Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-10-05
RELIEF MUST COME
Or Florida's Storm Victims
Will Die Of Starvation.
Nearly Every Home in Lafayette
County Was Swept Away.
Farms Covered With Uprooted Trees and
Debris-1urpentins Industry Ruined.

Jacksonville. Fla, Oct. 4.-Further adj
vices from the region devastated by the
recent storm say no one can conceive of
the situation of the people of the west
ern part Of Alachua and Levy and the
eastern part of Lafayette counties. Left
homeless, with no food. The cotton crop
destroyed, and no resources at hand,
starvation stares them in the face. So
serious, indeed, is their situation that the
people who lave visited them are earn
estiy advocating a special session of the
Legislature to make some provision for
them.
III the western part of Alachua county
Where thousands of people lived, most
OF them were well to do farmers, and all
OF their homes have been destroyed, to-
gether with the provisions that they had
stored FOR the winter AT Yulee the storm
| mace cleaner path than at any other
point Not Il tree remains standing, ev-
lery store Is down, and some parts of the
buildings were carried tor three miles
Goods, such as clothing and dress fab
RIGS, were found five miles AWAY. tossed
around trees or floating In the Suwannee
river.
The people have gathered what lum-
Der they could find. and, together within
lots, have made u camp in which men.
women and children are being sheltered
by the hundreds. Their todd Is nearly
gone. They cannot use wagons or
horses to &c. fresh supply, but have
sent men to Brantford, and they will
make an effort to bring groderies down,
the Suwannee river in boat
Nearly every house in Lafayette
county has been destroyed; nothing Is
left at Mayo. the county seat. East of
the Suwannee river the probable loss to
the phosphate plants is estimated at
100000. In Lafayette county the valua-
Bile cedar forests are lost Stock has
been killed by the hundred. All crops
have been destroyed and hundreds OF
people are in distress. They have no
homes and nothing to eat. To add to
their distress their farms are covered
with trees. which will have to be re-
moved before the farms can be cult
waited. The turpentine men on either side
of the river are financially ruined All
had invested all the money they pos
sessed in turpentine lands aud stills, and
everything is destroyed Nearly all OF
them have discharged every laborer they
had This means that at least $500 men
are out of employment.
Most of the laborers, many of whom
have families. must live on charity until
they can find something to do In Su-
wannee county many houses were un-
rooted and fences blown down. To
clear the roads of trees will cost Alachua
county $4,000. There are % turpentine
stills, with their equipment camps, hands
and teams, between Lake City and Cedar
Keys, and not one of these will ever rum
another charge. all the timber being
destroyed.
Yulee, a town of 800 people, with Is or
20 business houses, is gone. The citizens
called a mass meeting. and appointed
q committee to solicit aid for the suffer
ers. Similar action has been taken al
MacClenny, Baker county. Every phos-
phate plant in the vicinity of Fort White,
Columbia county, is a perfect wreck.
The turpentine people are completely
ruined. hardly tree being, left standing
and the stills are all blown down and
torn up. their houses wrecked and many
mules killed. Hundreds of people arc
out of employment. The suffering will
be great, and assistance already has been
asked for. and the mayor will make all
appeal othe governor for assistance
Iappeal to the governor for ass istance.
families are reported destroyed and i'll
the town of Hilliard. Nassau county, be-
tween Jacksonville and Waycross the
families are homeless and without food
The charitable contributions of other
states will certainly be required to allie.
yiate the suffering