Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning "harbour wave" and it can be said with almost certainty that it was unheard of by residents of the Burin Peninsula, on Newfoundland's southern coast on Monday, November 18,1929. It was on that day however, that an underwater earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale stuck along two fault lines about 153 miles south of the island. It was about 5.00 in the afternoon when the earth began to tremble violently, lasting for about five minutes. Panic immediately broke out, and the people of St. John's, 250 miles away thought the rumblings were caused by an accident in the Bell Island mines in Conception Bay. On the peninsula itself, women and children, most of them alone in the absence of husbands and fathers on fishing trips, fled from their homes and congregated in the churches. Pacified somewhat by the clergy, most eventually returned to their homes.
At around 7:30 PM, suddenly, and without warning, there was a roar from the sea, and a fifteen foot wall of water descended upon their frail houses. It poured in through doors and windows and in it's undertow, swept away the homes as if they were matchboxes, sometimes with women and children inside. One heroic mother ran into the street and seeing the advancing waters ran back to rescue her two children. She waded bravely through the door, only to be swept out to sea in the wreckage of the building. Boats, both small and large, were torn from their anchorage and dashed upon the shore crashing against buildings. In the small community of Port-Aux-Bras, 7 lives were lost, while many others were rescued after having been adrift for hours. Terrorized, many residents of the peninsula thought the island was sinking. Bereft of all reason, some were found several hours later wandering helplessly inland. All communication was cut off with the outside world as all cables, telegraph and telephone lines had been broken by the earthquake and at the time, there was no road connecting the Burin Peninsula with the rest of the island.
It was days later before help arrived and the first to reach the scene were appalled by the catastrophe. It was several more days before a government ship arrived carrying doctors, nurses and provisions. In all 36 people died and many more were injured. Left with almost no food and little shelter chaos, tragedy and distress were everywhere. Although this happened ten years before I was born and my parents lived many miles away, I remember my mother speaking of the tremor that shook the house. Today, 79 years later people still speak of the "tidal wave" as it has always been called, an event far more common in the pacific than the Atlantic ocean.
