WEST INDIES HURRICANE

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 September 1931, Page 7

WEST INDIES HURRICANE

; DEATH AND DESTRUCTION WIDE AREA SWEPT [BY CABLE—PBEBB ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.] (Recd. Spt; 12, 9.30 a-m.) •NEW YORK, September 11. Word of the destruction of Belize, British Honduras, by a hurricane on Thursday was contained to-day in radio advices received by the Tropical Radio Company. About one hundred and fifty are dead, and several hundred are injured. WASHINGTON, September 11. The Red Cross was informed to-day that one was killed and several injured, and 200 houses were unroofed by a hurricane which struck San Juan (Porto Rico) on Thursday night. The hurricane approached Belize on Thursday afternoon, gathering force quickly as it neared the city, which was largely built of wooden structures on flat ground. The storm apparently becsame a whirlwind of destruction and death just before striking the ..city. < Tho United-States -Weather-Bureau stated to-day that the West\lndian hurricane was moving toward’Haiti, and would probably pass near .the city of Santa Domingo on Friday v " SANTA DOMINGO, September 11. A tropical storm of moderate intensity caused widespread damage to crops in the Dominician Republic to- \ day. Some buildings were damaged. FURTHER PARTICULARS

TIDAL WAVE FOLLOWS (Rec. September 12, 10.36 a.m.-) WASHINGTON, September 11. The State Department reported a terrific hurricanfe and tidal wave devastated the city of Belize. Communications are destroyed but occasional weak radio reports indicate that 150 are known to be dead, and, hundreds are injured. The majority of the populace are homeless. The toll of fatalities, it is feareij, will increase later. The property damage is enormous. Relief of all sorts is requested urgently. A pan-American airways plane attempted to deliver medical supplies, but was unable to land on the water, due to the high waves. It will later endeavour to drop supplies on land. Latest reports from Porto Rido, indicate that at Sap Juan the hurricane did great damage, but only one is known, to be dead and a few were injured. Governor Roosevelt’s mansion is reported to be badly damaged particularly his collection of rare tapestries,