The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-10-08
MANY TOWNS ENTIRELY SWEPT
AWAY-INCQMING NEWS Is 4
APPALLING. |'.--
A DOZEN PE9aLE WERE KILLED At SAVANNAH
,tloA. ua.airn'
Der T.
And Many More Were Injured-The City
Presents Telling Spectacle of
Ruin and Wreckage-Evcry
Church. School and Hospital
in Jacksonville Damaged.

Memphis. Tenn. Sept. 30.-A special
to the Commercial-A Appeal from Jackson
vile. Fla. says:
| 1t is conservative estimate TO say
that fifty people have lost their lives
| from yesterdays hurricane, and the num-
her may run much higher. News from
that portion of the state where the storm
! first struck is very slow in coming. for
wires are down and railroads are I'M
passable Wrecking parties which went
out this mornig have not yet returned,
and it will he tomorrow before the full
extent of the damage is known.
The hurricane struck Florida at Cedar
Keys. and reports show that it passed
in its path of destruction over twenty
towns and villages and that between
thirty and forty people have certainly
been killed. Cedar Keys is about 100
miles southwest of Jacksonville. The
hurricane, which had been churning the
water of the gulf, first struck this place,
village of 800 habitants. The only
report which has come concerning Cedar
Keys is that the town has been swept
away and many lives have been lost.
This report comes from Gainesville.
which is fifty miles away. Nobody has
been able to get anything direct from
Cedar Keys. Moving northeasterly. the
storm struck Willistown. small town.
where eleven houses were blown down.
one person killed and several so badly
hurt that it is expected they will die.
Near here is large turpentine farm.
where state convicts are employed.
Twenty of these were huddled together
in cabin. 4 heavy 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 twenty business houses and resi-
denccs were destroyed. At La Crosse
fifteen buildings were destroyed. Rev.
W. \. Bars, Mrs. +. G.. Mcintosh and
her baby are reported killed. Near there
four laborerS. who were in cabin ut Il
turpentine farm. were crushed by falling
trees.
Newberry. in west Alachua. is totally
destroyed. c. J. Eastlin, Mrs. Nancy
Moss. Frank Omstead and David Jones
were killed.
At High Springs. Elisha Hardin. Jane
Morris and Sallie Noble. colored women,
are reported to have been killed by being
blown against trees. Here Il number of
people took refuge in n box car. which
was in the path of the storm. 1t was
blown along the track and then off of it
Il distance of fifty feet and every person
in it was badly injured Steve Mason
and George johnson have since died.
At Gracey. a small station. twelve
houses We're blown down. Il woman was
killed. but the babe at her breast was
unhurt. though it had been carried for
some distance by the wind.
At Lake Butler. Bradford county, Mr.;
C. II. Harvey. Mrs. J. NJ. Fulch and
her infant were fatally hurt. and many
buildings were blown down. Here the
wind blew to pieces two cars loaded with
brick and negro, Henry Sullivan. who
was 300 yards away. was killed by
being struck by one of the flying brick
On Judge Richards turpentine farm fOul
In Baker county four towns were al
most totally destroyed No one was
killed outright in these towns. but many
were injured. among them Mrs. c. NJ
| Richardson. James McAlpin and Nortl
Williams. who will probably die.
At Live Oak destruction is reported
! but no loss of life.
| Near Wellborn the house of Amos
White was destroyed and two of hi
children killed.
At Lake City Mrs. Sarah Fletcher anC
two boys and Dora Hennings. Samue
Readeson and Jonas Mabry were fatal!
injured.
six persons are reported killed a
Fort White. in Columbia county, but III
names are given.
The hurricane passed over Duya
county. striking the edge of Jacksonville
but doing little damage. There was II,
however. in Nassau county. considerable
destruction is reported. Five children
were killed in the wreck of schoo
house. Miss Stewart. the teacher, ha,
her arm broken. Title Raines, l.
year-old girl. was killed at her home. A
the same place Harry johnson wa
killed. At billiards another schoo
house was, wrecked and four childrel
were killed. At Kings Ferry Ami
johnson. Moses Lassiter. Simon Hendel
son. May Jones and child were killed
Mrs Fisher was nursing sick chill
and the infant died as the house fell il
The mother was hurt. but will recover
Three sailors were killed on schooner
that were loading lumber at Wing
Ferry.
Across the line in Georgia the devas
tation was continued. At Folkston tn
school house was wrecked and four chi
dren killed. Several casualties IRE rt
ported in Camden coun.y, Georgia.
The storm then continued on its wa
to Brunswick and Savannah.
I There is no way to estimate the prof.
erty loss in Florida. The losses ma
seem heavier now than they will whe
more closely examined. but the tai