DISASTROUS HURRICANE IN AMERICA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8274, 30 October 1906, Page 6

DISASTROUS HURRICANE IN AMERICA.

FULL DETAILS.

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES.

THOUSANDS Ob 1 LIVES LOST.

WHARVES SWEPT AWAY,

SHIPS PILED UP IN THE

STREETS

(Par s.s. Sonoma at Auckland).

FENSAUOLA (Florida), Sept. 29. Thtre was serious loss of life in this city hy a hurricane. For miles east and west of the city are strewn wrecks of houses and vessels of all classes.

Commencing at Fort Mcßae, on a point overlooking the gulf, and continuing to the Esoamba Bridge, I here is nothing but devastation and ruin.

At For!; Moßae five lives were lost. Twenty men had a terrible experience. They sought the batteries on the very highest point. As the waves began to dash over them they lashed themseves to the guns. There they clung for over ten hours. Only one woman and her little child were at this point. She was the wife of a big strong soldier who fought to save his young wtfe and baby, but they were almos"; swept from his arms. The fort was almost razed to the ground. The navy yard suffered severely. The damage amounted to one mil lion dollnrs.

Some gunhoafs were driven In snore mora than two hundred yards. At the United States life-saviuK station on the gulf beaob, not a board remains to mark the spot where the slip and wharves were. Of twenty two ships and barques of foreign fiagH anchored in the harbour, but one remains and it is badly damaged. Some ocean euipa of two thousand tons are re9fc ing in the front yards of hoases, others have been driven through houses, some have their noses pointed into stores, while others are keeled over on their sides in the bay, or piled up in masses of wreckage. NEW ORLEANS, October 2. Forty-four lighthouses were either swept into the sea and lost or he structures so banly damacecj that no lights can be shown, and four drowned, during last week's hurricane. A tropical hurricane struok Alabama and Louisiana at midnight on September 26th, infliatiog loss of life and enormous property loss. Wire communications were interrupted over the devastated area.

The olty of Mobie suffered loss of life variously estimated at five to fifty-five thousand. The damage amounted to saverul millions of dollars. The storm raged for hours, aud the waters of the bay were b'ewn into the city, covering the wbolesule district to the depths of seven feet. Between Thursday night ana noon on Friday trues fell, and roofs wore crushed by hundreds. Terrible winds carried tin and slate roofing throigh the streets, injuring mauy persons. The shipping suffered severely. In some suburbs not a house was left standing.

Despatches from Southern Mississippi report damage to the standing yellow pine timber amount ins to at least seven million dollars, and almuet the total destruction of the turpentine industry in an extensive area.

News of the storm was carried by a tug after several days to dis triots which tiad been completely out off by fallen wires. It was found that provisions wero exhausted at some points, and many were sufferinK from want of food.