1、CamilleFace to Face w ith Hurrica neJosephP .B l a nk1 Joh n Koshak, Jr., knew that Hurrica ne Camille would be bad. Radio and televisi on warnings had soun ded throughout that Sun day, last August 17, as Camille lashed northwestward across the Gulf of Mexico. It was certain to pummel Gulfport, Miss
2、 where the Koshers lived. Along the coasts of Louisia na, Mississippi and Alabama, n early 150,000 people fled inland to safer 8round. But, like thousa nds of others in the coastal com mun ities, joh n was relucta nt to aba ndon his home uni ess the family - his wife, Janis, and their seven childr
3、en, abed 3 to 11 - was clearly endan gered.2 Trying to reason out the best course of action, he talked with his father and mother, who had moved in to the ten -room house with the Koshaks a month earlier from California. He also consulted Charles Hill, a long time friend, who had driven from Las Veg
4、as for a visit.3 Joh n, 37 - whose bus in ess was right there in his home ( hedesig ned and developed educati onal toys and supplies, and all of Magna Products correspondence , engineering drawings and art work were there on the first floor) - was familiar with the power of a hurrica ne. Four years
5、earlier, Hurrica ne Betsy had demolishedun defi ned his former home a fewmiles west of Gulfport (Koshak had moved his family to a motel for thenight). But that house had stood only a few feet above sea level. We re elevated 2a feet, he told his father, a nd we re a good 250 yards from the sea. The p
6、lace has bee n here since 1915, and no hurrica ne has ever bothered it. We II probably be as safe here as an yplace else.4 The elder Koshak, a gruff, warmhearted expert machi nist of 67, agreed. We can batte n dow n and ride it out, he said. If we see sig ns of dan ger, we can get out before dark.5
7、The men methodically prepared for the hurricane. Since water mains might be damaged, they filled bathtubs and pails. A power failure was likely, so they checked out batteries for the portable radio and flashlights, and fuel for the lantern. Joh ns father moved a small gen erator into the dow nstairs
8、 hallway, wired several light bulbs to it and prepared a connection to the refrigerator.6 Rai n fell steadily that after noon; gray clouds scudded in from theGulf on the rising wind. The family had an early supper. A neighbor, whose husba nd was in Viet nam, asked if she and her two childre n could
9、sit out the storm with the Koshaks. Another neighbor came by on his way in-land would the Koshaks mind tak ing care of his dog?7 It grew dark before seve n o clock. Wind and rain now whipped the house. Joh n sent his oldest son and daughter upstairs to bring dow n mattresses and pillows for the youn
10、 ger childre n. He wan ted to keep the group together on one floor. Stay away from the win dows, he warn ed, concerned about glass flying from storm-shattered panes . As the wind moun ted to a roar, the house bega n leak ing- the rain seem in gly drive n right through the walls. With mops, towels, p
11、ots and buckets the Koshaks bega n a struggle aga inst the rapidly spread ing water. At 8:30, power failed, and Pop Koshak turned on the generator .8 The roar of the hurrica ne now was overwhelmi ng. The house shook, and the ceiling in the living room was falling piece by piece. The French doors in
12、an upstairs room blew in with an explosive sound, and the group heard gun- like reports as other upstairs wi ndows disin tegrated . Water rose above their ankles .9 Then the front door started to break away from its frame. John and Charlie put their shoulders against it, but a blast of water hit the
13、 house, flinging ope n the door and sho ving them dow n the hall. The gen erator was doused, and the lights went out. Charlie licked his lips and shouted to John. I think we re in real trouble. That water tasted salty. The sea had reached the house, and the water was rising by the minu te!10 Everybo
14、dy out the back door to the oars! John yelled. We II pass the children along between us. Count them! Nine!11 The childre n went from adult to adult like buckets in a fire brigade But the cars would nt start; the electrical systems had bee n killed by water. The wind was too Strong and the water too
15、deep to flee on foot. Back tothe house! joh n yelled. Co unt the childre n! Count nin e!12 As they seraiback, joh n ordered, Every-body on the stairs!Frighte ned, breathless and wet, the group settled on the stairs, which were protected by two interior walls. The children put the oat, Spooky, and a
16、box with her four kittens on the landing. She peered nervously at her litter. The n eighbors dog curled up and went to sleep.13 The wind sounded like the roar of a train passing a few yards away. The house shuddered and shifted on its foundations. Water inched its way up the steps as first- floor ou
17、tside walls collapsed. No one spoke.Every one knew there was no escape; they would live or die in the house.14 Charlie Hill had more or less taken responsibility for the neighbor and her two childre n. The mother was on the verge of panic. She clutched his arm and kept repeat in g, I cant swim, I ca
18、nt swim.15 You wont have to, he told her, with outward calm. Its bound to end soon.16 Gran dmother Koshak reached an arm around her husba nds shoulder and put her mouth close to his ear. Pop, she said, I love you. He tur ned his head and an swered, I love you - and his voice lacked its usual gruff n
19、ess.17 Joh n watched the water lap at the steps, and felt a crush ing guilt. He had underestimated the ferocity of Camille. He had assumed that what had n ever happe ned could not happe n. He held his head betwee n his han ds, and sile ntly prayed: Get us through this mess, will You?18 A moment late
20、r, the hurricane, in one mighty swipe, lifted the entire roof off the house and skimmed it 40 feet through the air. The bottom steps of the staircase broke apart. One wall bega n crumbli ng on the marooned group.19 Dr. Robert H. Simps on, director of the Nati onal Hurrica ne Cen ter in Miami, Fla.,
21、graded Hurricane Camille as the greatest recorded storm ever to hit a populated area in the Western Hemisphere. in itsconcen trated breadth of some 70 miles it shot out winds of n early 200 m.p.h. and raised tides as high as 30 feet. Along the Gulf Coast it devastated everything in its swath: 19,467
22、 homes and 709 small bus in esses were demolished or severely damaged. it seized a 600, 000-gallon Gulfport oil tank and dumped it 3 miles away. It tore three large cargo ships from their moorings a nd beached them. Telepho ne poles and 20-i nch-thick pines cracked like guns as the winds sn apped th
23、em.20 To the west of Gulfport, the town of Pass Christian was virtually wiped out. Several vacati oners at the luxurious Richelieu Apartme nts there held a hurrica ne party to watch the storm from their spectacular vantage point . Richelieu Apartments were smashed apart as if by a gigantic fist, and
24、 26 people perished.21 Seconds after the roof blew off the Koshak house, joh n yelled, Up the stairs - into our bedroom! Count the kids. The children huddled in the slashing rain within the circle of adults. Grandmother Koshak implored ,Childre n, lets sin g! The childre n were too frighte ned to re
25、sp ond. She carried on alone for a few bars; then her voice trailed away.22 Debris flew as the liv in g-room fireplace and its chi mney collapsed. With two walls in their bedroom san ctuary beg inning to dis in tegrate, Joh n ordered, Into the television room! This was the room farthest from the dir
26、ect ion of the storm.23 For an in sta nt, Joh n put his arm around his wife. Janis un derstood. Shivering from the wind and rain and fear, clutching two children to her, she thought, Dear Lord, give me the stre ngth to en dure what I have to. She felt an ger aga inst the hurrica ne. We wont let it w
27、in.24 Pop Koshak raged sile ntly, frustrated at not being able to do anything to fight Camille. Without reason, he dragged a cedar chest and a double mattress from a bed-room into the TV room. At that mome nt, thewind tore out one wall and exti nguished the lantern. A sec ond wall moved, wavered , C
28、harlie Hill tried to support it, but it toppled on him injuring his back. The house, shudderi ng and rock ing, had moved 25 feet from its foun datio ns. The world seemed to be break ing apart.25 Lets get that mattress up! Joh n shouted to his father. Make it a lean-to against the wind. Get the kids
29、under it. We can prop it up with our heads and shoulders!26 The larger children sprawled on the floor, with the smaller ones in a layer on top of them, and the adults bent over all nine. The floor tilted. The box containing the litter of kittens slid off a shelf and vanished in the wind. Spooky flew
30、 off the top of a sliding bookcase and also disappeared. Thedog cowered with eyes closed. A third wall gave way. Water lapped across the slanting floor. John grabbed a door which was still hinged to one closet wall. If the floor goes, he yelled at his father, lets get the kids on this.27 In that mom
31、e nt, the wind slightly dimini shed, and the water stopped rising. The n the water bega n recedi ng. The mai n thrust of Camille had passed. The Koshaks and their frie nds had survived.28 With the dawn, Gulfport people started coming back to theirhomes. They saw huma n bodies - more tha n 130 men, w
32、ome n and childre n died along the Mississippi coast- and parts of the beach and highway were strewn withdead dogs, cats, cattle. Strips of clothingfestooned the standing trees, and blown down power lines coiled like black spaghetti over the roads.29 None of the retur nees moved quickly or spoke lou
33、dly; they stood shocked, trying to absorb the shatteri ng see nes before their eyes. What do we dot they asked. Where do we go?30 By this time, organizations within the area and, in effect, the entirepopulati on of the Un ited States had come to the aid of the devastated coast. Before daw n, the Mis
34、sissippiNati onal Guard a nd civil-defe nseun its were moving in to han dle traffic, guard property, set upcom muni catio ns cen ters, help clear the debris and take the homeless by truck and bus to refugee cen ters. By 10 a.m., the Salvati on Armys can tee n trucks and Red Cross volun teers and sta
35、ffers were going wherever possible to distribute hot drin ks, food, cloth ing and bedd ing.31 From hun dreds of tow ns and cities across the country came several milli on dollars in don ati ons; household and medical supplies streamed in by pla ne, train, truck and car. The federal gover nment shipp
36、ed 4,400,000 pounds of food, moved in mobile homes, set up portable classrooms, ope ned offices to provide low-i nterest, Io ng-term bus in ess loans.32 Camille, mean while, had raked its way n orthward across Mississippi, dropp ing more tha n 28 in ches of rain into West Virg inia and southern Virg
37、inia, causing rampaging floods, huge mountain slides and 111 additional deaths before breaking up over the Atlantic Ocean.33 Like many other Gulfport families, the Koshaks quickly began reorga nizing their lives, Joh n divided his family in the homes of two frie nds. The neighbor with her two childr
38、en went to a refugee center. Charlie Hill found a room for rent. By Tuesday, Charlies back had improved, and he pitched in with Seabees in the worst volunteer work of all-searching for bodies. Three days after the storm, he decided not to retur n to Las Vegas, but to remain in Gulfport and help rebu
39、ild the community.34 Near the end of the first week, a friend offered the Koshaks his apartme nt, and the family was reun ited. The childre n appeared to suffer no psychological damage from their experie nee; they were still awed by theincomprehensible power of the hurricane, but enjoyed describing
40、what they had see n and heard on that frightful ni ght, Janis had just one delayed reaction. A few nights after the hurricane, she awoke suddenly at 2 a.m. She quietly got up and went outside. Looking up at the sky and, without knowing she was going to do it, she bega n to cry softly.35 Mean while,
41、Joh n, Pop and Charlie were pick ing through the wreckage of the home. It could have bee n depress ing, but it was nt: each salvaged item represented a little victory over the wrath of the storm. The dog and cat sudde nly appeared at the sce ne, alive and hun gry.36 But the blues did occasi on ally
42、afflict all the adults. On ce, in a low mood, Joh n said to his pare nts, I wan ted you here so that we would all be together, so you could enjoy the childre n, and look what happe ned.37 His father, who had made up his mi nd to start a welding shop when living was normal again, said, Lets not cry a
43、bout whats gone. We II just start all over.38 Youre great, Joh n said. And this tow n has a lot of great people in it. Its going to be better here than it ever was before.39 Later, Gran dmother Koshak reflected : We lost practically all our possessi ons, but the family came through it. Whe n I think
44、 of that, I realize we lost nothing importa nt.(from Rhetoric and Literature by P. Joseph Canavan)NOTES1. Joseph p. Blank: The writer published Face to Face with Hurricane Camille in the Readers Digest, March 1970.2. Hurricane Camille: In the United States hurricanes are named alphabetically and giv
45、en the names of people like Hurricane Camille, Hurrica ne Betsy, and so on; whereas in China Typho ons are give n serial nu mbers like Typho on No. 1, Typho on No. 2 and so on.3. The Salvati on Army: A Protesta nt religious body devoted to theconv ersi on of, and social work among the poor, and char
46、acterized by use of military titles, uni forms, etc. It was foun ded in 1878 by Ge neral Booth in London; now worldwide in operati on.4. Red Cross: an international organization (in full International Red Cross), foun ded in 1864 with headquarters and bran ches in all coun tries signatory to the Gen
47、eva Convention, for the relief of suffering in time of war or disasterMarrakechGeorge Orwell1 As the corpse went past the flies left the restaura nt table in a cloud and rushed after it, but they came back a fewminu tes later.2 The little crowd of mourn ers - all me n and boys, nowome “-threaded the
48、ir way across the market place betwee n the piles of pomegranatesand the taxis and the camels, walling ashort cha nt over and over aga in. What really appeals to the flies isthat the corpses here are n ever put into coffi ns, they are merely wrapped in a piece of rag and carried on a rough woodenbie
49、r onthe shoulders of four friends. When the friends get to the bury in g-gro und they hack an obi ong hole a foot or two deep, dump the body in it and fling over it a little of the dried-up, lumpy earth, which is like broke n brick. No gravest one, no n ame, no ide ntify ing mark of any kind. The bury in g-gro und is mere
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