CONTRARY TO what the experts had predicted the current hurricane season has been so far rather benign. People should however not be lulled into a false sense of security as not only are there two months left in the season but the month of November has been historically menacing as well.In fact what might still qualify as 'the storm of the century' in this country occurred in the third week of that month in 1912. According to Gleaner reports of the occurrence two storms hit on that fateful 18th date of November which appeared to me have been a very odd phenomenon until I spoke to Mr. Franklin McDonald of the ODPEM.
He explained that the eye of the monster storm had been so huge that it passed regions as remote as Black River and Montego Bay the same time, leading people to conclude that there had been two storms on a single day.
But though it might have been only one hurricane the damage done was enough for two.
The Gleaner of Thursday November 21 told the horrible story, 'Great havoc has been wrought by storm' it announced and this is how the story opened: "The west has commenced to tell its story, and a terrible tale it is a tale of devastation and death wrought by nature in one of her angriest moods. The whole appalling story has not come to hand yet much still remains to be told.... But enough is known to state that the west end of the island has been almost completely devastated by two great storms has suffered as the eastern section did in the hurricane of August 1903."
According to the story preliminary assessment of the destruction had only been made possible courtesy of the United Fruit Company which sent its ship the Admiral Dewey on a trip around the coast "and brought the firsthand story of havoc and destruction to a point from which it could be telephoned and telegraphed to the anxiously expectant city. "The Port Antonio Gleaner correspondent had secured a passage on the ship and reported that so far in Montego Bay 42 bodies had been recovered, 20 of them, while the ship was in port, and expectation was that the dead would exceed 100.
"It is feared", said the correspondent, "that when every point in the stricken zone is heard from the list of the dead and injured will run into hundreds and the homeless into thousands."
The Gleaner reporter stated that already the event was being described as 'Black Monday' and recorded that total ruin was observed between Montego Bay and Green Island and during the journey several dead bodies were observed floating in the sea... "The loss is enormous. The western section, Jamaica's new banana belt has received an almost overwhelming blow and apart from a serious loss of life the monetary loss will be tremendous. A complete restart will have to be made Montego Bay Lucea and Green Island will have to be rebuilt."
But had the Admiral Dewey proceeded further south to Sav-la-mar the passengers would have observed even greater destruction... More on that later.
From what could have been gleaned from the terror-stricken survivors it had been raining for several days and on Sunday the winds which had been blowing on Saturday reached the intensity of a heavy gale.
That night the rain and the gale continued but no damage was done to that point.
Monday morning things subsided "And then at 10:30 almost without warning the hurricane rushed down on the town like a veritable destroying angel. The wind blew from the south with tremendous velocity and the destruction of the town soon commenced. Buildings were hurled from their foundations, ruined and wrecked by the raging wind which completely drowned the shrieks and cries of those who went down to their death amid the falling masonry and woodwork.
"Montego Bay faced the sunlight on Tuesday a ruined isolated town. In the bright glare of the tropical sun, for the dark storm clouds had now all passed away, the proud capital of noble St. James stood out in bold relief, a town of dead and dying; of broken buildings and debris-littered streets."
The gully which ran through the town had acted as a conduit for the heavy storm surge from the sea which completely inundated the town and added to the toll of death and destruction. Communication by rail, road, telegraph and even by sea had been completely knocked out. Even a boat used in around-the-island commerce, was driven to the reefs and destroyed.
But Sav-la-mar had its own peculiar story to tell, that story would reach The Gleaner later.
C. Roy Reynolds is a freelance journalist.
