E.P. Hawkins Returned from Storm Area. . . Tells Weird Tale of Narrow Escape and Describes Horrors of Stricken Florida
E. P. Hawkins, local hardware products manufacturer, who was in Miami, Fla., on business when the hurricane swept that city, returned to Murphy Thursday night, bringing the best eyewitness story to Murphy of the terrible disaster which wrought destruction to both life and property in lower Florida.
Mr. Hawkins said he reached Miami at 8:25 Friday evening and registered at the U.S. Hotel in the center of Miami’s business direct. The storm started at 12 midnight, by terrific blowing wind and rain, and the destruction and suffering wrought by the hurricane that followed beggars all effort of description.
His hotel at which he was stopping was a steel and concrete structure, and apparently was little damaged unlike any other building in Miami. However, the top of it was blown off except two rooms, one of which he occupied and one adjoining.
About 3 o’clock Saturday morning, the lights of the city went out, the polies and wires of the town being blown down and the power house??. When the collapse of the tower and lighting facilities of the city occurred, Mr. Hawkins stated he looked out the window and the view presented all over town was that of a great discharge of fireworks, the loaded wires flashing, cracking and popping with tremendous effect when they came together.
He dressed by a flashlight which he carried and entered the lobby, where the people were in an uproar, some screaming hysterically and others praying. A large raft of timbers was blown against the hotel on the side from the wind, and with Mr. Hawkins suggestion, he, the proprietor and others took the timbers and braced the plate glass windows and doors of the hotel so that they withstood the terrific wind. They kept all doors and windows shut and this helped to save the guests and what remained of the hotel.
The storm continued and about 120 o’clock Saturday morning, Mr. Hawkins stated that the elements were so dark that in the hotel lobby one could not see to distinguish anything, and the roaring caused by the wind, sand, water and debris flying through the air made it necessary to yell right into a body’s ear in order to be heard. For about 20 or 30 minutes it was as dark as midnight, he said.
After the storm subsided, which was nearly sundown Saturday, the city was left a mass of ruins, with death and suffering on every hand, and the grimness of it all added materially by a shortage of food and water, night coming on and no lights and candles all blown away.
In Biscayne park, about 200 yards from the wharf where it was docked, was a large steamer where it had been picked up and placed by the storm. Mr. Hawkins said he stepped off 120 steps along the side of the vessel. A government tug about 200 long and 60 feet wide, loaded with stone blocks, was also picked up by the storm and carried 200 yards. It would require a large freight engine to even budge such a load on a min railroad, he stated.
In one instance, he stated, a three story concrete hotel remained intact, with the lower stories flooded. The upper story was dry and it was quickly transformed into a sort of an emergency hospital, and 27 injured placed therein. Later the building collapsed, killing all but four persons.
Local people suffered heavy property damage in the storm area, and is reported the family of Frank Coleman, formerly of this place, who lived in Lemon City, a suburb of Miami, were killed. However, this could not be verified by a representative of this paper, and neither did Mr. Hawkins know if they were. He said he was all over Lemon City, but he did not see or hear anything of the Colemans. The Colemans had just returned to Florida from Murphy about a week ago.
Mr. Hawkins stated that Luther Cooper’s residence had suffered damage, but withstood the storm better than many others. One of Jim Cooper’s houses was blown completely away, and the top taken off of the other, with heavy damage otherwise.
The roof was blown off the house of Mrs. R. E. Sneed and Neal Sneed’s house and all furnishings completely blown away and the ground swept clean. The grocery store house and residence of John Brendle, who recently sold his home in Murphy, were completely carried away by the hurricane.
Mr. Hawkins said he went without food from Saturday noon until late Sunday afternoon, and while walking down Dixie Highways, through Lemon City, he espied a lone sweet potato lying to one side of the road, and immediately peeled the potato and began eating it. On looking around he saw Neal Sneed, who claimed the potato came from Brendle’s store in which he clerked and which once stood on the opposite side of the road. Mr. Hawkins said all that remained of the store house, market and grocery business was a few small piles of debris.
According to Mr. Hawkins, he saw a number of corpses with heads missing, and it was nothing of a sight to see arms and limbs of people killed lying about in the debris. He says that half of the suffering and horrors of the disaster will never be known.
Mr. Hawkins stated that the different relief organizations of Florida were doing their best to relieve the suffering, but that the American Red Cross organization was a God Send to any people in times of distress such as lower Florida was experiencing, and that the Red Cross should certainly have the wholehearted support of the American people.
In conclusion he stated that after what he had gone through, it seemed mighty good to get back to Murphy, and that he was thankful that he had been spared by a kind providence to return.
Letter From Sneed
A letter received by W. D. Townson, a relative of the Sneeds, from Neal Sneed, is to the effect that all are safe. The letter was brought by air from Miami to Atlanta. It follows in part:
Miami, Fla. Sept. 20, 1926
Mr. W. D. Townson, Murphy, N.C.
Just a few words to let you know we are all safe. Miami is ruined. Hialeah wiped off the face of the earth. Reported 600 killed on Miami Beach. Everything blown away. Our house still going through the air, I guess. Both Jim Cooper’s houses blown away. Will write you again tomorrow.
Neal Sneed
From the front page of The Cherokee Scout, Murphy, N.C., Friday, Sept. 24, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83004710/1926-09-24/ed-1/seq-1/
