10 replies to this topic

[MikeR]

Last night the History Channel premired a 2 hour show in the 1938 Hurricane.  It was the best documentary I've ever seen regarding the 1938 hurricane.  I was practially glued to the screen as the show recalled the hurricane from a human perspective that really touched on the human cost these disasters can bring.  The show highlighted:

Katharine Hepburn.  She returned home to the family residence in Connecticut on Long Island Sound to reflect on her relationship with Howard Hughes and her career.  She and her family got caught in the malestrom as a 20-foot storm surge slammed into their home on the Connecticut coast.

A family living on Napatree Point in Little Narragansett Bay (near Watch Hill).  The surviving family members recall how the storm literally ripped the house out from under them and they clung to a portion of the house to survive.

A bus driver in Jamestown.  He was driving Jamestown's elementary schoolchildren home that afternoon and was crossing the causeway where Jamestown beach is when the storm surge slammed into the school bus.  This story was so gripping its' difficult to describe articulately what happened to the 8 schoolchildren and the bus driver that afternoon.

The show also offered rare color footage of the disaster and describes how the surge roared up Narragansett Bay and slammed into downtown Providence - one historian described it as "water pouring into Providence as fast as water being poured into a glass".

The next airing is Sept. 9 (Sarturday at 5:00 PM).  Here is the schedule:
http://www.history.c...pisodeId=182938

Set your VCR's and TiVos if you're unable to watch it.  You must watch the show.  It's that hard-hitting.

Edited by MikeR, 31 August 2006 - 06:40 AM.

[Liamlunchtray]

MikeR, on Aug 31 2006, 08:37 AM, said:

Last night the History Channel premired a 2 hour show in the 1938 Hurricane.  It was the best documentary I've ever seen regarding the 1938 hurricane.  I was practially glued to the screen as the show recalled the hurricane from a human perspective that really touched on the human cost these disasters can bring.  The show highlighted:

Katharine Hepburn.  She returned home to the family residence in Connecticut on Long Island Sound to reflect on her relationship with Howard Hughes and her career.  She and her family got caught in the malestrom as a 20-foot storm surge slammed into their home on the Connecticut coast.

A family living on Napatree Point in Little Narragansett Bay (near Watch Hill).  The surviving family members recall how the storm literally ripped the house out from under them and they clung to a portion of the house to survive.

A bus driver in Jamestown.  He was driving Jamestown's elementary schoolchildren home that afternoon and was crossing the causeway where Jamestown beach is when the storm surge slammed into the school bus.  This story was so gripping its' difficult to describe articulately what happened to the 8 schoolchildren and the bus driver that afternoon.

The show also offered rare color footage of the disaster and describes how the surge roared up Narragansett Bay and slammed into downtown Providence - one historian described it as "water pouring into Providence as fast as water being poured into a glass".

The next airing is Sept. 9 (Sarturday at 5:00 PM).  Here is the schedule:
http://www.history.c...pisodeId=182938

Set your VCR's and TiVos if you're unable to watch it.  You must watch the show.  It's that hard-hitting.

Sounds awesome! I love local history.

I just logged into Tivo.com and told my box to grab it on Saturday. can't wait.

Liam

[Cotuit]

I meant to post about this, I'm glad its replaying again, I TiVo'd last night, but haven't watched yet. (I'm kind of glad its supposed to rain this weekend, I have about 5 Brotherhood episodes, 4 hours of Spike Lee's Katrina doc and a handful of other things waiting in the queue for me to watch).

[matt]

added it to my ReplayTV schedule

[MikeR]

Cotuit, on Aug 31 2006, 10:23 AM, said:

I meant to post about this, I'm glad its replaying again, I TiVo'd last night, but haven't watched yet. (I'm kind of glad its supposed to rain this weekend, I have about 5 Brotherhood episodes, 4 hours of Spike Lee's Katrina doc and a handful of other things waiting in the queue for me to watch).

Cotuit - after you watch it, can you post your thoughts about the show here?  I'm really curious as to what people think about the show.  I'm still moved by it a day later.

[Liamlunchtray]

MikeR, on Aug 31 2006, 12:30 PM, said:

Cotuit - after you watch it, can you post your thoughts about the show here?  I'm really curious as to what people think about the show.  I'm still moved by it a day later.

I watched it yesterday and to be honest I wasnt so into it. I was hoping for more photos and historical film and less hokey reinactment.

[Cotuit]

Liamlunchtray, on Sep 11 2006, 10:14 AM, said:

I watched it yesterday and to be honest I wasnt so into it. I was hoping for more photos and historical film and less hokey reinactment.

I agree, I was pretty dissappointed.

[MikeR]

The story of the 7 schoolchildren drowning got to me.  The father of two of the children stood on high ground and watched his children drown; that was hard for me to watch.  I'm a father of two kids myself so that really hit me.  The one with the two hammerhead sharks circling the raft that the family from Watch Hill was clinging to was eye-opening as well.

I wished they shows a bit more historical photos, etc. as well, esp. how the surge impacted Providence, but I enjoyed the show all the same.

[Recchia]

I have [had] a great book on the 38 hurricane, complete with pictures, stories and explanations.  Unfortunately I lent it to a friend I am no longer friends with...  It's a great read/look though, I wish I could remember its exact name.  I got it in Newport a while back.  

Interestingly enough, the 'hurricane' was actually more of a noreaster than a hurricane.  By the time it reached us, it had warm and cold fronts as part of it and was technically extratropical.  That didn't slow its winds down, however.  I really wish I had that dam book, it explained it all in detail with maps.

[Cotuit]

MikeR, on Sep 12 2006, 08:59 AM, said:

I wished they shows a bit more historical photos, etc. as well, esp. how the surge impacted Providence, but I enjoyed the show all the same.

It would have been nice if they had another group in Providence to follow with the historical reenactments. It would have been interesting to hear what it was like in the city that day, but American's don't care about cities, they'd rather hear about Katharine Hepburn.

[matt]

Cotuit, on Sep 12 2006, 09:32 AM, said:

but American's don't care about cities, they'd rather hear about Katharine Hepburn.

Too true.

There is a fantastic picture hanging in the halls of Edgewood Yacht Club.  It shows the waters from the hurricane just bashing against the side of the club up to the roof.