The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-07-13
Terrifying
Experience In
Hurricane
Libby Visitor Lived Through
Storm That Laid Waste
Eastern Coast Last Fall.
HOUSE DEMOLISHED,
WASHED AGAINST HILL

Miss Amey Hazard, of East
Orange, N. j., who is visiting friends
in Libby, has marked up in her
memories one of the most unusual
and terrifying experiences that any
person could have undergone. She
was one of the many participants in
the destructive hurricane which en-
veloped the New England coast last
! fall.
| A retired teacher, Miss Hazard
! gave an exceptionally expressive
description of the hurricane yester-
day when interviewed by Western
News reporter. She told of her ex-
periences from beginning to end
/ during the frightful afternoon and
evening of September 81, 1888.
when she was a guest at the home
of friend at Matunusk Point, R. I.
MY friend and | received no
warning of the approaching Storm"
Miss Hazard stated, because we
were on the beach and radio was
not available. About one o'clock
that afternoon it started to rain
and by two o'clock it was very
severe. The tide was becoming
higher every minute and by three
the waves and spray were high
and fast At the first indication
of a severe storm my friend and |
rushed to her home and settled
down for what we thought to be
only short blow. 1t soon became
! apparent that it was more than we
had originally thought because the
waves and rain were blowing with
such force that the water was COM
I ing in around the edge of the win
dows. We secured towels and tried
to wipe up the water but it kept
coming in at such terrific pace
that it was impossible to keep up
with the inflow
I'm the midst of this turmoil my
friend looked outside and the front
porch had been blown away. The
/ living room windows were break
ing in. We could see nothing out
side except sheets of water blow
ing with awful force. 1t was i'm
possible to leave the house because
of the water. Every wave would
practically fill the first floor rooms.
We made our way to the second
floor and shortly my companion
went down a rear flight of stairs to
the kitchen 1t was terrible shock
to see her beautiful home being
destroyed and not being able to do
anything about it. The sight in the
kitchen was enough to wholly dis
hearten any normal person. The
refrigerator had been tipped over
as had a cupboard. Everything was
in Wracked state Fine dishes were
crashing Everything, including the
house, was being broken to pieces.
In the rooms on the second floor
we gathered such important articles
as was possible and went to the
third floor We had no more than
reached that level when the house
begaH/to pitch and tip. We still
could see nothing on the outside
because of the blowing water.
Fortunately at about five o'clock
high tide came. We did not know
this until after the storm had sub
sided and we were away from the
danger. If it had not been two
hours early the house would not
have been able to stand up under
the terrific strain and we would
have been lost The tide washed
the house back from the ocean,
bWhere it had been floating, and
suddenly it came to an abrupt stop
abreast with a hill. We climbed
out of window which was flush
with the hill and made our escape.
The storm had subsidized somewhat
but was still quite serious. We
made our way inland and toward
friends home who took us in and
gave us dry clothes Their home
had not been seriously damaged al
though some water had started to
eat at the foundation.
Early in the morning rescuers
came and took us back to small
town one and a half miles distant
where cars we're waiting to take
survivors to safety
Il have never before and hope
never again to see such destruc-
ton as was evident in that one
and a half mile journey to safety.
Telephone poles and giant trees
were streWn all around. Houses
and former beautiful estates were
nothing more than piles of rubbish.
Destruction was prevalent at every
, turn, The one thing that was most
fortunate was the fact that most Of
the people who had summered at
this coastal point had gone back to
} their city homes. If the storm had
: struck on or around Labor day
: there would have been many more
I deaths than there were because OF
the thick population.
"The one queer thing about the
whole affair was that the water was
oi very warm. 1t was explained later
D that tropical waters had been
:. pushed up the coast by the force
: of the hurricane
t Miss Hazard left the eastern part
n of the United States shortly after
J. the hurricane had taken its toll and
It has. been travelling In the western
n A ia ID r1lact 81