14

Mr. Bugden's Story - Part III

It was then I had an opportunity to look about me. There was no moon at the time but in the darkness I could see wreckage of all descriptions. There was one that I shall never forget. In my mind I can still hear the voice of a man crying for help. He was on a piece of wreckage. I distinctly heard him calling "Save me." He called twice and the third time was as though he was drowning. There I was, unable to help - there was not boat of any kind that I could reach. His body was never found. His sister, who had left her own home to visit him, was picked up later in the night near the place where his home had last stood.

15

Revenue Cutter 'Daisy' Assisted in Search
November, 1929
unknown

16

Mr. Bugden's Story - Part IV

I also saw a large house floating out the harbour, with the lamp still burning in the kitchen. As an open door moved on its hinges, it appeared as though a person was moving around in the house. The house drifted out the harbour, and was later taken in tow by the Revenue Cutter "Daisy" (picture). It was towed to Path End and tied up to a Lunenburg schooner that was moored for the winter. Later it was towed back and placed on higher ground where its owners lived for years afterwards.

17

The Harbour Strewn with Wreckage
November, 1929
Port au Bras, Dominion of Newfoundland

18

Mr. Bugden's Story, Part V

After I reached home I found my wife and her mother. They knew nothing of what was happening. In my uneasiness I thought it best to leave the house and move to higher ground until we were certain there was no danger from the sea. No one slept that night. Everyone searched for the missing and tried to find some of their property that had been carried away by the sea. The next day we had wind from the south-east, accompanied by wet snow. Such desolation I shall never forget. Seven people were drowned including the one I heard crying for help. There was but one building left standing near the shoreline. Fishermen's stages, stores and flakes were all destroyed along with several boats and schooners, and only half a dozen dories were saved. The harbour from end to end was strewn with wreckage of every description. Every day from then until the following autumn one could see men and boys searching the harbour bottom for the missing man or for some article of value.

19

Water Rose Over the Shores
2005
Step A Side, Newfoundland, Canada

20

An interview with Ruby Foote:

"I had lived in Step a Side (picture) in a big white 2 story house. It had a big bay window in the front. We also had a garden, some hens and a cow. I was only 5 years old when the Tidal Wave happened. As the water was rushing in towards us, the Brushette family came in a dory and took us over to where they lived on higher ground. The water was coming higher and others feared that it would reach us. My sister, Melvina Hollett, was 12 years old. Melvie was coming home from school when the tremor came at 5 0'Clock. It was supper time and it was getting dark. I don't think our house was hurt, at least I don't think so because we continued to live there. My father was not home at the time because he was gone in the woods cutting wood for the winter."

21

Mrs. Ivy Cheeseman
2006
Burin, Newfoundland, Canada

22

An interview with Ivy Cheeseman:

"We lived on higher grounds, close to the hilltop in Port au Bras. After Mom had felt the tremor she called us home as we were up on the meadow playing with our cousins. Mom didn't want us to see what was happening outside so we had to stay inside our house. I remember that it was a beautiful moonlit night though. Dad had a store and after supper everyone was terrified. All things in the fish store were swept out like a lot of other peoples, fish, flour, provision....all things for winter. There were a lot of people who were a lot worse off then us. A lot of people went for the hills that night but we didn't leave our house but my Dad kept a close watch on the water. We lived on higher ground so it did not reach our house. Minnie Sam lived on the other side of the harbour and she drowned that night. I remember houses that went out in the harbor out through the gut. It was an awful mess the next morning. A lot of people did not have anything left, and it was a long time before they had relief."

Mrs. Cheeseman later married Ern Cheeseman, a younger brother of the Honourable John T. Cheeseman, businessman, MHA, and a longtime member of the first provincial cabinet in the Liberal government under the Honourable J.R. Smallwood.

23

Letter written by Ern Cheeseman: 'Enormous waves twenty feet high swept into the harbour'
20 November 1929
Port au Bras, Dominion of Newfoundland

24

Part I
The following letter was written by Ern Cheeseman. A younger brother of the Honourable John T. Cheeseman, businessman, MHA, and a longtime member of the first provincial cabinet in the Liberal government under the Honourable J.R. Smallwood.

Ern Cheeseman's letter, datelined Wednesday, November 20, 1929, at Port au Bras, reads:

"Dear Jack:
Just a scribble to advise you of the terrible time we have had here. We wired you Tuesday, but most likely you will receive this first. I hardly know how to begin but here is the gist of what happened. Monday evening at 5:20 we had an earth tremor. All the houses and the ground shook for about five minutes. This put everyone in a panic, women screaming and praying, and men stood silent and scared.
But we were just trying and partly succeeded in quieting the women when we had a tidal wave of the worst kind. Enormous waves twenty feet high swept into the harbour on the other side. The waves seemed to begin at Charlie Clarke's. The Belleventure was anchored outside and did not move with the first wave. This proves it mounted its force inside of her, but passed beneath her.
Charlie Clarke's store went first, taking Henry Dibbon's with it into the pond, taking everything as it came with a thunderous roar. It swept around by Ambrose's up to Jack Bennett's out our way bringing all the stores and houses that stood in its way. Then all the boats went mad, came in on Jim Cheeseman's place, swept everything of ours up to father's front door.
The Harbour was cleared by the first wave. Then the second came and brought it all in again. Such noise and scrunching you never heard. By this time we had all fled to the hills, the highest places we could find from where we watched the third wave come and go. You could hear the poor humans who were caught, screaming, women and men praying out loud. Oh God! Jack, it was terrible!
Anyway, the harbour today is clean of every store and eleven dwellings with a loss of seven souls. The houses destroyed were W.H. Clarke's, Geo. J. Abbott's, Wm. Allen's, Thos. Fudge's, Joe Fudge's, Henry Dibbon's (bottom), John S. Dibbon's, Thos. Brenton's, T.W. Cheeseman's, Jos. Cheeseman's, and Jenny Cheeseman's.

25

Ern Cheeseman 'It break's one's heart to look at the harbour'
1930
Burin, Dominion of Newfoundland

26

Part II
Wednesday, November 20, 1929

"Dear Jack:

...Lives lost here were Mrs. Capt. Sam Bennett, her brother Henry Dibbon, Mrs. Thos. Fudge and three daughters, and old Mrs. Wm. Allen. To date, the following bodies have been recovered, Mrs. Sam Bennett under the government wharf, Mrs. Wm. Allen under Shave's in Path End. Everybody is miserable, nervous wrecks and in need of help immediately. The government will have to send relief as soon as possible. Everything we have is gone and we are ruined. What we have in the shop, the law has ordered us to give relief, which is only clothes and groceries.
The two freaks of the whole thing was the following: Henry Dibbon arrived in the Belleventure in the evening, anchored outside. The first wave did not bring her in. The second one did and she came in with her riding light burning, twice in and out about ten knots� A man could not steer her better. Her windlass is out and she leaks some, but sailed to Burin yesterday under her own power and foresail. How she escaped is a miracle!
But how Hynes' little boat escaped is a greater one� She was tied up to the Jane. After all was over she was off Swoil Rock. Hynes went out and set his engine going and came into the one remaining block of the government wharf and tied her on. The Jane was never seen until today, her mast appeared out from Bull's Cove.
All boats from the harbour were lost except for Ambrose's and George's. Ambrose's was unhurt except for a broken mainboom. The first dory hooked by a codjigger thrown by Charlie Clarke. Today everything is dismal and it breaks one's heart to look at the harbour, and then think what it was like fifteen minutes before this terrible calamity.
I think I have told you the most, but I could not give you the many details that remain to be told. When you have received this, write and tell us what we are to do. We won't get any more bills paid, all we had is gone and we cannot pay. Father and I have fifty dollars each, not a bit of pork, beef, or any coal.
Excuse this scribble, we are not over the shock yet. Every noise one hears one jumps expecting the same to happen again. I suppose we must thank God we escaped with our lives. Before the first wave came, only two minutes before, I was going on the wharf to see how the boats were. Maud cried for me not to go and this alone accounts for me being alive. No human had a chance in such raging, foaming sea. Tomorrow we have four funerals.

Yours sincerely,
Ern Cheeseman" (picture)

27

The 5 O'Clock Rumbling
2005
Burin, Dominion of Newfoundland