Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23

quite safe now and would be all right
II he could Just get shoe shine. A
girl rushed up with pair Of long and
large trousers on and said 1t was all
she could grab as she jumped out OF
bed when the house went down. One
man told his wife that as she had long
wanted to own home here, she might
take advantage of this golden oppor-
tunity to grab one as it went by.
"All this as death faced us and roofs.
some in sections and some almost in
tact, went flying by, and screen doors
and windows and hats and auto tops.
and even park benches filled the air
and street CoconutS rained down and
how any of our skulls escaped I will
never know. One man proved almost
the last straw for our morale as he
dashed inSanely up and down the street
screaming to know If any one had seen
his mother Another upset us equally,
but in different fashion, by appearing
minus his trousers. Various addresses
where he could be apparaled we're
called out to him as he galloped past
Passed Night in Store.
when We were driven from this
shelter we took refuge in a stationery
store and began the last worst half of
we're no lights in town, but our host had
candles and we tried to compose our
selves. was impressed with the way
each of these poor things tried to make
some one else comfortable One young
mother with tiny baby went to pieces
when plaStering began raining down on
us, but we finally got her under table
with her baby on. pillow and though
the theater next door went down and
the front of our refuge tore loose and
plastering and debris poured all around
u.s. when I left she was sleeping like the
baby in her arms.
Next morning I crept out at dawn
and was confronted with a scene of
desolation such as I hope I may never
see again. Rain still fell in torrents,
but at one totally demolished home a
woman was scratching in the wreckage
of what had once been the kitchen,
and as I passed she turned with a
heavenly smile lighting her face down
which tears were streaming, and said
I found my potatoes
Another house had just unfQlded All
the walls we're down and on y bed sal
a little beautifully dressed doll went
on-a house with upper floors entirely
gone, Wreckage everywhere and a bee
hanging over the edge, but back where
wall ndQ Deen SLOOu a uCCle vanity
dresser and 1t held a little bud vase
upright and unbroken, a storm freak
Everywhere were topless cars. One wa
| on a vacant lot, a total wreck, top, tires
seats and even hood gone. but on it
| hung a bright new AL Smith sign ana
| showing that hurricanes play no poll
tics. another sign had AL Smith turned
upside down and later in the day, this
was chalked OK. and left upside
| down!
| Monday it poured all day and excep
/ for the swapping of experiences OF
street corners and the effort to get food
nothing was done. but Tuesday W
woke to the sound of hammers. saw
and whistling When the rain woul'
start UP the whistling would stop, bu
the work wouldn't and it is inspiring
to see the unquenchable indonitable
unbeatable American spirit of thes
brave Floridians. They are marvelou
and after all, in spite of hurricanes
mosquitoes, real estate booms and othe
ills. the. State is marvellous. While liv
ing through a storm of this intensity
| is a soul-trying experience in one way
| in another it is an uplifting one, for il
brings out the best that is in us ant
| IL leaves us very humble"