one's roof, prorch, or a cement bleek* Fortunately the wind 

 claanged to the 3« S» and the tide reached the peak and start* 

 ed out or we viould have been drowned like rats. But the wind 

 from the S B was the most sever and I thought tha house would 

 surely go» The water was so high I fiilly expected the we 

 would go floating down the street in the streng swift current. 



About this time part of our roof on th^ south side went 

 ©ff and the water poured in though it did ndt make inuch differ- 

 ence as we had over two inches of water on the floors any- 

 how* Although it was then about eight e'cleckNlt was almost 

 pitch dark. \ 



About ten thirty there was a lull and Sd and "I went out 

 the back way and surveyed things and it was »wfull Houses all 

 around were gone, the Methodist Church .dowA anct devastation 

 as far as we could see. But the wind came up again and drove 

 us in again for another couple of houBsi. \ 



About noon we venttired up town to find tl^ie business 

 section almost a complete wreck* posto^fice doum and build- 

 ings everywhere. Three of us went to t'he grocery fend bought 

 arm leads of canned beans, sardines, etc, and five gallons of 

 water and brought them here to the house. Martial law was 

 declared soon and everyting taken over. It kept on raining 

 on and off all day and all Saturd^ night. They ti^^med the 

 hotels and school house into hsopitals and care were commandeer- 

 ed to bring in the injured. I saw and helped with some terri- 

 ble cases. We left the dead and only took care of the injured. 

 My office was wrecked by water. I won't describe the sights 

 I saw. I don't like to think of it. 



Although I was wet all Saturday and Sunday I don't l^iink 

 I have caught cold and have been drinking a raixtiare of Jamaica 

 rum, grape juice and lirae to keep off the cold oi» raalarlii. All 

 aleji^ekel alcoholic liquors have been gathered in from the 

 bootleggers and served to the people and It has mn^estioiiably 

 done untold good. \ I 



I feel that I have b^en very lucky, first, to escape 

 with my life, second that I had |5, 000.00 TORNADq INSURANCE! 



The house siust be retmilt, walls and floors all spoiled. 

 As we have no lights or water and sanitary conditions will 

 be bad, the children mustn't come so I wired you yesterday 

 as I did. AS we will be far from normal here for some time 

 and the lumber yards are almost a total wreck, I think that 

 as soon as I can get ray insurance adjusted, board up the l?ouse 

 and so forth I will come up and go to the dentist II I am^ 

 afraid we may have an epidemic of some sort. Must get teiiy^i^^ 



