The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-03
CEDAR KEY STORM CRUSHED.
AT LEAST a SCORE OF LIVES LOST
BY WIND AND WAVE.

1Ore It-HenVy Loss of Life Among
the Sponge Fishermen Feared.
Enormous Damage TO Property In
the City and Adjoining Country.
Jacksonville, Fla, Oct. 2.-The West In
dia hurricane struck Florida Tuesday,
and though it lasted but three hours at
each point visited, was the most dsas-
trous ever experienced in Florida. The
damage to property in this state alone
will foot up $1OOOCOO
Fully 100 lives We're lost, and perhaps
10000 people were rendered homeless.
The course of the storm was from Ce-
dar Keys, on the Gulf coast, north by
northeast, through the thriving town of
Lake City. In path fifty miles wide, few
houses are left standing, the wind at
times blowing at the rate of 100 miles an
hour, and averaging so. The storm had
the characteristics of a tornado. 1t
skipped some places in its path, bound
ing over to Others where ruin was
wrought
Lake City had almost every tree in town
blown down and for two days the streets
were impossible. Two people were killed
"a prominent lady, Mrs. Frazier and
negro boy. Many houses were razed,
while the roofs of others went whirling
through the air.
Lake City is in Columbia county, which
has great lumber interests Half Of the
yellow pine timber was blown down and
lumber and turpentne men lost thousands
Of dollars as the lumber is badly splin-
tered and will soon be attacked by worms.
In Baker county, which adjoins Column
ba, not a score Of houses out Of 1000
were left standing. Grain stored in barns
was blown away or destroyed by rain,
crops in the fields, including cotton, were
destroyed and thousands of cattle were
killed. The immense lumber mill of Ep-
pinger & Russell, at Iustee, was destroy
ed, including stores and residences, and
many people we're hurt, though none kill
| ed, the reason being that they sought ref
uge in deep ditch traversing the town.
The storm did not touch the orange belt
| of Florida, but confined itself to the mid
die section, where the chief industries are
| lumber, turpentine, cotton raising and
general farming. Coming as the storm
| did, just after harvesting time, the peo-
! pie rendered homeless and without food
| will be a charge upon charity for fully
| six months.
Vessels in port at Jacksonville were
| warned four days ahead of the probable
coming of the storm and did not leave port.
Ten of them were due to sail, but their
| captains had faith in the forecast and
! waited until the storm had passed.
| Since Tuesday, up to tonight, Jackson
! vile, so far as telegraphic communica-
| ton is concerned, has been shut off from
the world. Trains have come through
! late and in that way news of the out
side world was brought in.
This state of affairs Is unprecedented.
Hurricanes have passed over the state
before, but wires have not been so badly
| injured as to shut off communication for
more than a day. Every north going
railroad has been compelled to cut hun
dreds of trees from its tracks.
A letter to the Jacksonville Times
Union from Cedar Key, Fla, dated Oct !,
says: 1.-The West Indian hurricane, of
which the weather bureau gave warning,
struck Cedar Key at 3:9O o'clock Tuesday
morning and left a scene of wreck and
devastation in it's wake. 1t is by far the
most destructive storm that has visited
this portion of the Gulf coast in twenty
years. and the property loss is immense.
Though warning had been given, moth
ing indicated a blow of unusual severity.
Up to II o'clock the night was calm and
quiet. At that hour a moderate breeze
sprang up from the eastward, increasing
gradually until thirty-mile wind was
blowing About a. m. it blew a perfect
tornado, and suddenly changed to the
southeast, bringing in a 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 severest storm
on record
"At o'clock an immense tidal wave
came in from the south, carrying destruc-
tion with it, Boats, wharves and small
houses were hurled upon the shore, and
breaking into fragments, covered the
streets with wreckage, and rendered them
almost impossible, while the torrents OF
water rushing through every open space
would take the strongest man off of his
feet
AT 10 a. m. the worst was over, the wind
subsidized, the water begun to recede, and
by D. m. people could begin the task of
reckoning up the losses and clearing
away the wreckage. The property loss
is very heavy. Aside from the direct dam
age from the storm, while the gale was at
It's nlRnL, uTe broke out IN the Bettelini
house. and IL was burned.
"The force Of the wind totally demolish-
ed the large and handsome Methodist
Episcopal church. south, the Cedar Key
high school building, the Christian church.
and three coored churches several pri-
Vate residences, and all the fish houses
except one. IL also badly damaged a
number Of residences and stores, the su-
wannee ice factory Wofe's cedar mill.
and the Eagle Pencil Companys mill; also
the large lumber mill OF v. J. Herlong
and the planning mill Of George w. Meyer
& Sons, just completed and ready for
work, suffered considerably, losing three
smoke stacks lumber, logs and wharves.
The ice factory is so badly damaged that
It is doubtful II it starts up again The
others will, repair and resume business.
"rhe Flofida Central and Peninsular
railroad is a heavy loser, as all the track,
trestinR, etc, Is washed away from here
to No. 4, a distance Of three and a half
miles. 1t will probably be a month be-
fore trains run through, but the people
are told they will run within four miles
by tomorrow, and mails will be Dispatch
ed and received with boat as connecting
link.
t,1,,o adjoining island Of A tsto.a r.t-