The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1938-09-29
Relatives
Write About
Hurricane
Establish Safety of
Relatives In Storm
Area of East
SEVERE DAMAGE
Many Lives Lost
Trees Uprooted-
Homes Destroyed

Communications received here
this week by Sank Centre people
established the safety of relatives
in the east, where hurricane and
tidal wave buffeted New England
states in a phenomenon almost I'M
heard Of before.
The letters, coming through as
communication opened to the out
side, describe wildly the scenes Of
destruction. Since the letters come
from separated points, one deals
with the force of the hurricane, the
other with the destruction of the
practically unheard of tidal wave"
From Worcester, Massachusetts,
where the hurricane reached a We
locity of us miles per hour, came
a letter to DR.. w. Johnson, in this
city, from his sister. Allaying his
anxiety for the safety of his FAM
lily in his old home was this letter
written Thursday, the day follow
ing the storm. 1t was his first
word of their safety. Telephone
communication, cut off, was frus-
trated. He had attempted call on
Sunday.
It was a tidal wave that rolled
up over the country, threatening the
lives of New Bedford, Massachu-
sets, residents, Mr.. and Mrs. r. E.
Powdrell. Mrs. Powdrell is the
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. A. N.
Forsberg and sister of Mrs. Emma
Ellis, of this city. An earlier tele-
gram had established the fact with
local relatives that she and her
family were safe.
Sketchily, we present the scene
as described in Mrs. PowdrelPs let
ter of the area surrounding New
Bedford. It struck last Wednesday
afternoon about five, this coastal
town where milling is a chief in
dustry. Trees and wires hung
loosely over the road, impeding
their passage from down town to
their home, she wrote. A huge tree
struck portion of their home. The
water rushed into the community
caused by tidal wave which, she
wrote, rose to Is feet, travelled far
inland. All mills are closed, tele-
phone communication was cut,
lights were out. Cove Street,
quarter mile from the water, was
Uttered with power boats and lar
ger craft, stranded after the water
had receded. Homes of friends
were washed away.
In community nearby, she
wrote they viewed a bridge under
mined when water rose to a height
of seven to nine feet over its road
way. Nine cars were thrown into
the river, attempting to cross as
the wave struck. With the first
floor demolished, the yacht club
appeared standing on stills. In New
Bedford the yacht club was torn
loose, carried up the river, and lost.
Cottages, homes, all were removed
blocks from their sites, dumped In
to a mass of kindling wood. One
family barely escaped when their
house was swept away just after
they had quilted it. There isn't
anything standing on any beach in
this locality" she said.
At Crescent Beach near by, they
viewed the ruins where many sum-
mer homes, valued at an average
of $4,000, had stood. Many lives
were lost in this section. People
they knew had lost butler and
their cook. mo one hardly realiz-
ed what was going to happen as a
tidal wave is practically unheard OF
here" was her comment.
Freaks of the storm such as find
ing a small cottage all gone save
for a single room, standing perfect
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