Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-10-08

latest advices from the region de-
vastated by the recent storm say no
one eau imagine the situation OF the
| people OF the western part OF Alachua
and Lcvy counties and the eastern part
| OF Lafayette county. Left homeless,
with no food, the cotton crop destroyed
and with no resources at hand, starva-
tion starus them In the face. So serious,
indeed. is their situation that the
! people who have visited them are
earnestly advocating special session
OF the Legislature to make some pro-
vision for them.
In the western part of Alachua
county, where thousands of people
| lived, most OF whom were we'll Ito. do
farmers, all OF their homes have been
destroyed together with the provisions
| that they had gtored for winter. At
Yulee the storm made cleaner path
than ut any other point. Not tree
remains standing, every store Is down
and some parts Of the buildings were
carried for three miles. Goods, such
as clothing and dress fabrics, were
found i've miles away, tossed around
trees or floating In the Suwanee river.
Tho people have gathered what lumb Der
they could find and with that have
made u camp, In which men, women
and children are being sheltered by the
hundreds Their food Ia nearly gone.
They cannot use wagons or horses to
get fresh supply, but they have sent
to Branford men who win make an
effort to bring groceries down the
Suwanee river in boat.
| Nearly every housp 10 Lafayette
county has been destroyed. Nothing
is lott at Mayo, tho county seat. East
of the Suwanee river the loss 10 the
phosphate plants lie estimated at $500, 900.
In Lafayette county the valuable cedar
forests are lost. Stock has been killed
by the hundreds. All crops have been
destroyed and hundreds of people are
in distress. They have 10 homes and
nothing to eat. To add to their dis
tress their farms are covered with
trees, which will have to be removed
before the farms can be cultivated.
Most OF the laborers, many OF whom
have families, must live on charity
until they eau find something to do.
In Suwanee county many houses
were unroofod and fences blown down,
To clear the roads Of trees will cost
Alachua county 50, 600. There are go
turpentine stills, with their equip.
ment camps, hands and teams, be.
tween Lake City and Cedar Keys and
not one Of these will run another
charge, all the timber being destroyed.
Yulee, town oil 800 people. with Is or
20 business houses, Ia gone. The citi-
zens called massuieeting and APP
pointed committee to solicit aid for
sufferers. Similar action has been
taken at MacClenny, Baker county.
Every phosphate plant 10 the vicinity
of Fort White, Columbia county, is a
total wreck. The turpentine people are
completely ruined. Hardly tree Is left
standing, the stills are all blown down,
all their houses wrecked and many
mules killed. Hundreds OF people are
out of employment. The suffering will
be great, Assistance has already been
asked for and the mayor will make an
appeal to the Governor for assistance.
In Alachua and Levy counties 200
families are reported destitute.
In the town of Hilyard, Nassau
county, between Jacksonville and Way
Cross, the iuhabitants are homeless
and without food.
The charitable contributions Of other
States will almost certainly be re-
quired TO alleviate the suffering.