The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-01-27

feeling of helplessness during a re-
cent earthquake there)
/ stood in the back door looking
at the store building and three small
er native staff houses when they
collapsed The roof over the store
went first, then the walls sailed
away all of 300 feet before drop
ping to the ground. At the same
time two of the smaller wood and
galvanized iron houses exploded like
fire crackers, blowing out in all
four directions. Fortunately no one
in them was hurt but the general
impression and effect was much the
same one might expect in suddenly
taking the top off bee hive, The
occupants appeared swept off the
floor and then began crawling to
our staff house.
The next gust lifted the remain
ing strait house intact, noVInglf 50
feet farther up the hill where it
overturned and rolled on I'D the
hill and qNerIhe top. In using COM
pressed air around mines and mills.
! realized what power it had but
had never thought to see natural
alrblast With half the power OF. see
1T do the queer things it did.
BY this time occasional flying
ysheets of galvanized iron 3x8 feet
were common and the question was
whether the next gust would take
our house or not. ! felt sure ii
would and didn't intend to leave I'M
til it did and | trusted that by that
time most OF the galvanized iron
would be blown away along with
the tree branches. Worse luck since
the staff house on the hill began
to dlsintegrate and boards began TO
fly around. During this time our
cook, with true Chinese philosophy.
refused to be bothered and kept on
with the dinner preparations. | re-
call telling him that when the roof
left he could put out the fire and
leave. Poor advice-since the rain
was pouring down and at times we
couldn't see so feet ahead for water
vapor. Well we never ate that
meal There was tremendous
shake, a crash and a ripping noise
accompanied by several smaller
clashes. The roof was off and the
doors and windows blown away
Then came the deluge. We rushed
under the house to escape the fly-
ing tin and wait for a lull SO as to
reach the bodega (warehouse)
About is minutes later we made il
at a snails pace.
The rain threatened To -taks-4l1fa.
warehouse also but couIdn't quite
make it and apparently for no other
reason than disgust, it suddenly
stopped. With the wind gone. the
rain ceased and just one hour and As
minutes from the time the roof over
the staff house departed for the low
lands and several thousand hectares
(acres) of rice paddles, the clouds
were gone and the stars were visi-
bic. During that time all the build
lngs in the camp except the ware
house were hopelessly demolished.
The next day it was evident from
the visible remains of the trees on
the nearby high hills that the ty-
phoon had been at worst over a
width slightly less than 21a miles.
Three days after the typhoon
had passed ! was on my way to
@nAiihi iiiSo s1ul 10 HOOK at pTOU-
erty. After leaving the car we took
launch around the Pacific side
and back came the typhoon. We
barely reached the bay again with
out piling up on the rocks in the
small straight. Waves SO and so
feet high rolled in off the ocean
Only three of us were able to be
around. | couldn't get up to reach
the pilot and wouldn't have cared
to but | did keep my hand on the
gasoline feed of the engine. If that
stopped we wouldn't have had a
chance.
Everything again was wet and +
slept on the plank on the launch
that night-tried to sleep would be
peter Again as before the typhooii
blew over rapidly and the next
morning with some qualms we con-
tinued and finished our Journey in
safety