The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-08-11
PORTO RICO IS DEVASTATED
VEST INDIAN HURRICANE CA AUSLS
 TREMENDOUS D.IMAGE.
storm Ragged for Nino HOurs-Eighty Houses Demolished tn San Juan and Hundreds Unroofed-PoMce Almost DestrOyed-FOrty-six Bodies Recov- cred at HumncaO-Many Lives Lost at nthnr Placps
Other Places.

San Juan de Porto Rico, Aug. 10-A
 hurricane broke over the southern coast at 1 o'clock Tuesday morning and
 swept northwest. There was no abate-
 ment for nine hours, the greatest dam- age being done between 8 and 10 a. m. The wi.'es are down and communication with the interior was for a time impos- sible. It is now chiefly carried on by couriers. Here, at San Juan, four na- tives were drowned in the harbor eighty houses were demolished and hundreds were unroofed. The damage to proper stores to the value of $50,000 were de- stores to the value of $500000 were de- stroyed
 dispatch from Ponce by cable sent at 10 a. m. to-day says the town was almost destroyed. Almost all the frame buildings are down, the bridges are swept away and there is no cemmunica- tion between the port and the city prop CT. The damage to the port is estimated at $250O00. Two natives are known to have been drowned. The records and property of the customs house are ruin ed, and all the vessels are ashore.
 At Aibonito very little remains stand ing except the Cathedral and the bar- racks Four natives perished and three United States soldiers were badly iniur ed. AS the town is without food govern ment relief has been despatched thitber El Caney was leveled to the ground, 200 houses being demolished Two United States soldiers were injured and many cavalry horses killed. At Catano the entire plant of the Standard oil com pany was ruined. The loss on the prop erty is $2OO,0O0 At Bayomin majority of the houses were destroyed and the rest were destroyed; 200 cattle were killed and the railroad seriously dam aged. The village of Carolina was It. erally razed. At Caguas four persons were killed.
 A courier from Humacao, capital of the province of that name, on the east ern coast of the island. reports awful destruction there. The loss to property is estimated at $5OoooO, but this is the least item in the disaster. The courier brought an official report from Captain Eben Swift of the Fifth United States cavalry which reads: "Humacao was totally destroyed by the hurricane. for ty-six bodies have been recovered and there are many mere in the debris. Eight privates of Troop c were injured two fatally. Sergeant King of the Elev- enth infantry was injured. North, discharged private, is missing. At the port of Humacao eighteen bodies have been recovered. Eight hundred persons arc starving here.'
 Three persons were killed at Las Pe- dras and five at Junco. Couriers from the other districts are anxiously expect ed at the palace. The steamer Slocum Captain Thomas, en route from Maya guez to San Juan, was caught in the storm, but her passengers and crew were saved through the heroism of MT. Single, the first officer The coffee crop is ruined, and the loss will reach mil lions. Very great injury has been done to the orange crop. No definite returns have yet been received from the south- ern section of the island apart from Ponce. It is certain, however, that the food supplies in the stricken districts have been destroyed and in those quar- ters the quantity of government stores on hand is small. Relief wagons will be sent out tomorrow. General George Davis of the United States army has ca bled the war department for assist ance.