The Red Cloud chief., 1896-10-09
$50 PEOPLE PERISH.
TERRIBLE LOSS OF LIFE IN
FLORIDA.


O'N ''' aO'h W.
ten men each, anchored below the
town Monday night, only about
twenty escaped destruction, and the
loss OF life there is estimated at from
800 to $50 In the town itself, before
the storm, u thriving place of $500
people, twenty dead bodies have been
recovered from the mud and ruins.
Few houses arc left standing and
scores are suffering from injuries.
The town was situated at thu mouth
of the Suwanee river on u numtef Of
small KEYS connected by bridges.
Scores Of lives were also lost in the
sponge fishing section. The hurri-
cane struck the place about $3.50
o'clock Tuesday morning and contin-
led for several hours. Though warn
lg had been given, nothing indicated
4 blow of unusual severity, and M to
=. o'clock the night was calm and
quiet At that time a moderate
breeze sprang up from the eastw ard,
increasing grad ually until "a thirty
mile wind was blowing. About 4
o'clock a perfect tornado wa blowing.
Then the wind suddenly changed 10
the southeast, bringing "a perfect del
uge OF water, the tide rising two feet
higher than in the gale of 1894
DEATH IN A TIDAL WAVE.
At : o'clock an immense tidal wave
came in from the south, carrying dc.
struction with ii. Boats, wharves
and small houses were hurled upon
the shore and broken into fragments.
This tidal wave caused the principal
loss of life, many houses being swept
away from their foundations and the
inmates drowned.
In Cedar Keys, when the tidal wave
.Emc and overwhelmed the houses,
n,ny OF the inmates iloated in the
"sicr, clinging To pieces of tim Der;
others chung to tree tops for hours,
Until the water reccded. They were
bufetted by wind and waves and
many men tainted, but clung even
while unconscious to the tree limbs.
Many are stIll unaccounted for, and
families and friends are filled with
anxiety, hoping for the best, bu, fear
ing the worst. In view of the utter
destruction wrought by the storm, it
seems miraculous that there is Il sim
gle person alive in Cedar Keys to-day.
While the gale was at its height tire
broke out in the Bettina house. In a
few seconds the entire building was
wrapped in flames, which quickly
communicated to the Schlemmer hotel,
adjoining, and in n very short time
nothing was left OF either house ex.
cept the bare walls. The inmates
saved nothing. They made their es-
cape by wadlng through four feet OF
water.
The bridges connecting the keys
were swept away, and the only COM
munication is by means of boats, Of
which few are left. Then, too, most
OF the victims were buried deep in
mud by the tidal wave, and many of
the bodies will probably never DO re-
covered.
Beyond the bar there are n scoie OF
masts visible just above the water,
and each top indicates the burial
place of "a spongIng schooner and its
crew. II is possible that many of the
vessels were blown out into the gulf
and rode out the hurricane, but the
Mary ELIAS captain thinks hat by
far the greater number are beneath
the water with their crews. lie says
that there was not one chance in o
thousand for such frail craft To live ia
such a hurricane. 1t is expected that
loT ulNS " Coilc GOTDstS OF the
spongers will be found along the
coast.
THIRTY DEAD IN LEVY COUNTY.
In the Western part of Levy and
Alachua counties not less than 200
families are left destitute. Scores
were injured and over thirty were
killed in Levy county. The town of
Fannin was completely destroyed with
| Ia. .x,A,ttan ~ - .,atI 49,
The own Of Needmore was demol.
ished. The postotlice building at that
place was completely demolished and
the postmaster can find no part OF the
mail or p~ostottice fixtures.
Every house at Iular, Judson and
Chiefiand was destroyed, with one or
two exceptions, killing people of both
the former places. The people of
Bronson have issued an appeal for aid
for the destitute.
Reports from Baker. Suwanee, Mas
sau and Columbia counties confirm
the previous reports Of death and de.
struction. The death list has been
increased by nearly n dozen. Column.
bia county Jared very badly. All the
country south OF Lake City is devas-
tated. In the Caleb Markham neigh
borhood scarcely "A house is left stand
ing. In the vicinity of Payne aud
Mount Taber postofices the destruc.
ton was great, but the accounts are
yet meager. Fred Hodge. n farmer
of that locality, was fatally crushed
and his wife killed by the falling of q
tree on their house.
Fort White Jared badly, all the
churches, school houses, many stores
and residences being blown down and
many others injured.
RuIN IN EVERY DIRECTION.
Mikesville and other Southern point.
have not yet been heard from. Hager
station, ten miles southeast from Lake
CITY, was wiped out, stores demol
ished and dwellings destroyed Al
Lake Butler the destruction was al
most as great and Lacrosse wal
almost wiped out of existence.
Increase OF National Bank Notes.
WASHINGTON, Oct, 3.-The MONTH
statement OF the comptroller OF TN
currency shows the amount OF ma
tional bank notes in circulation Ser