Show A STORM ON TYBSE The following extracts from a private pri-vate letter are published In the 3barleeton News and Courier of Friday Fri-day The writer was living in one oi the new cottages on tbe island in Bacons row with her children and servants her buafeand being absent at the North Her experience during that fearful storm is most graphically described as follows It stormed all Friday night and all day Saturday and I hoped it would cease by night Bach hour I thought must be tbe height of the storm So I packed up everything to be ready to move at a moments notice when alas 1 heard the steamer had approached Tybee and been beaten backjjy the fury ot the waves the wharf swept off and thus we were cutoff cut-off from all human aid About 7 oclock P M the oyclonelreaoQed us I saw huge live oak and palmetto trees which had stood the teat of centuries cen-turies torn up by the roots and whirled about like straws Our house rouked and creaked like a boat at sea I took Frank in my arms Nina on one aide and Maude on the other and went into a corner the most remote from the direction of the wind No words can describe my terror The vriid did not tvbistle or shriek as I J have heard it but it was A CANNONADING I do not exaggerate when I say so 1 looked oat on the roaring waters rising fast upon us and into the life seeking tempest and wonderedftvhich I death would be easiest for my children child-ren to be crushed by the falling house drowned by the sea or beaten down by the winds and flying trees and houses We Jell upon our knees and begged God to receive us all together to-gether I wrapped up my babes the two servants picked up Nina and Frank while I followed with Maude We ran out into the kitchen which being low I thought might escape We reached it a thing I hardly expected ex-pected rushed in slammed the door when my God what a crash THE HOUSE BLOWN DOWN i no two boards sticking together A few moments of breathless terror the kitchen rooking in the same admonishing admon-ishing manner the window burst open and the shriek from one of the servants Christ the island ia i on firelI and the fearful lurid gleam showed me too plainly that another element was loose upon us Just then a voice outside Mrs H for Gods sake are any of you alive gave me a ray of hope Come to the window I screamed and take I my ohildren and I passed them out I into strong arms How am I ever to thank that man Homan the hotelkeeper hotel-keeper saw fiom his window my cottage rock rand he and his two clerks ran to cur rescue but it was down before they reached it Gfhey called and upon receiving no answer he went into the tottering ruins at great risk to his life to look for our remains felt in the bed and then shouted when we heard and answered an-swered He wanted us to go to big house but the same directing Spirit which was saving us through these dangers made me firmly refuse and go to Bluns a house which I often remarked for ita brick foundations and chimneys two strong points which no other house on the island possessed 80 there we started THE KITCHEN WAS BLOWN OVER as soon as we left it and we were blown along amid burning sparks rain and sand which blinded us and pricked like needles The young man who had Maude mistook the way and ran into the cottage next to Mr Bluns Finding their mistake they ran out when the cottage was blown to the ground immediately We reached our destination and found there was one room in their large bouse which was not flooded and we joined the family and sat in mute terror Oh the roaring and the crashing The house tottered and threatened Abqut 11 oclock a sound reached my ear which my prophetic pro-phetic soul interpreted instantlya dull steady roar under the house the land swell The ocean had swept away the sand hills and was flowing under the house the foundation j would be undermined and the house be swept away I took my babes again and put wrappings on them and we stood in instant readiness to FLY INTO THE WOODS There I knew of a small hill protected pro-tected by huge live oaks God spared HB this ordeal for the tide turned the wind shifted and the waters receded When the furious war subsided every half hour or so some anxious mans face would be thrust in the room Are all saved here7 Have any been lost etc And how my heart nearly burst with gratitude when Ito I-to k my darlings in my arms and felt we were ALL SAVED y x Of course the calm came after the storm z About 12 oclock the only sound boat left in the harbor of Savannah a tug sac ceeded in reaching Tybee We got on the tug and reached Savannah where I found the storm had raged also Our house has the roof off and everything in it flooded It may be weeks ere we get it habitable Thank God again all is well with us |