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


In mud by the tidal wave and many
Of the budies will probably never be
recovered.
Beyond the bar there are a score OF
musts visible just above the water, and
each top indicates the burial place Of
spopging schooner aud her crew. Ii
is possible that many OF the vessels
were blown out into the gulf and rode
out the hurricane, but the Mary
ElizR's captain thinks the greater
number are under the water With their
crews. He says that there was not one
chance In a thousand for sucn frail
craft to live in such hurricane. Two
gentlemen who went down the coast a
few miles this morning returned to
Cedar Keys this afternoon and re-
ported finding the corpses Of eight
men washed ashore, Those men were
the crew OF sponging vessel and the
crews OF most OF the other vessels have
undoubtedly met similar fate. It is
expected that for days to come corpses
oftthe spongers will be found along the
coast. The steamer Gertrude Is dis
mantled and abandoned Is miles south
of Cedar Keys. The Mallory IL fast In the
Suwanee river swamps. The steamers
Belle OF Suwanes and g. ID. Owens
we're both wrecked in the Suwanee
river
In Cedar Keys those who escaped
death had terrible experience. When
the tidal wave came and overwhelmed
the houses many Of the inmates foated
In the water, clinging to pieces of tim.
fber, while others chung to tree tops for
hours until the water receded. They
were buffeted by wind and waves and
many men tainted, clinging even while
Unconscious with death grip to the
surrounding limbs All show the
effects in their clothing and bruised
flesh, but they are thankful that they
escaped with their lives. Many are
still uuaccounted for aud families and
friends are filled with anxiety, hoping
for the best but fearing the worst In
view Of the utter destruction wrought
by the storm it seems miraculous that
there lie single person alive In Cedar
Keys to-day.
The property loss 10 Cedar Keys is
enormous. While the gale was at it's
height fire broke out 10 the Bettilini
House. 10 almost few seconds the
entire building was wrapped in flames,
which quickly communicated TO the
handsome Snhlemmer Hotel, adjoining,
and in a very short time nothing was
left of either house except bare walls.
The inmates saved nothing, 80 fierce
and sudden was the fire, and, with
roaring flames above and raging food
below, they were too badly frightened
to attempt more than the saving of
life, They made their escape by wad-
ing through four feet of water.
The firm of Parsons Il Hale had a
warehouse unroofed and much stock
damaged. Cottralle g. Finlay's ware.
bouse was blown down aud the stock
damaged. They also lost several boats.
E. F. O'Neill and @. M. Sistrupk,
general merchants, and McCallum &
O'Donald, druggists, had their houses
destroyed. S. W. Carroll suffered
total loss of storehouses and stock. In
fart not business house or residence iu
the place escaped withou. some injury.
News Of the storm from the western
part of Levy and Alachua counties has
just reached Jacksonville. Not less
than 200 families are left destitute.
Scores OF injuries have been reported,
with over 80 fatalities in Levy county.
The town Of Fannin was completely
destroyed with the exception OF one
small house. Tyson a Chairs store
house was blown into the Suwanee
river with their stock of general mer-
chandise. The town of Needmore was
demolished. The postoffice building at
that place was completely demolished
and the postmaster can find no part
of the mail or postoffice fixtures.
Every house at ,Yular, Judson and
Obiefland was destroyed with one or
two exceptions, Killing many people.
The people of Bronson have issued an
appeal for aid for the destitute. Re.
ports from Baker, Suwsnee, Nassau
and Columbia counties confirm the
story OF death and destruction related
in these dispatches last night. The
death list has been increased by nearly
dozen. Columbia county Jared very
badly. All the country sodth of Lake
City was devastated. In the Caleb
Marcum neighborhood scarcely build
ing 10 left standing. In the vicinity
OF Payne and Mount Tabor postoffices
the destruction was great, but accounts
are yet meagre.
Fred Hodge, farmer of that locality,
had thigh and an arm crushed and
his wife was killed by the falling OF a
tree. The George F. Drew planning
mills. at Columbia City, were wrecked.
Hildrsth & Tolen's turpentine camps
and distilleries were wrecked and oil
the timber between that point and Fort
Whits was destroyed. Fort White
Jared badly. Ali the churches. school
houses, many stores and residences
were blown down and many persons
were injured.
Hagen Station, 10 miles southeast
from Lake City, was wiped out. Bard 8
turpentine distilery, Lewis saw mill,
Hatchers' place and everything else in
that vicinity were destroyed. At Lake
Butler, further down the line, the des-
truct;on was almost az great. lacrosse
was almost wiped out of existence
Numbers OF injuries and fatalities are
reported from the vicinity of these
localities, but the news is not OF a
definite character Along the Florida
Central & Peninsuar railroad. from
Lake City to MscClenny, the damage
was great, that section taking the
centre OF the storm.
The cotton crop, or that portion Of it
still In the field. is badly damaged and in
many places almost entirely destroyed.
Sugar cane is everywhere Frustrated
and damage OF every kind has resulted
on every hand. Much stock and cattle
were killed. II is said that there are %
turpentine stills. with their equipments,
camps and teams, between Lake City
and Cedar KEYS and not one OF these
will ever run another charge, all the
timber being destroyed. This throws
out OF employment many people and
aavaa th,, n1Iilas idle the namna