Evening star., 1896-10-02
SWEPT TO Deaf H
iCedar Keys Overwhelmed by a Tidal
Wave.
TWENTY BODIES ALREADY FOUND
Loss of Life in the State May
Reach One Hundred.
FEARS FOR THE FISHERMEN

Cedar KEYS is a place of desolation and
death Today many of the people are
coryses many others are injured and there
are put few houses left standing. Twenty
corpses have been recovered, but few nave
been identified, mutilated were they by
falling timbers. 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 morning.
The town is situated at the mouth Of the
Suwanee river, on a number of small keys,
connected by bridges. 1t had no protection,
and went to pieces wnen the West India
hurricane with u velocity of eighty miles
an hour. came roaring from the gulf The
storm struck the place about 3:30 o'clock
Tuesday morning and continued for several
hours. Though warning had been given,
nothing indicated blow of unusual sever
ity. 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 3U-mile wind blowing
An Immense Tidal Wave.
About am. it blew a perfect tornado,
and suddenly changed to the southeast,
bringing in 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 record.
AT o'clock an immense tidal wave came
III from the south, carrying destruction
with It, Boats, wharveS and small houses
were hurled upon the shore. and, break
iLs into fragments, covered TIE streets
with wreckage, and rendered them almost
,mpassable- While the torrents of water
We're rushing through every open space, it
would take the strongest man off of his
feet. 1t was this tidal wave that caused
the principal loss of life. many houses be-
ing swept from their foundations and the
Inmates droW ned.
OF the twenty todies recovered twelve
are whites and eight colored. OF the whites
six belonged to the Wilson family moth
er, four children and young lady visitor.
Four of the white victims men, and
have not Yet been Identified. OF the eight
Legroes only one, Peter Anderson, has been
Identified.
Many Fishermen Drowned.
The loss OF life at Cedar Keys proper is
as nothing in comparison with the number
OF spongers and fishermen who were drown
ed- The Mary Eiiza came in yesterday
morning dismasted. She reports that at
Ozark Monday night nearly 100 vessels were
anchored on the sponge bar below Cedar
Keys, and that all OF them but about TWEEN
ty We're lost. These boats carried from
four 10 ten men each. The loss OF life was
great. Eight corpses have already been
washe1 ashore. The schooner Rosalla was
sunk and eig ut of her crew drowned.
The handsome Methodist Episcopal
Church South, the Cedar Keys High School
building, the Christian Church and three
coloTed churches, the Suwanee ice factory
and the Eagle Pencil Company's mill, also
the large lumber mill of V. J. Herlong, and
the planning mill of George W. Mercer 4.
Sons and scores of private residences were
also wrecked by the wind and waves. Some
of the handsonlest and apparently most
substantial buildings are damaged beyond
repair.
Reliable news of the storm from the
western part of Levy and Alachua counties
has just reached Jacksonville. Not less
than 2D families are left destitute. all their
houses. fencings ard crops are totally de-
strOyed, and what they had gathered was
blown away with the buildings
The difficulty in recovering the dead
arises from the fact that the town is built
on several small islands. and the bridges
OTly 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.
Beyond the bar there are ore of masts
visible just above the water. and each top
indicates the burial place of a sponsing
schooner and Its crew.
1t is possible that many of the vessels
were blown out into the gulf, and rode out
the hurricane, but the Mary Elza's captain
InlEkS ny lar the greater number be-
meath the water with their crews He says
that there was not one chance in a thous-
and for such frail craft to live In such a
hurricane
Two gentlemen who went down the Goa st
a few miles this morning returned to Cedar
Keys this afternoon and reported finding
the corpses of eight men washed ashore.
These men were the crew of a sponginy
vessel. and the crews of most of the other
vessels have undoubtedly met similar
fate 1t Is expected that for days to come
cGrpses OF the spongers will be found along
the coast.
The steamer Gertrude is dismantled and
abandoned fifteen miles south of Cedar
Keys The Mallory is fast in the Suwanee
river swampS. The Stea aners Belle of Su-
vance and c. d. Owens Were both wrecked
in the Suwanee river. The Owens Is fast
In the river swamps, while the Belle steam
ed slowly this afternoon into Cedar Keys
with both SmokeStackS and all upper works
gone
Terrible Experience
In Cedar Keys those who escaped deatt
mad terrible experience. When the tida
wave came and overwhelmed the houses
many OF the inmates fioated in the water
clinging to pieces of timber; others cluns
to tree tops for hours, until the water re
ceded They were buffeted by wind anc
waves, al d many men tainted clingins
even while unconscious with death eriI
to the succumbing limbs.
All show the effects in their clothing ant
with their lives. Many others are still
unaccounted for, and families and friends
are nlled with anxiety. hoping for the best
but fearing the worst in view of the ute
destruction wrought by the storm.
II seems miraculous that a single person
Is alive IN Cedar Keys today.
Threatened by Fire.
The property loss in Cedar Keys
enormous While the gale was at it's heigh
hre broke out in the Bettilini House ]
almost few seconds the entire bu:ldin
was wrapped in flames, Shich quickly CON
municated to the handsome Schemme
Hotel. adjoining. and in very short tim
nothing was left of either house. excer
bare walls. The inmates saved nothing :
fierce and sudden was the fire. and wit
roaring flames above and raging flood be
low, they Were too badly frightened to al
tempt more than the saving of life. The
made their escape by wading through fou
feet of water.
The firm of Parsons & Hale had a ware
house unroofed and much stock damage,
Cottralle & Ftnlay's warehouse and boa