The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-02
FIFTY PERSONS
KILLED IN FLORIDA
Tuesdays hurricane Cut a Swath Across
the State.
SEVERAL TOWNS ARE STRICKEN
Wrecked Buildings and Liicless
Bodies in the Path of the storm.
school House Demolished and Five
Children Are kiIlcd..A Teacher
Injured.

Memphis, Tenn. Oct Ina special to
the Commercial Appeal from Jackson
vile, Fla. says:
1t Is a conservative ESTIMATE to say
that fifty people have lost their lives
from Tuesdays hurricane. and the
number may run much higher. News
from that portion of the state where
the storm first struck is very slow in
coming. The hurricane struck Florida
at Cedar Key and reports show that 1t
passed in the path Of destruction over
twenty towns and villages. and that
between thirty and forty people have
certainly been killed. Cedar Keys Is
about one hundred miles southwest Of
Jacksonville. The hurricane which has
been churning the water of the Cuff
first struck this place. a village of 1.5O0
inhabitants. The only report which
has come concerning Cedar Keys is that
the town has been swept away and
many lives have been lost. This re-
port comes from Gainesville. which is
fifty miles away Nobody has been
able to get anything direct from Cedar
Keys. Moving northeasterly. the storm
struck Willstown, a small town, where
eleven houses We're blown down, one
person was killed and several so badly
hurt that II is expected that they Will
die. Near here is Il large turpentine
farm. where state cOnvicts are cm-
ployed. Twenty of these We're huddled
together In Il cabin. A heavy tree was
blown across the cabin and six of the
convicts We're crushed to death.
In Alachua county the storm did
frightful work. In Gainesville the
Methodist church and about twenty
residences and business houses We're
destroyed. and while n number of peo-
ple We're hurt. no fatalities are report
eli. AT La Crosse fifteen buildings were
destroyed. Rev. w. A. Barr, Mrs. f.. +.
Mcintosh and her babe are reported
killed. Near there four laborers. who
We're in a cabin at a turpentine farm,
We're crushed by falling trees. New
berry, in West Alachua. is totally
wrecked. G. j. E.astlin. Mrs. Nancy
Moss. Frank Olmstead and David Jones
We're killed.
At High Springs. Melissa Harden.
Jane Morris and Sallie Mobiles, cOlored,
are reported to have been killed. At
this place number Of people took re-
fuge in box car. which was in the
path of the cyclone. 1t was blown
along the track and then off it a dis
tance of fifty feet and every person I'm
il was badly injured. Steve Mason and
George johnson have since died.
TWELVE HOUSES BLOWN DOWN.
At Gracy, a small place, twelve hous-
es We're blown down and a woman was
killed. Her baby was uninjured, al
though 1t was carried some distance by
the force of the wind. At Lake Butler,
Bradford county. Mrs. G. II. Harkey.
Mrs. J, Nj. Fitch and her infant We're
fatally hurt. Many buildings We're
Ill MI 40 wind
blew to pieces two cars loaded with
bricks, and negro, Harry Sullivan.
who was some yards away. was killed
by being struck by one of the flying
bricks. On Judge Richards turnpen-
tine farm four cOnvicts We're killed by
falling trees. In Baker county four
towns were almost totally destroyed.
They were McKlenny, Sanderson. Glen
St. Mary and Olustee. No one was
killed outright in these towns but
many We're injured. among whom were
Mrs. G. s. Richardson, James McAlphin
and North Webster all of whom will
die. At Live Oak the destruction is
complete. but no loss of life is reported.
Near Welberne the house of Amos
White was destroyed and two of his
children killed. At Lake City eight
business houses and thirteen dwellings
were destroyed. Mrs. Sarah Fletcher
and two boys were killed, and Dora
Jennings, Samuel Hudson and Jonas
Mabrey were fatally injured. Six per-
sons are reported killed at Fort White,
in Columbia county, but no names are
given.
The hurricane passed over Duval
county, striking the edges of Jackson
vile, but doing very little damage.
There was no loss of life. Just north Of
here, however, in Nassau county. con-
siderable destruction is reported. Five
children were killed in the wreck of a
school house. Miss Stewart. the teacher,
had her arm broken. Lila Rails, a T.
year-Old girl, was killed at her home,
her mother being fatally injured. Harry
johnson was also killed. At Hillyards
another school house was wrecked and
four children were killed. At Kings
Ferry Andy Johnson, Moses Lassiter
Simon Henderson. May Jones and a
child were killed. Mrs. Fisher was nurs-
ing sick child and the infant died
as the house fell. The mother was hurt
but will recover. Three sailors We're
killed on schOoners that were loading
lumber at Kings Ferry. Across the line
into Georgia the devastation was con-
tinued. At Folkston, which is near the
Okefenokee Swamp, the school house
was wrecked and four children killed.
Several casualties are reported in
Camden county, Ga.
The storm then continued on it's way
to Brunswick and Savannah. There Is
no way to estimate the property losses
in Florida. The losses may seem heav-
ier than when closely examined, but the
opinion of the insurance men here is
that he Florida losses will foot up to
$2.O0O,00O. This seems, however, an ex-
cessive estimate.
DIAMOND RING FOR WOOD SAVING.