the town
could pass through such a crashing
ana smashing and sluicing Of sand
and water and wind, and wave. and
wreck. ana disaster. and not one hui
man being lose his cor her life. Tho
people can be thankful
There were hundreds Of unused ar
only half used cnains up on tho
tundra left over since the bic rush ~
the beach mining years ago. So there
Il mo- lack OF shelter. ana there arc
plenty Of provisions. and more Is com
lng, and there = coal enough in town
10 last three years. so an the people
need is money 20 keep them. and to
get outside TO the states on. 7
guess It will be provided. Tho prop
erty loss will he abou "a million. which
In some'loss for o little town OF not
/ FaFtnN .Hr.a sra. fLL.U.uma
residents.
The people were an decent. the ex-
ccptions not worth mentioning.
Everybody helped those IN distress. To
move. "a save their lives. their goods
or their houses. meals were forgotten.
nobody stopped 10 put on Oh coats.
they just piled IN ana worked-rich.
poor, anlment and busted. an alike.
lawyer and .layman. banker and mer-
chant, clergyman ana professor ali
piled in to help: priests poets. miners
and SiwaEhes an took a hand IN the
a%eueral help They have hearts. and
40 are filled with the milk Of human
kindness. Pm glad ! know such peo-
pie. II shows that the real brother
hood ~ man Is higher and better
than al ~preiudices, In face of common
disaster Wa would cease. il hrc or
Good big enough should threaten both
beligerents at the same time. Even
the cross and the crescent, the Rus
sian and the Jap would frateruize IN
front Of common elemental disaster.
am sure.
\ Gold "Cican-Up'' az Nome.
To onter the vaults OF a nank and
sec their hoard Of gold to visit the
United States treasury and behold the
piles OF mcre In the nations vaults
Is of course interesting. u makes You
thoughtful But TO get a real thrill
u that makes your gland Of aVarice
swell, one that makes you want 10 de-
aert your calling In NE, ave. even
your yery family, aud locate or jump
a "claim, YOU have 20 be- present al
cleanup In an Alaskan b0aaRza
camp. such az the beach az Nome, the
third beach there. or the Fairbanks
placer holes, or the iditarpd digeings.
say you are invited 10 a big cleanup
al one OF the Pioneer Mining conf
pony's big hydraulic elevators ON tne
| third hQarh lfua hack Of Nume. A