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

tOD6cFfdtif6 bbtiHdtb 10 BHY LlAt
people In this State have lost their lives
from Tuesdays hurricane and the mum.
Der may run much higher. News from
that portion of the State where the
storm first struck Is very slow In com
ing, for wires are down and railroads
are impossible.
The hurricane struck Florida at
Cedar. Keys, and reports show that 1t
passed over 20 towns and villages and
that between so and 40 persons have
certainly been killed. Cedar Keys Is
about 100 miles southwest of Jackson
VILE The hurricane, which had been
churnin9 the waters OF the gulf, fret
struck that place, village # 1880
inhabitants The only report which
has come concerning Cedar Keys ia
that the town has been swept away and
many lives have been lost. This rsport
comes from Gainesville, which ia so
miles away. Nobody has been able to
get anything direct from Cedar Keys.
Moving northeasterly the storm
struck Wil'istown, where II houses
we're blown down, one person was
killed and several persons were badly
hurt. Near Willistown lisa large tur-
pentine farm, where State conyicts are
employed. Twenty conviets we're hud-
ttoa tokCbHOI III Cdblus y QtHVY
tree was blown across the cabin and
six Of the convicts were crushed to
death.
In Alachua county the storm did
frightful work. In Gainesville the
Methodist Church and about 20 resi-
depces and business houses were DIES.
troyed, and while no fatalities are re-
ported several persons we're hurt. At
Lacrosse 10 buildings were destroyed.
The Rev. W. A. Barr. Mrs. +. f.
Mcintosh and her babe are reported
killed. Near Gainesville four laborers,
who were in a cabin at turpeptiue
farm, were crushed to death by falling
trees. Newberry, in West Alachua, lie
totally wrecked. G. j. Estlin, Mrs.
Nancy Moss, Frank Olmstead and
David Jones were killed. At High
Springs Melissa Harden, Jane Morris
and Sallie Mobiles, colored, are reported
to have been killed. At this place a
number of people took refuge In box
car, which was 10 the path OF the cy-
cone. II was blown along the track
and finally derailed and every person
in IL was badly injured. Steve Mason
and George johnson have since died.
almost totally destroyed. They were
McLenny, Sandersop, Glen ST. Mary
and Olustee. No one was killed out
right in these towns, but many were
injured, among whom were Mrs. G. s.
Richardson, James McAlphin and
North Webster, all of whom will die.
At Live Oak the destruction is com
plete, but no loss of life is reported.
Near Welborne, the houss Of Amos
White was destroyed and two of his
children were killed. Six persons are
reported killed at Fort White, in Col
umbiana county. The hurricane passed
over Dugal county, striking the edges
OF jacksonville, but doing very little
damage.
MAN KILLED IN wAsHiNeToN.
Washington, D. o., Oct. 1.-Tbe
first loss Of life in Washington from
the storm was reported to. day, when
the body OF James Fitzgerald was found
10 the ruins Of the Beatty building. on
Pennsylvania avenue.
DEATH AND pEsoLATroN.
Jacksonville Fla, Oct Cedar
Keys is place OF death and desola-
tion. To-day many of the people are
corpses, scores of citizens are injured
and there are but few houses left
standing. Twenty corpees have been
recovered, but few have been identi-
fed, go mutilated were they byffallipg
timber. Many Of the corpses were
dug out of the mud in which they
were buried by the mighty tidal wave
that swept over the town Tuesday.
The town ia situated at the mouth of
the Suwsnee river, on a number of
small keys connected by number Of
bridges. 1t had no protection and
went to pieces when the West India
htrrirana NTH a ualAri+u f,F
an hour came roaring from the Gulf.
The storm struck the place about
g. so o'clock Tuesday morning and con-
tinued for several hours. sAlthough
warning had been given nothing in
Dictated blow of unusual severity.
Up to IL o'clock the night was calm
and quiet. At that hour a moderate
breeze sprang up from the eastward,
increasing gradually until 30-milo
wind was blowing. About IA. m. it
blew a perfect tornado and suddenly
changed to the southeast, bringing In
a perfect deluge of water. the tide
rising two feet higher than in the
memorable gale of 1894, which was at
the time said to be the worst storm on
record. At 7 o'clock an immense tidal
wave came in from the South, carrying
obstruction with it, Boats wharves
auu sDdl houses were nurl6u upon
the shore and, breaking into fragments,
covered the streets with wreckage and
rendered them almost impossible
While the torrents of water we're rush
ing through every open space they
would take the strongest man off HE
feet. 1t was this tidal wave that
caused the principal loss of life, many
houses being swept from their founda-
tions and the inmates drowned. OF
the 20 bodice recovered II are white
and eight .olo sd. OF the whites six
belonged to ne Whitbon family+-a
mother, four children and a. young
woman visitor. The other four white
victims were men and have not yet
been identified. OF the eight negroes
only one, Peter Woodson, has been
identified.
The loss Of life at Cedar Keys proper
Is nothing in comparison with the
humber OF spongers ana fishermen who
were drowned. Tho Mary Eliza came
IN yesterday morning dismasted. She
reports that at dark Monday night
nearly 100 vessels were anchored on
The Sponge Bar, below Cedar Keys,
ana that all of them except about 20
were lost. These boats carried from
i1l'r to ten men each and the loss OF
ne was great. Eight corpses have
already been washed ashore. The
bCuupner Rauatia moe e,,,,l ,nI ai0bt -