Detroit evening times., 1942-10-16

ED): THE ISLAND
while the wind seemed TO be In
The tall, slim palms were thresh-
ing back and forth like whips. The
roar almost drowned the excited
voices of the natives, who were
running about securing their
possessions, for II was plain that
this was TO be disastrous storm.
BY evening the gale had built
to a hurricane. The surf was
crashing like a series of small
tidal waves against the tiny coral
island.
Heavy Rains
The thunderous boom OF the sea,
and the wind bowling through
thousands of palm trees. combined
in an overpowering din that domi-
mated all else and seemed to make
the whole island shake.
Then the rain was hurled against
our house like tremendous buckets
of marbles.
The commissioners house was
substantial and stood the ruthless
beating without injury, but the
natives little homes were lifted
from the ground and tunbled
about like toys. Many of them
ended as mere heaps Of sticks and
straw tangled among hundreds OF
fallen coconut palms.
There were about 100 natives
on the island, and from what !
observed now and later I believe
every man, woman and child of
them was badly frightened that
night.
The commissioner instructed the
native chief to move his people
from the low part OF the island,
where the principal village was
located, TO the higher ground
around the government house.
They came, bringing as much OF
their possessions as they could
carry in the storm.
Gices Us Food
In the rain, all the commits.
sioner's fuel supply for cooking
was soon wetted. AS a result, ouI
distressed hostess was unable tc
give us a great deal to eat except
coconuts during the hurricane. She
did manage TO keep tea brewed,
and once we ate dumplings which
she steamed in her oven as the
only available substitute for bread.
The next morning she managed
to get US two eggs each. Those
were the last; the hurricane
stopped the hens from laying. The
second morning she made a pud-
ding Of arrowroot, one of the
island staples. OF course We had
lots of tafo, which these islanders
cook like potatoes--they do not
make pol from taro as the
Hawaiians do.
She fixed coconut In various ap-
.petizing ways. but hungry as I
was / found her coconut cream
too rich for my taste and could
drink little OF II. I did consume
enormous quantities Of the coconut
milk.
Taro appeared to be the islands
staff Of life. The commissioner
had his own taro beds on high
ground, but they were small and
were expected 10 supply only the
needs Of the household.
NafiUes Suffer
The natlveSdid their cultivating
on the lower lands. where they
might be washed out II the wind
rose high enough 70 blow the sea
over the island. That is exactly
what happened. On the second
day Of the storm the great waves
rushed inland, completely destroy
ing all the taro. This disaster
alone would have left the islanders
In a serious plight.
The hurricane lasted three days.
and the damage that it did In
that time was enormous. On the
fourth morning. when the tumult
of wind and rain had left the bat
tered and bedraggfed little island
behind. the commissioner made a
tour of inspection and came back
with a grave face.
He estimated that a third OF the
coconut trees on the island had
been blown down. Those left
standing were so badly punished
that il would be two years, he
estimated, before they would be in
condition 10 bear again. All the
Islands taro was killed except his
own home garden. and all the
banana trees were destroyed be-
yond repair.
Plenty Chickens
The commissioner explained.
very worried, that the island was
low on provisions of all sorts, be-
cause there had not been a supply
ship along in some time, owing to
the war.
There was a little rice, flour,
tea. sugar and salt. but the stock
Of canned goods was almost gone.
His wife had used the last tins OF
carrots and peas to make a stew
for us our first day on the island.
Chickens were still plentiful, and