Montserrat. Her Disasters

Extracts from: A Souvenir of the Great Hurricane of September 12th – 13th 1928. FE Peters [Nov 1928]
With thanks to JE Sturge
“That little Montserrat has been repeatedly overwhelmed by awful cataclysms there is abundant evidence.
[Powson flood vindicating the cause of Harry Powson as dance – ringleader / Fanny Garvey linked to lying and talebearing.
Another individual committed murder and absconded to another island – with a flood taking place the same night.
Prior to the hurricane the jetty was 300 feet long, 134 feet now remain. .
The rainfall during the hurricane could not be measured, as the rain gauges that were not blown away floated.
[St Anthony’s Anglican Church] The silver Communion Plate was a gift of the freed slaves as a thank offering to God for their emancipation. There is an inscription on the Chalices to that effect.
. . At Mary’s School – Chapel.
This “Church of the Emancipation”, used also as a schoolroom was built in 1838 by the Rev JC Collins to commemorate the Abolition of Slavery.
. . St Augustine’s Chapel-at-ease
The little “Chapel Among the Hills” is situated high up in Roche’s mountains, surrounded by forest trees. It was built in 1911 . .
. . Mr AB Mulcare of the Christian Mission writes: . . The children who were all the time in their glee (children like) now began to cling to our arms for protection. O what a sensation to have nine small children to contend with at such a crisis
. . [OR Kelsick, Assistant Treasurer, Shipping and Harbour Master] The Hospital, recently refitted and made up to date has been very much knocked about. The Private Ward has been unroofed and the upper story destroyed. Mr AW Howell Rock, Government Dispenser, who lived on the first floor thus describes what took place there:
When the hurricane reached us at about 11am on the Wednesday all at the Hospital had taken the precaution to have all hurricane shutters closed in all quarters – public and private wards, matrons and dispensers quarters and the nurses quarters.
Although we knew what evil effects hurricanes had caused on previous occasions, yet because we had never experienced them we did not expect this to be of so great intensity and so destructive. Especially was it so when between the hours of 11am and 2pm nothing more serious than bending trees, broken branches, and flying leaves was observed. Between those hours our little family was able to get a short rest.
The second period of our history is from 2pm to 4pm. During this time the children, who were enjoying the rain before continued doing so and were watching with childlike excitement and pleasure the manner in which the wind was removing one part after another of the lower hospital building (formerly the Poor House).
At about 2pm the Matron came over to the Private Wards as she had observed that the east door had blown open. She told me about it, and I promised and later went to try and close it; but on going upstairs I found that the wind had forced off the ‘eye’ to the bolt of the door. No means being available to remedy the condition, the door had to be left open. At this time my wife was with me, and when we observed that the galvanise over the gallery had been partly blown away, we decided it was useless to attempt to remain there to do anything to the door. With little difficulty we got back down to our own quarters.
At this period the Dispensary, adjoining my quarters, was being swamped with water, which also ran into our bedroom. We tried to dry up the water in the bedroom but later had to abandon the attempt.
At about four o clock we heard the galvanize of the northern section of our quarters begin to yield to the forces of the wind. On examining I found that the wind was beginning to lift it off. This made us decide to go over to the main hospital, for we feared that if the wind got in at that point it would sweep everything before it. As a result we quickly put away a few things leaving some clothes hanging in the bedroom, the sitting room with the furniture, the dining room with its sideboard, and the table laid with the meals, and left the house. Each of the three children was covered with a jacket, wife put on her sweater, and I a raincoat.
We waited for a lull and went across. In going over a gust of wind nearly hindered my wife from following us. Fortunately it was short.
We remained with some of the patients in the male Ward. Between 5.30pm and 6pm the whole frame of the lower building previously mentioned was blown away. At 6.30 a powerful gust of wind began to raise the roof of the male Ward. We took this as a warning to repair to the female Ward, which we all did. At this time we became very apprehensive for night had set in. About an hour later we heard the roof of the female Ward groaning and squeaking under the pressure of the wind; and the place shook so that we wondered what next to do. Some thought of the cellar, but it was impossible at that time to get there. We all then went into they Maternity Ward where in some parts the water was one to two inches deep. Two patients had to be lifted or helped into that ward. We remained there until about 8 o clock when we saw this roof bending and heard it creaking as the wind struck it. This was about 8pm. We remained in the bathroom and linen room until day-break. While at this place we saw the roof bending and yielding to the wind and wondered if it would give way. We could hear the banging of loose galvanize and boards on the main roof. The flashes of lightning penetrated the crevices: meanwhile some earnestly prayed that the Lord would be merciful and withdraw His wrath. The rain poured in through the seams in the roof all night, and we sat or stood in water all through the long hours until morning.
At about midnight there seemed to have been a lull and we were cherishing the hope that the storm was abating, but it shortly after resumed its work with nearly the same degree of force. This made us disappointed. During the lull some of us sang praises to God for his protection hitherto, and offered prayer to him for further protection. We later were confident that the place of refuge would not be broken by the fury of the wind.
At about three o clock we began to realise that the storm was abating, as the force of the wind, though still great, was somewhat less than before.
It was with eagerness we waited for the coming of the morning, and it was with some degree of satisfaction that we beheld its dawning. Then we peeped out to see what destruction was wrought. Before 6 o clock two of our friends, Messrs. Freddie and Willie Peters came across from their home at Spring Gardens which was badly damaged to see how we had fared. It was cheering to see some of our neigbours. Thank God for our lives and the lives of many others were spared. We praise Him!
. . [Photo – huge uprooted] Tamarind tree, St Anthony’s churchyard
“There were four of these apparently very old trees. One seen in this picture has been uprooted; the remaining three are to be destroyed. What a pity! They lend a most peaceful, hallowed appearance to the spot.
It is said that during slavery the slaves had to remain under these trees while their owners worshipped in the church. A notice was posted to the door – “Dogs and slaves not allowed.”
. . Since the storm the increase in the death rate has been appalling and many familiar faces have passed from sight and gone to join the Great Majority. Few now remain of the generation who were born immediately after the Emancipation.”]
[Ends with list of 37 dead – their names, glebe and parish]