Sir Arthur C. Clark's message from Sri Lanka

Thank you for your concern about my safety in the wake of Sunday’s devastating tidal wave.

I am enormously relieved that my family and household have escaped the ravages of the sea that suddenly invaded most parts of coastal Sri Lanka, leaving a trail of destruction.

But many others were not so fortunate. For hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans and an unknown number of foreign tourists, the day after Christmas turned out to be a living nightmare reminiscent of The Day After Tomorrow.

Among those affected are my staff based at our diving station in Hikkaduwa and holiday bungalow in Kahawa – both beachfront properties located in areas worst hit. We still don’t know the fully extent of damage as both roads and phones have been damaged. Early reports indicate that we have lost most of our diving equipment and boats. Not all our staff members are accounted for – yet.

This is indeed a disaster of unprecedented magnitude for Sri Lanka which lacks the resources and capacity to cope with the aftermath. We are all trying to contribute to the relief efforts. We shall keep you informed as we learn more about what happened.

Curiously enough, in my first book on Sri Lanka, I had written about another tidal wave reaching the Galle harbour (see Chapter 8 in The Reefs of Taprobane, 1957). That happened in August 1883, following the eruption of Krakatoa in roughly the same part of the Indian Ocean.

 
 

Arthur Clarke
27 December 2004

Comments

[Elizabeth Mathews]

Dear Mr. Clark,
I feel it is crucial that I contact you to discuss some ideas which would pertain to no one else living in the world I know of. I am only a student with a very high I.Q., a deep love of the humanities, and a need to implement inovations for the betterment of mankind. If you can ever contact me I will pay for a plane ticket to visit you, and offer you any and all of my free assistence. This is of course more than I hope for, but perhaps your noticable connection to some sort of divinity will lead you to find me. I have no other demanding dreams.
With Much Love,
Liz mathews
phone:1.210.324.9951.
or 1.210.641.7416.

[Barnaby]

Hi Liz,

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but this may not be the best way of contacting Arthur C. Clark. I can pass the message on personally for you next time I see him, but as I don't know him and don't expect to in the near future that could take a while.

As a back up plan you could contact the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation:

515 King Street, Suite 420
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
USA
Phone: (703) 373-6010
Fax: (703) 684-6048

[Liz Mathews]

Oh dear...thank you anyway. I expected as much, but I've given up no hope, I have something to say, and it will be said sooner or later, somehow or another. Mr. Clark and I may never meet, and it won't really matter, because all the secrets of universe are contained within us all. The small facts I have will contribute to whatever life i feel to apply i to.