Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20
REFUGEES RELATE
BELIZE HORRORS
Twoscore Storm Survivors
Arrive at New Orleans,
Fleeing Disease.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW ORLEANS, La, September 10.
-out of blasted Belize, British
Honduras, IS refugees came to New
Orleans today aboard the steamer
Parisimina with new tales Of horror.
Despite the passing Of 10 days, some
of them were Just recovering from hys-
terra. Others were filled with gloom
over the loss of their possessions, while
still others took the misfortune lightly.
"Oh. I am too nervous to talk; It
was so horrible" said Mrs. A. Gould of
New Orleans who sat in her brothers
international Hotel and expected to be
blown to death. Her nephew, Rudolph
Lewis, was drowned.
Says Drunken Natives Looted.
Mrs. Althea Hargreaves of Chicago
shuddered as she told of her and her
husband losing about everything they
had.
"The natives got drunk and started
looting until martial law was declared"
she said. "The whole town was
wrecked. I will never go back"
In burning the debris to check pesti-
lence, she said. authorities found so
many persons had been buried alive
that in some places funeral nres nad
to be ouenched for fear Of burning live
ing persons.
A story of high adventure in a so
foot yacht was told by Levert Cothern,
native of Isabel. La, who was with
curio party OF the coast when the hur-
ricane struck.
Boat Party Near Death.
First, he said, the wind blew the
river dry and left their boat stranded
in the mud. Then the water receded
and tossed the boat on mountainous
seas until all clasped hands and
jumped overheard and were rescued by
larger boat
the thought Of the funeral pyres
brought tremors of horror to all OF
them. The bodies, they said, were piled
in great heaps and burned. The NUM-
Der of dead was estimated by the refu-
gees as from 1000 to 1900. with none
Of them believing the exact number
ever would be known.
Boy Rescues Pet Dog.
The big thing about the hurricane.
in the eyes OF Jackie Minty, 8, and
Otto Hufus. 10, is that "Spotty" and
Wrinkle" their pet dogs, came through
safely.
Found aboard the Parisma among the
refugees, the boys talked only about
their dogs. They lightly brushed aside
thoughts of death, wind and water as
they told of the pets.
Eyes, Wrinkle and I were in the hur-
ricane,' said Otto. wrinkle was locked
up in stable when the first blow hit.
1 swan from the house out to the stable,
broke window glass with my fist and
Wrinkle swan behind me back to the
house, where we went up on the second
floor"
"Spotty" got q scratch on his leg
when he jumped on porch after the
steps were blown down, Jackie said. So
far as Jackie was concerned, that was
"all that happened"
Baby in Arms PeriIled.
Miss Joyce PiIling, daughter of the
acting Colonial Governor Of British
Honduras, arrived with tennis racket,
hockey stick, two dresses and nothing
more, not even dime. She said she
was on her way to the Gulf Park Col
lege at Gulfport, Miss The flrst blow,
she said, blew down their house and
she stayed next door until the wind
and water subsidized.
Mrs Dorothy Hall Of London, Eng
land, clasped her 10-months-old daugh-
ter, Baraba, to her bosom as she came
III OAl bAAC SOaes
THE wind nearly blew her out of
my arms" she said.
John NJ Staub Of New Orleans said
the roof was blown OF the hotel in the
first blast of the wind. but the walls,
constructed substantially, held through
the second and harder blow, although
il became partly submerged.
AT pm" he said, lust as the FIRST
blow came up the bell in st. Mary's
Church on one side Of the hotel was
calling the children of the town to spe-i
cial services. The children we're stream
ing into the church as the first wind
struck.
Church Demolished.
"The church, filled with youngsters,
survived the FIRST blow, though the
steeple was toppled OF. But the Sec
ond wind demolished the building, bury
ing the children under the wreckage."
He said the suburb of Mesapotania
was wiped out and its 500 inhabitants
killed.
As the Parismina pulled out from
Belize at night, the survivors said. the
sky was Redeemed by the great funeral
pyres.
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