The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1919-09-19
Miss Ford's Letter.

Miss Ford's Letter.
The following is part of a letter
received from Miss Sue T. Ford, of
Paris, by members Of her family,
who reside in Paris:
Key West, Florida,
Sept. 10, 1919.
mo doubt you have all heard of
the terrific hurricane that struck
this place Monday at 10 a. m.
"No words could tell you of the
fearful wind. Sunday it began to
blow such a nice breeze, ending sud-
denly every few minutes in sharp
gusts. Monday the wind was strong,
growing more so all the time. Some
of the patrons went to get the chill
dren from school, saying that hur-
ricane was on the way here from the
Bahamas. Monday night it began
to blow so hard, that l could only
sleep between the fierce gusts.
expected to be terribly afraid, but
wonderful to relate was not. I went
| down to school Tuesday morning
Not child, and Cubans all shut up
in their houses tighter than wax. By
p. m. the street cars had stopped
running and the taxi we were in had
half of the top torn off and it blew
so fiercely it caught our breath and
| it was pouring rain.
Tuesday from p. m. on words
would be impossible to describe the
fearful wind. 1t seemed like mighty
waves passing each with increased
velocity, till it reached the climax at
four Wednesday morning. The gusts
came with the force of cannonading.
1t sounded like innumerable voices
in shrieks and screaming indescrib-
able.
"No one thought of sleep, no one
thought of eating. One great tree
after another until eight went down
in this yard. We saw fences 60.
The house right across is a total
wreck, rolled off the foundation,
the floor broken, all the furniture
ruined and the roof broken into splin-
tiers. The trees left standing are
whipped until they are bare as in
| winter.
"Fleming Street Church is ruined.
One train is lost off the E. Coast R.
R.
"Think of the agony: IA men
drowned in the dredge boat. The
athletic club gone; steps broken up,
houses blown down; oh, its fearful.
| eve piled our trunks against the
front door to keep it from coming
in. The paper in every room in the
house is ruined; the hard wood floors
the same.
| 81 went to see a friend at $50
thinking the storm about over and my
umbrella was whipped to ribbons.
mo takes, no cars, no electric
lights, no gas to cook with. Ruin
and desOlation and people sick with
fright and the terrible ordeal. All
the time there was a rain as briny as
old ocean, driving straight across,
not falling, and continual lightning,
but no laundering, and an even glare
in the sky, which still is the same
with gusts of wind and constant rain.
"The over seas hotel is almost a
wreck.
II certainly saw Gods power in full
display last night: Mrs. W.
was so distressed. She took up INV
Daily Strength for Daily Needs and
said 4 thought you might have
prayer book I read her several
lessons. We dragged my mattress
into the hall and sat around on it
and / told them the story of Paups
shipwreck, and l told them that !
felt sure that we would all be saved
from hurt. It seemed to comfort
them so.
my school house is no more.
When / saw it, even the piano was
utterly destroyed. I broke down and
cried.
"The wind was blowing 100 miles
an hour when the instrument for
measuring was blown away. No tell
ing what velocity it reached.
| II am going to start the work in
the old Epworth League Hall back
of the Cuban Church. The latter is
a wreck"