Tidal Wave: Adrift In A House

Pearl (Brushett) Hatfield

Pearl Brushett lived at Kelly's Cove, Burin Island, when the tidal wave of 1929 struck. She was five years old when a wave took her house out to sea. Her mother, Carrie Brushett, and five children were in the house. It was a ride they would never forget.

THE FIRST WAVE took our house from Kelly's Cove beach over to Bartlett's Island. It grounded there.

My sister Lillian and I were in the same bed. She had an earache. Mother warmed up a plate and put it under her ear in order to get relief. Lillian still has the old plate.

My older sister Lottie said to Mom, "Are you going to wake up Lil and Pearl?" Mom said yes and she came and woke us up.

The first thing I remember after they woke us up was looking out the window. All the flakes and all the stages were down in the harbour. The harbour was all debris. I remember that.

Then the second wave came and took us back to the beach. Not exactly where it came from, but near. That's when Mr. Ben Hollett and his wife Beatrice came down and got us out through the parlour window.

The window pane was 12 by 24 inches. That's what we all went out through, that pane of glass. Mom cut her wrist when she broke out the glass. My sister Lottie jumped out and she got a big scar on her right forearm.

I don't remember being scared. Mom was there, so naturally we figured Mom was going to look after us.