Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-02-24
Reporting a
Hurricane
By r. a. Mitchell

vas barely large enough TOT one jour
nal the Chronicle. which had occupied
n ever since Joe Baxter established It
during the last century. When Bax-
,sr died his son. Captain Joe, Jr., car
,,ed IT on. But the captain had been
N the Confederate army during the
var between the states and received
vouud that had crippled him for life.
the girl be had left behind him. how
.ver. was true to him and married him
IA hospital after the surrender.
Joe was fitted to perform the indoor
York connected with a newspaper. but
vas not able to do much getting about
gathering news Mrs. Joe did good
deal OF that. and. having many friends,
she was kept well posted on the social
news. which is important to any news
naper. She and Joe managed to keep
the wolf from the door till Philip
stringer came from New Orleans, look
ed the place over and determined that
there might be room enough for two
papers.
The truth II that the place was be-
sinnlng to Ill up with northern visitors
during the winter. and the more peo-
pie the more chance for a newspaper
But the special inducement was that
Joe's physical handicap kept him from
eetting about to gather Ia the news.
and stringer calculated to get ahead Of
him In this respect every time. Be
rdes. Springer. having been connected
with New Orleans paper. believed he
knew better how to cater to city peo-
pie than did Baxter.
SO the Gazette was established and.
being the more enterprising OF the two
papers. got most OF the new subscrib-
ers and advertisers. the old residents
standing by the Chronicle. But the
new was more valuable than the old.
and the former was constantly eating
into the latter till ii looked as II the
Baxtcrs would soon have to discontin-
ne their paper.
one morning Molly Baxter. after hav-
lng cleaned up the breakfast dishes and
sent the children to school. reported at
the office TO find Joe very gloomy.
The weather bureau reports bur-
ricane coming up from the West In.
dies and says that II will probably
reach our coast today. II 1t should be
here ought 10 go to the coast and
write description OF II. But can
feel the storm in my wound now. and
Il takes all the starch out of me.
Stringer win he there and will write 1t
up with all ihe grandiloauenee Of which
he Is capable"
how bad weather Affects you. I'll do
what work is to he done here between
now and II o'clock. 60 home and get
the dinner ready for You and the chill
dren. and VIII take the O'Clock train
for the coast"
As the afternoon train neared Its ter
minal on the coast on passing between
TWO hills 1t was struck by a gust Of
wind that lifted II clear OF the track.
Molly Baxter was on II and consider
ably bruised She thought of how Joe.
when be was wounded in Pickett's
charge at Gettysburg. got up and went
On I'LL he was driven back with the
rest by rhurderous fire. and. pulling
herself together. she forced her way
against what wind there was on the
zee side Of bill facing the ocean to
the top and found herself In the corner
u stone wall. where she was perfect
y protected and with her eyes just
ABOVE 1t saw one OF the biggest storms
that have evervisited the Atlantic coast.
she did not have writing materials
with her. for she would not have been
soie TO use them. but she had a fine
memory aud stacked 1t with numerous
ue'aiis' She saw the waves envelop
ne town below. its shrieking citizens
ehmb the hills, one ship riding ut an
vno' buried by a huge billow and then
.i'eu over a dock aud landed up among
Tue houses. These and many more
'ninss as terrible she saw and cram.
,lea them all down In the storehouse of
her memory.
"hen she had got enough the problem
sas TO get back home with 1t. About
uusR the wind went down inland
enough to admit OF vehicle not be-
ms oiown over. and. hiring farmer to
:. .aAe her In his wagon. she reached the
.nfoniele office about II o'clock, where
sne round her husband anxiously wait
ne ior her. Assured Of her safety, he
save her copy paper and a pencil and
prepared to set up what she wrote
at o'clock the next morning she had
Snisned her description and helped
Jun set up the last column.
"hen the Chronicle and the Gazette
.a'ne out those who read the Chroni-
ae account remarked, what a big
..orin that vast" Those who read the
) .a]ette said, That storm has given
suinger chance to spread himself"
correspondent OF a northern paper
y, "uo mad not seen the storm. but saw
I'iy Bakers account Of 1t. telegraph
y y verbatim to bis paper. A mes
sage came back:
W 10 wrote that Ioac-;v,<t1~ - <g,o