Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-08-29
SOLDIERS IN THE STORM
Members of Alexandria Light Infan-
try Have Thrilling Ex-
perience in Texas

! Brownsville, Texas, Aug. 22-The
tAlexandria Light Infantry, along with
(: the other troops of the two Virginia
regiments stationed here, has success
! fully weathered one of the worst
storms that has swept the gulf ccun-
try in years None of the men were in
i;ured, bu.. the !Hss in property was
considerable and the work OF reclaim
ing the camp IS not yet really cam
plete.
/ The wind was already blowing a.
shifty rain into gusts about the camp
on the morning Of last. Friday, by
the time the men. had breakfast. 1t
started then just enough to encourage
them to roll up their packs for the
ten-mile march they take every week.
But by the time "fall-in" was ready
to sound, it was coming down again
in sheets, with the wind increasing
! every minute.
Back to quarters was the word, and
prepare them for a blow. Tents were
rolled down and staked more firmly.
bitches were huriedly cleaned out and
arms and luggage given as much pro-
Election as possible from the rain that
drove under the tents. The men stood
! by to wait for lessening Of the storm.
,,and orders to fall in for the march.
But the order never came.
| Instead, the wind kept on increas-
ing, until, about noon, it had attain
ed hurricane velocity. The worst
storm this section of the gulf. coun-
/: try has seen in years was raging
about the camps, and the infantry
! mems fragile shelters began to give
I way before it.
The men chung to their tent homes
to the last. It is the only home they
know, down here, and even its dull
sloping walls take on something
/! that makes their battering down
j seem like an invasion of sacred places.
| The tents would rasp and pull at their
mornings, the little pegs which are so
j strong only because there are so
r.any of them. But once the sandy
! soil of Texas is soaked we'll with
iIain, no power on earth can make
Itent pegs cling to it.
Up the pegs would come then. one
at time or a whole side giving way
together. A sickening sag would pos
j sess that side of the tent, and lug
gage piled there would be shifted to
/ drier spot or hurried down the flood
ed company street ito Na tent that
il seemed to have more chance of stand
ing.
i The tent with a side loose, to the
Il wind had no chance to stand against
lit. Hopping like a sail at tack, it
l would struggle for a few minutes,
i balanced as it were on one leg. Then
the center pole would slip from its
!, tripod and with a gentle crash to
i the ground, piling the still Tapping
|: tent loosely upon the cots and their
! mosquito-bar frames.
! The men were quick enough each
time to slip out under the swaying
! canvass roofs in time to miss the final
i crash. Luggage now Seemed as safe
4 piled beneath the crumpled tent as
] anywhere else in the storm wrecked
camp ground, and was left to take
] its chances there.
Tents that showed signs of hold
ing against the storm rapidly became
crowded to capacity with soldiers
who had stepped from under collaps-
ling tents just in time.
Even the fallen tents themselves
proved almost impossible to save. As
they tapped against their ropings in
the mire of mud and water the wind