The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1919-10-15
GULF STORM SCOOP"
SCORED BY N. j. MAN
Frank H. Hedges, '19, Gets
Out Corpus Christi Call
er Despite Flood.
SENDS FIRST NEWS
Prints Daily Paper On Job
Press and Keeps Wire
BUSY.

Putting out newspaper under ad
verse conditions doesn't half tell ot
the condition under which Frank H
Hedges, 1919 graduate of the Schoo
of Journalism, aided by a few men,
hers of his staff, put out the Corpus
Christi Caller during the days follow
ing the great gulf storm which almost
demolished that city. Hedges was
editor of the Missourian during the
editor of the Corpus Christi Caller
The Sunday morning issue of that
paper on September II went to press
regularly about o'clock in the morn
home
He was awakened about 10 O'Clock
that same morning when a small
hoat, riding the crest of great tidal
wave, struck the corner of his house,
which was only a few feet from
bay. By the time he could get out of
his room the water was up around his
Leck.
Caller Office Under Wafer.
He waded out to safety on the high
er ground of the city. During the
day the tidal waves, continuing TO
come in, placed more than half the
city, including the Caller office, under
twelve feet of water.
The storm continued too severe on
Monday to think of anything but res
>ue work. Tuesday Hedges, working
with the telegraph operator of the
Associated Press, succeeded in get
ting a direct communicating wire
through to Kansas City. 1t was over
this wire and largely through the
work of Hedges that tn eworld was
informed of the gulf disaster. News
PAPER men say that the sudden SER
vice which was established for the
Associated Press from Corpus Christi
makes up one of the best scoops" in
years
But Hedges, as city editor of the
'aller, had something else to do be-
sides sending out press reports. He
got hold of large Mexican job press
and beginning Tuesday issued the Call
er daily on that press. The paper was
printed as dodger on one side only.
Its size was about 16 by 81 inches.
The type was set by hand.
The contents of the paper were
limited to giving list of the inden-
tilted dead, giving publicity to the
proclamations of the city's mayor,
and informing the townspeople where
they could find food and shelter. Later
the sheet carried news of the sur
rounding towns and the progress of
the rescue work.
Printed Paper in Another Town.
The following week arrangements
10 use the press of newspaper in a
aeishboring town, Kingsville. Tex
we're made, and Hedges went there to
handle the work. The news was
I2lephoned to him and the paper print
ed and sent back to Corpus Christi
ny train each day Here the paper
has assumed the size of six-column
four-page paper.
Many routes of the paper have been
wiped out, so that no attempt is being
made to get the paper to all its sub
scrlbers. A limited number of papers
are printed and distributed free over
all parts of the city.
The big press of the Caller was
the only part of the mechanical equip ,
lnent of the office that was injured
Ihe linotype machines were on the {
.econd floor. AS. soon as the press
can be repaired, the paper will re-
sumo its regular proportions and will t
be printed in Corpus Christi. i
So on only one day, Monday the t
worst day of the storm, did Hedges
lail to get out an issue of the Caller s
Hedges assumed the duties of citv $
editor of the Corpus Christi paper
only one week before the storm hit l
hat city.