The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-03

Eight corpses have already been wash
ed ashore. The schooner Rosolia was
sunk and eight of her crew drowned.
The difficulty in recovering the dead
arises from the fact that the town was
built on several small keys. The bridg-
es connecting these keys were swept
away and the only communication is
by means of boats, of which there are
but few left Then, too, most of the
victims were buried deep in mud by
the tidal wave and many of the bodies
will probably never be recovered. Be-
yond the bar there are a score of masts
visible, just above the water, and each
top indicates the burial place of a
spOnging schooner and it's crew.
1t is possible that many of the ves-
sells were blown out into the gulf and
rode out the hurricane, but the Mary
Eliza's captain thinks that by far the
greater number are beneath the water
with their crews. He says that there
was not one chance in thousand for
such frail craft to live in such a hurri-
cane. Two gentlemen who went down
the coast a few miles this morning re-
turned to Cedar Keys this afternoon
and reported finding the corpses of
eight men washed ashore. These men
were the crew of sponging vessel,
and the crews Of most of the other
vessels have undoubtedly met SINH
lar fate. It is expected that for days
to come, corpseS of the spongers will
be found along the coast.
In Cedar Keys, those who escaped
death had a terrible experience Then
the tidal wave came and overwhelmed
the houses, many Of the inmates float
ed in the water, clinging to pieces of
timber; others clung to tree tops for
hours, until the water receded. They
We're buffeted by wind and waves, and
many men tainted clinging even while
unconscious, with a death grip to the
succumbing limbs.
Reliable news of the storm form the
western part of Levy and Alachua
counties has just reached Jacksonville.
Not less than 200 families are left des-
titute, all their houses, fencing and
crops are totally destroyed and what
they had gathered was blown away
with the buildings. Scores of injuries
have been reported, with over thirty
fatalities in Levi county.
The town of Fannin has been COM
pletely destroyed with the exception Of
one small house The town of Need
more was demolished. Every house at
Onlar, Judson and Chief1and was de-
stroyed with one or two exceptions,
the storm killing people of both the
former places. The people of Bronson
have issued an appeal for aid for the
destitute. Reports from Baker, Su-
vance, Nassau and Columbia counties
confirm the story Of death and destruc-
ton related in these dispatches last
night. The death list has been in
creased by nearly a dozen. Columbia
county Jared very badly. All the coun-
try south of Lake City is deyasted.
In the Caleb Masoum neighborhood
scarcely residence or house is left
standing. In the vicinity of Payne
and Mount Tabor postoffices the de-
struction was great, but accounts are
yet meager.
Mikesville and other Southern points
have not yet been heard from To-
wards Liveoak the storm did but little
damage. Beyond Wellborn, to the
country between Lake City and Wei
born, much timber and nearly all the
fences are Frustrated. Hagen Station
ten miles southeast from Lake City,
was wiped out, stores demolished and
residences destroyed. Baird's turpen-
tine distillery, Lewis saw mill, Hatch
er's place and every thing else in that
vicinity was destroyed. At Lake But
Ter, further down the line, the de-
struction was almost as great. La
Cross was almost wiped out of exist
ence. Numbers of injuries and fatali-
ties are reported from the vicinity Of
these various localities, but the news
Is not of a definite character. Along
the Florida Central e. Peninsular. from
Lake City to MaeLenny, the damage
was great, that section taking the CEN
ter of the storm.
Inclusive Of the hundreds Of spongers
supposed to have been drowned off
Cedar Keys. the death list in the state
proper bids fair to reach 100, and the
property loss will run into the mil
lions The people seem to be paralyzed
by the calamity that has overtaken
them, and this Is reflected In the ac-
counts sent in of the storms work
In the majority Of cases nothing like
detailed description is attempted,
and in but few instances are the names
Of the dead given. It Is inferred from
this that q majority of those killed,
outside of the Cedar Keys and the
points at which school children were
victims, were negroes employed on the
turpentine farms.