1938 Hurricane: ​“In One Suck The Lollipop Was Gone”

To listen to Jane Bouley talk about the 1938 Hurricane, it sounds like she was there when the storm struck on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 75 years ago this weekend. Neighborhood by neighborhood, she described the storm’s impact on its residents and their surroundings.

The Blackstone Library auditorium was packed and audience was rapt as Bouley detailed the effect of the Category 3 (by today’s standards) hurricane on Branford and the surrounding area.

Dubbed the Long Island Express, the storm made a beeline straight north at a speed of 60 to 70 mph with no warning, and the end result was the greatest natural disaster in Connecticut history.

Setting The Stage

Bouley (pictured) set the scene for the storm’s arrival. There had been 12 inches of rain during a hot, steamy August, leaving the ground soggy and trees vulnerable. However, the summer hotels had experienced their best season in 10 years and people were enjoying the last bit of summer. The autumn equinox meant that exceptionally high tides were expected.

She said some reported a greenish tint to the sky. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Raymond Pinkham had the forethought to cancel school, which probably saved a lot of lives even though some people were perplexed by the decision. Connecticut had not experienced a hurricane since 1869, which meant that two generations of shoreliners had been lulled into complacency.

The storm lasted just a few hours, and in that time caused $400 million in damages, $6 billion in today’s dollars. An exhibit on the ​’38 Hurricane has been on display at the Stony Creek Museum since last spring.

The wind began around 1 p.m. and reached 80 to 100 mph. Trees started coming down right away due to the wet ground. The barometric pressure dropped to 28.1, the lowest recorded.

Bouley detailed the effects of the storm in each of Branford’s neighborhoods. She shared the stories of residents by name and tied the slides of the damaged homes to the people who lived there and were rescued – or perished. Her dozens of anecdotes were gathered from years of interviews and research.

Telephone operator Emily Birbarie, who was interviewed by Bouley, turned out to be an interactive thread for the community. She had gone home for lunch as the storm started and was escorted back to her office by policemen, who held on to her to prevent her from blowing away. As it turned out she was a calming influence to people who were trapped by the storm and awaiting rescue – or sadly the last voice they heard before they were swept away. 

Short Beach

Bouley started with Short Beach where there was 3 feet on sand on Shore Drive, along with trees, buildings, a trolley, boats … and a piano. Seventy trees within 3 acres went down on Taylor Place. Firemen carried out rescues even though the firehouse was flooded.

Here are a group of boys with one of them. 

A garage was blown over with the car still inside.

After the Lollipop Cottage was swept out to sea, someone commented, ​“In one suck, the Lollipop was gone!” Pacilleo’s store did its best to help out. People took what they needed and left IOUs.

Branford Point and the center of town

At Branford Point, the dock was destroyed, along with boats and trees. The roof was torn off the Branford Yacht Club (later the American Legion Hall). The exterior of the Chase house on Branford Point was damaged but the interior was untouched with the table set for dinner and potatoes on the stove ready to be cooked.

The first floor of the home of Dr. Wilson Thompson, the town dentist, was blown out, leaving the second floor at a crazy angle. His critically ill wife had been moved to a neighbor’s before the storm hit.

At Branford Center, there was also tree damage and flooding from the Branford River. The merchants did their best to stay open.

Stony Creek & the Thimble Islands

Stony Creek and the Thimble Islands were extremely hard hit. The most lives were lost there and the fishermen were especially hard hit. Fortunately the Brainerd Hotel and Indian Point Hotel had no guests.

Bouley said that Hall’s Point was ruined, as was the front of Brainerd’s store on Main Street (now Thimble Islands Road), which had boats floating down it rather than cars. The most lives were lost there.

The Thimble Islands were devastated. The Jepsons, grandparents of Captain Dwight Carter, Thimble Islands ferry operators, perished. Carter’s home on the island, which wasn’t rebuilt until 1980, is dedicated to them.

Another couple, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lewis, also perished when their house blew away. Helen Lewis was the first female secretary of state and paved the way for women such as state representative Ruth Clark. Their daughter, Kate, survived after being swept to Hall’s Point.

A photograph of the Edgewater Court made national news.

A tidal surge at 4:30 p.m. was described as ​“a black wall of water.” Bouley wasn’t sure of its height but an audience member believed it was about 15 feet.

The exhibit at the Stony Creek Museum includes photographs, mementos, and newspaper clippings documenting the storm. There’s also a bulletin board with notes from schoolchildren who have viewed the exhibit.

A letter from Thimble Islands resident Edith Robinson to her daughter Peggy Robinson Dodge written the day after the storm described the devastation of the storm. She described how the family boat, the Pigeon, broke away and ended up on the beach at Stony Creek, a story Bouley also cited. Mrs. Robinson wrote that the island was ​“bare as a floor.”

Pine Orchard

As with Irene in 2011, the Pine Orchard golf course was flooded and the clubhouse, although damaged, remained intact. 

Island View Avenue suffered the most damage.

About 20 yachts were washed onto the beach; Bouley reminded the audience that most people had no insurance then.

Indian Neck

Limewood Avenue was buried under 4 feet of sand. As with Irene, the roadway under Linden Avenue was washed away. The Montowese House can be seen at the top of the photo. Only its roof was nicked when one of 300 trees came down on the property. Good use was made of those trees, however. They were used to build the Montowese Playhouse, which became a popular summer theater.

The Geier cottage, formerly ​“The Ark,” an Indian Neck landmark, was split in half. 

Many cottages on Summer Island were damaged and the Sunset Beach seawall, yards, and cottages were all destroyed.

While Branford suffered massive damage, it was worse farther east. Westerly and Misquamicut were decimated and there were many deaths. Downtown Providence was flooded, as were various inland towns. The effects of the storm reached as far as Quebec.

Aftermath

The Branford Review, a weekly newspaper edited by Bouley’s grandmother Alice Taylor Peterson, managed to publish a limited edition the next day, calling Branford ​“a story state of waste.”

In the wake of the storm, residents faced health concerns caused by the flooding and damaged property. Hundreds of boats and cars were abandoned. Three hundred out-of-state workers plus Boy Scouts helped with the cleanup. It took five years to dispose of all the wood; some of the debris was salvaged and some used for fuel.

There was widespread emotional, physical, financial, and environment impact. The storm did lead to improvements on weather forecasting and changes in the insurance industry

Ten people died during the storm, including Mr. and Mrs. Jepson, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis; a gentleman who died of a heart attack; a girl who chased after her cat that escaped; a young woman who was killed by a falling tree after declining a ride home when her car broke down; she was the only person killed by a falling tree, noted Bouley, adding it was said that a copy of ​“Gone With the Wind” was found on the seat of her car.

Those who remember the hurricane of ​‘38 speak of it like it was yesterday. Indeed a few hands were raised when Bouley asked if anyone remembered the storm.

A DVD of Bouley’s extensive research on the 1938 Hurricane can be purchased at the Blackstone Library or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). The cost is $15 and proceeds will go toward the Harrison House furnace fund.

Andrew Biagiarelli created the exhibit at the Stony Creek Museum. He will give a talk titled ​“Autumn Post” there on Oct. 20. For more information, call (203)488‑4014.

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