$2 Florida Keys Sea Heritage Journal VOL. 16 NO. 4 SUMMER 2006 USS SHARK OFFICIAL QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE KEY WEST MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY Labor Day: Night Of Harrow Mozelle Williams’ Handwritten Account of the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane Commentary and Transcription By Thomas Neil Knowles Copyright 2006 On the evening of September 2, 1935, the first Category V hurricane to make landfall in the United States cut a swath of death and destruction across the Florida Keys. The center crossed the Florida East Coast Railway track at Craig with maximum winds estimated by the Weather Bureau at over 200 mph. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the water surged across the low-lying islands from Long Key to the south end of Key Largo reaching a maximum height of 18 feet above mean sea level. The hurricane originated east of the Bahamas and had been tracked for several On Upper Matecumbe Key where days by the Weather Bureau’s hurricane center in Jacksonville, Florida. A compact the most powerful part of the storm weather system that was difficult to precisely locate with the technology available came ashore, two families had taken in 1935, the eye of the hurricane had been projected to pass south of Key West, but shelter inside a heavily braced instead passed over Craig near the middle of the Florida Keys. Photo credit: the storm house. When that began to Author come apart, the four adults and five girls (9 & 8 years old) and a boy (18 raised in the Keys, Eddie had a boat children tried to jam themselves months). They had recently moved that he used for commercial fishing into an automobile wedged between into a house that Eddie had built on and to take tourists charter fishing. two coconut trees. For Mozelle Law the railroad fill at Whale Harbor In addition to carpentry skills, he Williams, her brother, their spouses, between Upper Matecumbe Key had a good mind for mechanical and their children, it truly was a and Windley Key. things and worked on cars and night of torment. Eddie & Mozelle struggled to engines. Mozelle was an excellent Mozelle and Edwin Morris make ends meet, as did many people cook and during the winter season Williams had been married for 10 living on the Keys during the Great years and had three children: two Depression. Born in Key West and (Continued on page10) SOCIETY NEWS AND NOTES By Tom Hambright The Florida Keys Sea Heritage Journal is published quarterly. Subscription is available through membership. Copyright 2006 by the Key West Maritime Historical Society of the Florida Keys, Inc. The art on the masthead, the USS Shark, was drawn by Bill Muir. Editor: Lynda Hambright Production:Tom Hambright Letters and articles are welcome. Please write to: Editor, Florida Keys Sea Heritage Journal, KWMHS, P.O. As a student of history for over From 1948 to 1958 he served on the Box 695, Key West, FL 33041. sixty years I have often seen how Monroe County Commission. He one man can do many things in then served as Monroe County Tax Key West Maritime one lifetime. I was reminded of this Assessor (today Property Appraiser) Historical Society again this week, working with “The until 1972. From 1976 to 1986 he Board of Directors Key Outpost” which the Friends served as State Representative for of the Library gave the Florida Monroe County. He was also on President: Edward J.Little,Jr. Vice President: Winifred Fryzel Room funds to microfilm. This was the board of the First State Bank Secretary: Corey Malcom the weekly paper of the Key West and founder of Holy Innocents Treasurer: Lynda Hambright Naval Base from 1943 to 1973. Episcopal Church, which merged What started me thinking was the with St. Paul’s. He worked to Shauna Cameron photograph of the associate editor preserve the East and West Martello Andrea Comstock Joe B. Allen Jr. on the front page. Tower, was a founder of the Key Tom Hambright Mary Haffenreffer Joe Allen was born in Key West West Art and Historical Society and John Jones and began his career as delivery boy a supporter of this Society. The West Sheri Lohr for “The Key West Citizen.” During Martello was renamed for him. Don Lowe World War II he joined the Navy He and wife Marjorie were the T.J. McDermott and was stationed in his hometown. parents of four sons. After a full life Julie McEnroe After the war he started a weekly Joe died in Key West in February John Viele newspaper and a career in politics. 2006 at the age of 90. New Members Frans H. Botes, Key West; Cricket Mohawk Memorial Museum, Key Desmarais, Key West; USS West. 2 - FLORIDA KEYS SEA HERITAGE JOURNAL - SUMMER 2006 Surveying the Keys in the 1850’S U.S. Schooner Gerdes 50 tons. Photo credit: the Author. by John Viele a graduate of West Point, grandson leader. Initially, the party consisted Almost thirty years after Florida of Benjamin Franklin, and a top- of nine men in addition to Gerdes. became U.S. territory, there were no notch scientist was appointed There was a rated heliotroper American charts of the Florida Keys Superintendent of the Coast (a surveyor qualified to use a and the Florida Reef. Navigators Survey. An excellent administrator, heliotrope, an instrument used for had to use old Spanish and British he formed good working relations making long distance observations charts which contained many errors with other government agencies and by means of the sun’s rays reflected and omissions. Lack of accurate branches, particularly the Army and from a mirror). Other members charts contributed significantly to the Navy. Many of the surveyors were a sailing master, a mate, four the growing incidence of shipwrecks were military officers assigned to seamen, a cook, and a cook-steward. along the reef. By 1850, ships work with the Coast Survey. On deck, or towed astern, there were piling up on the reef at the In 1848, recognizing the urgent were an 18-foot surf boat, a 19-foot rate of almost one a week. Marine need for accurate charts of the Keys, longboat, and a 12- foot dinghy. insurers and shipping companies Bache appointed a survey party to Surveying equipment included a pleaded with the government to undertake the work. He designated heliotrope, a prismatic azimuth erect lighthouses along the reef and Francis H. Gerdes, Assistant U.S. compass with tripod, a small develop accurate charts of the keys Coast Survey, to take charge of the azimuth compass, four telescopes, and the reef. survey. Gerdes was a hard-working, a theodolite, sextant, chain and The government agency meticulous leader with extensive pins (for measuring distances on responsible for producing charts of experience surveying other sections the ground), spirit levels, plumbs, the American coast was the U.S. of the coast The party embarked drawing instruments, etc. For Coast Survey established in 1807. at Pensacola on a 50-ton schooner In 1843, Alexander Dallas Bache, renamed Gerdes in honor of their (Continued on page 4) SUMMER 2006 - FLORIDA KEYS SEA HERITAGE JOURNAL - 3 (Surveying from page 3) is a very handsome and suitable present-day Marathon) he reported structure and seems to be kept in that there was “a considerable detached parties, there were two excellent order.” settlement of 20 houses in a line tents, cooking utensils, and sky On January 12, Gerdes wrote a on the beach” seven miles from the rockets for signaling. note to be sent to headquarters by west end of the island. This was the The first step was to conduct a the next steamer saying,” If ever I largest settlement in the Keys outside reconnaissance of the Keys and the was in a box, I am here so – nothing of Key West. He also wrote that reef with the aid of a local pilot. for the love of money to eat or there were “settlements of one or a The Collector of Customs in Key drink, hard work every day, wind few families on the second easterly West recommended Captain Philip and storm continually, and wrecks Key of Boca Grande (actually Boca Sawyer saying, “ he knows more of all around.” Chica), on Big Pine Island which the islands than perhaps any other Finally, on January 17, the is now called West Summerlands man on the coast, having cruised schooner got underway and sailed Kay, further on Happy Jack’s point among them for the last twenty out to Sand Key. Gerdes noted that or Kay, and on East Summerlands years.” The Gerdes arrived at Key the lighthouse was gone, destroyed Kay.” These names are confusing. West on January 8, 1849, but the by the hurricane of 1846, and a 60- Part of the confusion stems from party was prevented from beginning foot high beacon erected in its place an original understanding that survey work by bad weather which had also disappeared. A lightship the three small keys immediately continued on and off for the next two was anchored nearby. Two days west of Bahia Honda were the weeks. While waiting for favorable later, with the weather still rough, Summerland Keys. This is why winds, Gerdes toured the island of the Gerdes beat up Hawk Channel the westernmost of the three got Key West. In his journal he wrote: and anchored off the Pine Islands the name West Summerland Key “ The appearance of this island (Sugarloaf to Big Pine Key). even though it is east of today’s town is rather thriving, there being Gerdes wrote to the Assistant to Summerland Key.