Milford chronicle., 1926-10-08
FrankfOrd

Grandchildren in the Florida Storm
The following letter received here
recently described very graphically
the great storm. The writer OF the
letter is a son of Luther Hancock,
who left here seven years ago ana
went to Florida. He married and
settled there and is a successful far
mer. He has a large family and owns
a lot of land. He and his son VINO
wrote this letter were here the past
summer visiting his brother George
Hancock. Mr.. Hancock who wrote
the letter is an employee of the Sea-
board Railroad and it is to his cous-
ms. Mrs. Lydia Morris and Mrs
Elizabeth Evans.
wildwood, Florida.
September %, 1926. |
Dear Lydia and Elizabeth:
Just a few lines to let you near
from us. Well, girls, we have gone
through with an awful experience
since the 18th. AS you know South |
Florida was visited with one OF the
hardest hurricanes that ever was
and poor little Hettie, our baby, was
in Moore Haven, on the southwest
end of Lake OkuchOPee and was
washed away. Saved her life and her
husband but lost all of her children.
Saturday, the 18th, at o'clock a. M.
the dam broke which held the lake
off of them and the whole town was
under water 10 foot deep with Wlno
at the rate of 12O miles per hour so
Won see houses did not stand any
showing at all. had gone into Or
lando on my run Sunday night at
O'Clock and got the news ana sa"
them making up relief tram 10 80
with doctors and nurses and coIhns
and food and water, so Charles ana
I left Orlando and drove 125 miles TO
mana over to Brooksville and then
went on to Moore Haven. We got
there within z miles of the little
town and had to swim and wade that
7 miles. Did not know that we would
ever see anything OF Hette any
more. 1t took us four hours to make
the seven miles but Charles stuck 10
me and we went in passing every
thing that a man could stand to look
at. Men, women and children crown
ed on our way. When we got there
we found out that Hettle was sllll
alive and then we had to sort het
ont of a 100 other rescuers that hao
been dressed and aided to be sent
ont on the boat. 1 soon picked her
ont and we got her out to SehnS1
which was S5 miles. There we found
moor papa and mama who had got
fen that far and Miranda and my
wife. Papa and mama with broken
heart. The first time in my life
ever saw my father shed tears. IL
broke my heart to see my old father
and mother have to STAND that' DuC
could not be helped. Papa mas her aC
home and she is some better now
and her husband is also there, but
their children are all gone and all
they had made in 10 years gone and
thev were fixed up all right Tor Iu-
tures in life. There was not house
left in the town but pieces Of brick
buildings. Over $50 lives were lost
and il is still four feet under water.
Nobody knows but the ones that
were in it. Hettie hung in the top OF
a tree for 10 hours and stood all
that wind and water, just the Lord
saved her is all and she was a real
girl or she could not have STOOD tnaI
and had five children and lost them
all. Sad sad. Mama and papa were
uneasy about Charles and l for they
know we would never stop until we
found her, for Charles and l told
them that we would go to where sne
was at or die and they were AFRAID
we would be drowned. am so sorry
that little Hettie had to give up her
little children but God spared her
for nv Door old father and mother.
They would have left here with a
broken heart if we had not got her
dead or alive. When mama and papa
told Charles and to bring our baDy
girl dead or alive and we told them
we would they knew that we would
die or bring her. Poor little thing,
inst to suffer like she did is more
than I can stand, seems like to
look at her now and remember when
she was a girl so tender and nice
looking and she saved herself IN the
top of a small tree which was only
about II feet high. She hung there
and took all that 10 hours punish
ment and all the other women and
girls drowned in that section. She
was raised to play ball, ride horses
catch COWS and 1 guess that gave
her some advantage on others InaC
had never done anything in life. we
have her with us, thank God, it was
Cod that saved her for us and am
going to praise Him more and more.
Girls tell Uncle George about 1t and
read this letter to him. can't write
anv more. May the Lord look out for
MS all and remember that God Will
remember when the world forgets.
I love you all. Write me.
J. H. HANCOCK.
p. S-Hettie is getting all right
inst called papa up have seen her
every day, also I am so glad papa is
so glad. Love. Write me.
Annual Service At Old
BlackWater
Last Sunday the annual service
was held at Blackwater Presbyterian
Church. The sermon was by Rev
Robert A. Boyle, D. D., pastor of WI
con1ico Presbyterian Church, Sails
hurry. Md. The sermon was OF unus-
nal interest and power, from the text
Rosea 1912: "Break up your talloW
Ground" The service was in charge
of Rev. William Reed McElroy, pas
tor of the Frankford and Ocean
View Presbyterian Churches, both Of
these churches being daughters o.
RIackwater. There was very large
attendance. Many could not get III