The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-09-22
MRS. H0LWORTHYS
PARENTS LOST THEIR
HOME IN CORPUS
CHRISTI HURRICANE

Merriman, mailed week ago today
from Corpus Christi, and received by
her yesterday, n which he relates
some of the details of the havoc
wrought by the storm, and which Mrs.
Holworthy has very kindly allowed us
to publish. Mr.. and Mrs. Merriman
lost their beautiful home, but their
sons home, on the bluff, was I'M
touched by the tidal wave, and they
are now with them. OF the storm,
Mr.. Merriman writes as follows:
Dear Genevieve:
Corpus Christi was almost destroy
ed yesterday Sunday by an awful
hurricane. We are thinkful we es-
capped with our lives. Dozens of peo-
(may be a hundred) were drowned
so many are missing from North
Beach. We can't tell yet. We have
no telegraph service now-lines all
down-that is why | am writing and
not telegraphing. We have no cleo
trio light nor telephone service and
won't have for some time. The loss
will amount to millions of dollars.
Our home is gone-shell of the big
house left is all. The hurricane com.
menced Sunday morning, soon after
breakfast. We left the house about
half after twelve-your mother and
me and Mr.. Clemmer and Marion
going out the side gate in water up
to our arm pits. We managed to get
to the State bank building and there
we stayed on the second floor till this
morning with five others, not being
able to get out or hear thing but the
noise of rushing waters, bowling
winds and crashing of window glass
We had no light-only few matches
At daylight this morning Almyr and
went out, finding the water which
had reached to height of four feet
down in the bank, had fallen, the aw
full wind having lessened sometime
after midnight We managed, after
climbing over all kinds Of wreckagt
in the street, to get down on Water
street, where we found our house
standing way out in the water-off it,
foundation and leaning towards thu
south, the wind blowing most OF tn
time from the northeast. The upps
and lower front galleries were gone
I everything down stairs was gone, tn
front and back walls of the parlor hat
been swept away, not thing in 1t bu
water. Everything in the dininI
room, kitchen and pantry gone, ais
. back stairway, with water-wave
running through the hall. W.
climbed up the stairway in the hall
which was left badly damaged AM
found the hall and back gallery uT
stairs all right, also your mother
room in a tolerably good condition
and most things in it. Your room
and mine in good shape and tn
things in them. Marion's room o.
the north had the west wall blow
out-and some things gone. Every
thing swept off down in the yard-n
i. yard there now. The office, tn
chicken house (all chickens drowned
the garage, trees, fences, ETC., all cal
. ried away
, We found the automobile under
; pile of heavy timber but have nc
v been able to find the piano. Tomo
20 row when the water goes down NOR
Almyr and | will collect what we cal
We are up at Jefferson's tonigh
@ where am writing you, your motht
l. and Marion having come up or rattle
v. were brought up this a. m. Mario
n and Almyr are sleeping at Geore
,Clark's. Jefferson and Gem were wo
10 ried, of course, about us the night
q. the storm. Jefferson could not con
ne down-he tried it and had to tut
at back. They had little or no damag
Nv l think we will build seven roo
al bungalow in Mucous Bay Heights, ia
nd ing down what is left of our home
a build it with. 1t is good lumber
hit have stood up at all in such a stor
o. It was the big sticks of timber fro
NJ the Pavilion Hotel and other but
cir ings that were swept away tn
,el damned and ruined our house. N
If the wind and water so much, thou
lly the water was nearly up to the CELL
zee of the first floor. We are fortunate
wd having our clothes upstairs. Hundre
he of other people lost everything. All
VS. Water street is gone, hardly hou
in left. Mrs. Taylor's place on the sou
ed gone, Mrs. Malthy's on the north,
Eureka Laundry, George Blucher's
factory, all the buildings gone do
4I,o4 ,,rou IN tho ctroaf p0nk