CITIES DESOLATED

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 21 September 1926, Page 5

CITIES DESOLATED

hv cable-press association -copyright. NEW YORK, Sept. 19.

Reports from the New York Tillies’ correspondents at various places along the east coast ol' Florida show that the devastation by hurricane, flood, and tidal wave lias caused a death roll estimated in the vicinity of 1000, while the number of injured is placed at anything up to 5000. Exact, information may not be available for some days, but, from eye-witnesses’ accounts, the damage done and the probable loss of life may be even greater than now indicated. Several towns are under six feet of water. One city reports 3800 homes destroyed, while coastwise ships and vessels, anchored 1 in many places were lifted and driven 150 feet inland. The hurricane, it appears, came in two parts. The first blast, travelling at a rate of 130 miles an hour, cut a huge swathe and was succeeded by a deadly calm. Those not caught by the first wind then gained a false sense of security, which was shattered by a second blast travelling at an equal speed and taking everything before it, from waterside cottage to huge bank buildings in thriving cities. EARLY MORNING- VISITATION.

Structures which had been weakened by the first blow collapsed like houses of cards at the second shock. Moreover, the inhabitants of the devastated area only had a brief warning from the first signal bulletin issued by the Meteorological Bureau in. Washington, giving them little time to escape. The barometer dropped to 27.75 inches, being .65 inch below the reading recorded at the time of the G-alveston flood, which is the only disaster with which this one is comparable. The hurricane came at 5.50 and 7.30 on Saturday morning, an hour when the countryside was asleep and' could not benefit from weather bureau warnings. All these facts seem to indicate that the total loss'of human life will be unusually high, while the of vast extent of property damage there is little doubt. WINTER RESORTS SWEPT. A strip of coast 50 miles long from Pompano on the north to Miami on the south was swept clean. This is America’s most notable winter resort area, which had been built up with large estates and hundreds of manystoried hotels and large cities, which, within the last five years, have carried out building programmes to an extent probably not equalled anywhere else in America. It is the district ih which the great Florida land boom occurred

Miami, Miami Beach Homestead, Little River, Lerae City, Hialeah, Miami Shores, Cora'l Gables, Ojus, Hallandale, Hollywood, Havle Dania, Port Lauderdale, Prospecto, Flora no, Pompano, Deerfield, Gelray, Lake Worth, and Boynton are among the cities and towns which are either completely destroyed or have suffered extensive damage. This is estimated to amount to 100 million dollars. The very life of these communities is at a standstill. Thousands of people are cowering in improvised shelters waiting for food and aid from the army rescue trains, which are now leaving from inland Florida cities. Newspaper correspondents, who spent twenty-four hours attempting to penetrate the devastated areas, report that the coastguard who are normally stationed in these parts are now patrolling the streets and giving such aid as they can under a system, of improvised martial law.

Governor Martin, of Florida, has declared martial law for the other destroyed communities, and troops and trains are en route to take command of the situation. PICTURES OF TERROR. As accounts continue to corne in, the pictures of terror are particularly vivid. Behind the wind came mountainous seas that travelled far inland, hurling themselves into the city streets and upon receding carrying with them wreckage and human beings. Heavy rains then fell, accompanied by lightning and thunder. Those who could escape from the wreckage ran into the higher structures, where they could keep above the rising waters, caused by what are described as cloudbursts, but tall buildings' were no protection. A twenty-storey modem skyscraper in Miami was completely wrecked. Urban communities, however, were not alone as large sufferers. This area; includes some of the richest farming districts in America, particularly those holdings where fruit is grown for northern city markets, . and these are now lying wasto, many acres being literally covered by sand brought in by the sea. Telegrams from West Palm Beach, Florida, state that deaths due to the hurricane in Miami' and Miami Beach are estimated at 230, according to reports Teaching that place to-day. Another report telegraphed to the Associated Press said that hundreds of lives had been lost and damage done to property amounting to millions of dollars A report received at Tampa (Florida) to-day said there were 140 dead at Clewiston and Moorehaven, that the roads between the two to mis were littered with bodies, and both the towns in ruins. The number, of injured in the various districts throughout Florida affected by the hurricane is estimated at thousands, while thousands more are homeless.

MIAMI SUFFERS MOST. WATER FLOWS THROUGH STREETS. FOOT) SUPPLIES' SHORT. SHIPPING SEVERELY I/aMAGED. WEST PALM BEACH, Sept. 19. Deaths approximating 500 and damage to property estimated at between 25 and 125 million dollars, with more than 38,000 people home'iess and many in urgent need of food supplies, is the toll of the hurricane which raged along the lower Florida, coast on Friday and Saturday

The Miami district and Port Lauderdale bore the brunt of the storm. Water is flowing through Miami

LOSS OF HUMAN LIFE HURRICANE IN FLORIDA. FOLLOWED BY TIDAL WAVE BIG BUILDINGS COLLAPSE ,

streets, and practically every business place is damaged. Drinking water is not available, and the electric light is out of commission. In response to urgent appeals, doctors, nurses, and supplies of water are being hurried to Miami from outside points.

DESTRUCTION AND DESOLATION. Originating in the Bahama. Islands, the hurricane struck Florida on Fridaynight, and for nine hours raged over the Miami district, leaving destruction and desolation in its tram. Miami Beach was swept by a 125-mile wind, and waves surged over the place. It is here that the greatest number >of dead: is believed to be, the present estimate being 150, while there are 80 more in Miami itself, where the undertakers are unable to hand-.e so many dead. The scene in the towns is almost beyond description. Huge skyscrapers arid business houses are shorn of their windows and plateglass fronts, and thousands of dollars worth of merchandise have been ruined. The streets are cluttered for niL'ies with debris, so that they, are impassable. Tangled wires are* lying in every thoroughiare, with broken poles, uprooted trees, furniture, and demolished automobiles, all testifying to the fury of the storm. Communication with the outside world was severed early on Friday night, when the storm reached its peak. Shipping -at Miami suffered greatly, more than 250 boats, coastwise steamers and palatial yachts being damaged. More than 150 smaller craft in the exposed bay in front of the town were hurled out of the water and crashed to splinters on the shore. In Hollywood (a product of the recent development era) the streets were demolished and buildings wrecked, while debris lies everywhere. Only a single structure in the town, a. Masonic temple, remained standing. The police found themselves unable to cope with the situation, .so the military have taken temporary control. ESTIMATED DEATH ROLL. VANCOUVER, Sept. 20. A message from Jacksonville, Florida, last, night estimates that the dead in the hurricane-swept lower Florida, total more than 1000. The revised figures of the- casualties in the Miami section alone show 500 dead in Miami, 250 in Hollywood, and 54 in Hialeah. Both the latter places are suburbs of Miami. Other reports indicate that the dead in Port Lauderdale number 100, and in the Moorehaven section 140. The total injured is put down at more -than 2000, Fut it is impossible to obtain an accurate check of the dead and injured, as the water is still twelve to fifteen feet deep in some of the sections’ at Moorehaven.

DYKES OF LAKE BROKEN

VAST AREA FLOODED. VAGARIES OF THE STORM. Received 10 a.m. to-day. NEW YORK, Sept. 20. The- storm broke the dykes of Lake Okeechores, far inland, flooding a vast area, including the towns of Moorehaven and Clewiston, and it is believed that several hundred were drowned. The storm is continuing; into the Gulf of Mexico, and Washington has warned aK Gulf Cities, including New Orleans and Galveston. Meteorologists state that the hurricane originated somewhere off the Bahamas on September 14, and has. been ravaging the tropical areas of the western hemisphere since. It is said to have been caused by the expansion of moist heated air formed over the Caribean Sea, attended by abnormal atmospheric conditions. It took nine hours to spend its fury in Florida. Information now available indicates that it began at midnight on Friday, twisting in its fury freakishly over Florida, but in no way diminishing as it moved in a circle north-west. Experts say that it will continue its power until it reaches .the mountain range and breaks up in a mighty swirl. *

Eight passenger-carrying steamers plying between New York and tropical American ports, are believed to be in the storm area and have not been heard from.