The Wilmington morning star., 1944-08-02
HIGH Winds Send
Thousands Inland


the worst to southeastern North Carolina In zo years.
struck the Wilmington vicinity late yesterday and at ap
10 D. turned the center of its fury lnwara'
slightly south of the city, to proceed in westnortn"es
direction.
Damage to nearby beaches was said to be enormous
and within the city itself the fierce Winds blowing at oo
to 60 miles, played havoc with telephone, power and ge
lines and twisted and downed old and massive oaks
Evacuees from the beaches, fleeing from boiling
waves that attained an estimated height OF 40 feet swarm
ed into every available building in the city, or sought pro-
lection at Camp Davis
Bus lines worked heroicaly, in conjunction with the
Army and Coast Guard and concerned cluzens " plils
panic stricken families to safely 5assas
Att o'clock there were reports OF
though handfus of casualties were being % 9a
Walker Memorial hospital where attaches were forced 70
work on their patients by candle light Two Negroes We're
severely by fallen high tension WIRES one OF whm
was described by Community hospital doctors as being IN
Reports filtered in from the beach areas of destroyed
piers and crushed houses The storm seemed to have vented
its ercest temper the coast proper IN the late a1te
noon Sea water filled The streets and topped the BOARD
Until after 10 o'clock last night Wilmingtonians, and
the lowered under whatever protective roofs they
could find waiting for the expected full fury of the hur
cane They suspected the tempered winds constituting
the before the heaviest Storm but the center already
The barometer fell rapidly and attained low of 2944
at 1880 p m.
The Coast Guard began to move residents off the
beaches in the middle of the afternoon as the Weather
Bureau and Army and Navy weather stations warned
of the impending blow.
Wilmingtonians used to storm warnings but doubt
full that the danger would actually strike remained skepti
cal until late afternoon when the strong Winds buffetng
heavy rains parazed traffic and made walking IN the city
perious matter
Lights of the city for many hours entirely off,
except the heart of town. For approximately an hour the
uptown lights extingushed result of crippled pow
er lines and overloaded transformers.
Travellers along the old part of Wilmington, after the
main part of the storm rued the tremendous damage done
to the proud trees the oldest Streets Princess Chest
and Grace City and utility the job
tangng power lines from the of torn foliage.
Hotels and USO clubs accommodating hundreds
of people, of them wandering through obbes in their
bathing suits, and many of whom looking for their
lost friends and relatives
The police station at City Hall was wrapped in dark
its radio out of operation.
The Control Center in the Odd Fellows hall func-
tionng its personnel persprng and in shirtseeves at
tempting to round civilian defense workers to the
streets in search of Victims to aid any other develop
ing emergency.
The Re-: Cross disaster chairman was away from the
city, but President Henry Gerdes hand direct
Red Cross assistance At 1890 officials consd
ering mass feeding of the today.
The city awaited word from the beaches the ex.
tent of the damage
Some eyewitne2ses described Carolina Beach as pos
sessng ruined waterfront At o'clock large part of
the eastern section of abe community was still under from
to six feet of water.
good description of the damages was offered oy
State Highway Patroman S. Parvn who visited the re-
sort after residents had fled.
The entire boardwalk he reported was swept awav
and the ponderous waves climbing 80 high battered
down the shops and concessions the front boardwalk
In addition floods of water invaded the lower boardwalk
dashmg debris against the stores hotels and other esta
lishments.
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